When you open the box, and look at the parts layout, you may well think 'Accurate Miniatures'. It is quite similar in this regard, but then again, there are only so many ways to mold a kit of a certain aircraft so that is more than likely the reason why.  Some similarities are in the way the wings are done, the horizontal stab, the gun turret, and the interior are all very much like the larger Accurate Miniatures kit.

 As you might expect, detailing is outstanding with all the interior bits and pieces and all the outside panel lines just in the right place. In the cockpit, the seat belts are molded on the seats (a first for Hasegawa, I do believe) and all the instruments are decals. The kit does lack sidewall detailing in the cockpit, but it is really not that big an issue.

There is a full bomb bay and it will be interesting to see if the bay doors can be built closed or not. The cowling will require little pieces of ejector stub to be glued on, and that was one area I'd hoped Hasegawa would have made a modification. The sprues on this kit are identical to the basic boxing, and that includes the glass gun nose as used in the Southwest Pacific. This boxing doesn't need the four nose guns nor the gun packs on the side, but you still have to drill a hole for the single additional nose gun. No info on supplying nose weight is provided as the kit offers a small support for the rear crew entry door but if you do not want to rely on a prop, you'll have to be clever in the way that you place weight. I like that the upper turret can be installed after you paint the airframe.

Instructions are standard Hasegawa with Gunze paint references. There are two options. One is the box art plane from the 489th BS/340th BG from Italy in January 1945. The blue on the outer fin is part of the decal though the aircraft number and serial are provided separately so you can paint the fin. This would be the best option as the prop hub and forward engine cowling are painted in this blue as well.  The other with the stripes on the fin is from the 380 BS/310th BG based on Corsica in November 1944. Decals are nicely printed, but they are the old style where the white is off white and the decals will require hot water to easily remove from the backing.