1/72 Matchbox PBJ-1H ‘Miss-Carriage’

by Tory Mucaro

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The PBJ-1H was the US Navy’s equivalent of the USAAF B-25H Mitchell.  The only squadron to use the “H” version of the PBJ in combat was Marine Bombing Squadron 613.  VMB-613 operated 16 of these aircraft, numbered MB-1 thru MB-16.  The aircraft represented here is MB-11 “Miss-Carriage”.

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I began this project with a vintage Matchbox 1/72nd scale B-25H kit.  To this, I added a Scratchbuilt radar bulb turned from styrene rod on my lathe.  Other details added were the upper and lower antennas made from fine brass rod and machine gun barrels made from fine stainless steel tubing.  The model was painted using Krylon Flat White for the undersurfaces, with Model Master Flat Sea Blue and Intermediate Blue for the upper surfaces.  Decals are from Microscale and the “Miss-Carriage” on the nose was hand lettered using a fine tipped Speedball pen and white India ink.  Weathering was achieved with Floquil Grimy Black airbrushed along with pastels applied for the exhaust and gun powder residue.  Control surfaces and landing gear doors were accented with black washes.  Paint chipping is Testors Steel applied with a very fine brush.  No pre or post shading of any sort was done to the model as I am not a fan of this technique.  The final flat finish is Polly Scale Clear Flat. The antennae wires are .0035 fishing line.

The stand was made from a block of Philippine mahogany and a heated and bent ¼ inch diameter clear acrylic rod. The stand label was made on my computer using squadron emblem artwork from VMB-613’s wonderful website (http://www.vmb-613.com/). This model was built for Ed Alling, the tail gunner of MB-11 “Miss-Carriage”.

Semper Fi!

Tory 

Photos and text © by Tory Mucaro