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”.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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
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