1:72 B-25J Mitchell

Nose art as a crew's signature

The pair of markings for the North American B-25J Mitchell medium bomber builds on what was most distinctive with American crews, that is on the artistic decoration of the nose. The first machine, with serial number 43-28149, carries the name The Ink Squirts and a reference to the American construction unit 98 Seabees. The second choice belongs to the aircraft Pacific Prowler with serial number 42-9710, which is now looked after by a warbird museum in Fort Worth, Texas and can often be seen at air shows.

The J version was the most numerous production form of the whole type. It went into service with a glazed nose for a bombardier, but many examples were converted by crews or field workshop units into a gun nose full of heavy machine guns for low level raids. That is exactly why two hundred models of the same J version can differ strikingly at first glance and why it pays to pair the markings carefully with a particular machine.

Preparing the surface under the printing

The artwork on the nose is the largest element of the sheet and decides the overall impression. Polish the area under it with gloss varnish first, because matte paint creates a milky veil under the film that can no longer be put right. Lay a large motif on wet, so that it can be moved, and soak the excess water off with the edge of a paper towel rather than by wiping. The curve of the nose calls for patience: let the printing soften for a while in solution and press it down gradually from the center to the edges, so that no folds form across the rows of rivets. Then leave the finished forward section alone for at least a day before picking the model up again.