1:48 A/B-26 Invader - National Insignia & Markings 1950s ICM

The B-26 Invader over Korea: the markings of the 1950s

A set for spraying the postwar form of the insignia and markings of the Invader in 1:48 scale. The kit it is meant for is apparent from the name of the item.

From an A to a B

After the war the Invader went through one of the most confusing changes in the history of the US Air Force: when the older twin-engine type left service, its letter was freed up and the Invader took it over. The same airframe was thus suddenly designated differently without anything on it having changed. In Korea it then served mainly at night, seeking out columns and trains moving under cover of darkness. The sorties lasted for hours and the crews navigated by flares and by flashes from the ground. Besides night work the machine also carried out daylight tasks against transport hubs.

Insignia on gloss black

Night machines carried a dark, often gloss finish on which a decal gives away every edge. A light insignia on a black base also needs proper coverage, so it is applied over a white base and in several coats. Without a mask that would mean an outline cut by hand for every coat separately. With a shaped piece the whole procedure is reduced to one fitting and several passes of the airbrush, and the edge stays precise even after the third coat.

Which builds it suits

• for night machines with a dark gloss finish
• for models from the Korean War period
• when a light insignia is sprayed onto a dark base
• if you want markings with no visible film edge