To most aviation enthusiasts, when one thinks of the B-25 Mitchell, it is those that were used in the Southwest Pacific that normally come to mind. While the 5th AF may not have operated the most B-25s, they did seem to get the most press. Probably because of the great deal of innovation in the early years of the war, these aircraft were well known for ship busting and strafing more than 'normal' bombing missions. Who hasn't seen the photos of B-25s flying low over Simpson Harbor in Rabaul with bombs bursting amongst the ships of the Imperial Fleet?

The aircraft of the 345th BG later went on to sport very colorful nose art in the form of bats or parrots on their strafers, but it was the earlier birds that started it all. Superscale has produced several sheets of these early birds, mostly based on photos from Lawrence Hickey's 'Warpath across the Pacific' book. If you have any interest at all in the B-25, this book should be in your library.

Getting back to the sheet, there are four aircraft covered by it. There are markings enough to do all four aircraft. 

First is the 499th BS 'Jelly Belly' a B-25D-5 This one has the blue engine cowlings typical of this squadron.

Next is 'Lucky Bat', another D-5 from the 499th. Like the above aircraft, there is nose art on both sides.

'Tin Liz' is a 501 BS D-1 with red engine cowls and a lot of mission markings.

Finally, there is  'Crab 2nd', a D-15 from the 498th BS. This yellow cowled Mitchell has white tail fins.

Every one of these aircraft were lost in action. The best kit for this plane is the Italeri B-25C/D. While getting along in years, it does make into a very nice model.

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet! 

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