S u m m a r y

F i r s t   L o o k

For me, the most attractive features of this set are the crisply molded and nicely detailed pilot's seats and armor plating. Doolittle's B-25B aircraft had this armor plating installed behind the seats. Subsequent models of the B-25 had this armor as well. Accurate Miniatures inexplicably omitted the armor plating in their B and C/D kits. The seats feature seat cushions, back pads and molded-in lap belts. The seats fit into a pan molded on the front of the seat armor plating. This looks great until you try to install them into the cockpit. The co-pilot's seat assembly fits but the pilot's seat does not. The pilot's seat assembly is too wide to fit between the center console and the control boxes on the cockpit sidewall. The co-pilot's seat fits because control boxes don't interfere on that side of the fuselage. The fix requires removing the armor plating from the pan and bonding the armor plates directly to the back of the seats. Test fit to ensure that the armor plates are not installed too high. If so, the canopy will not fit. The clearance between the armor plates and the inside of the canopy is tight. See the movie "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" for some great shots of the interior of the cockpit showing the armor plating. A PE instrument panel with a separate instrument face is included. I do not consider this as an improvement over that offered in the kit. The PE instrument is etched with a flat face and requires more detailing to make a convincing instrument panel.

This set also provides the .30 caliber ammo cans for the nose gun. This MG was not fed by a feed chute from a remote ammunition box, as was the later .50 cal. MG installation. The "pea shooter" was fed from a removable ammo can held in a frame attached to the MG mounting adapter. These ammo cans were stored in the bombardier's compartment and are quite prominent in images of the early B-25's. A resin .30 cal. MG and PE ring sights are provided. Other armaments include resin .50 cal. MG's for the upper and lower turrets. Additional .50 cal. ammo boxes and feed chutes are provided to install in the fuselage as suits the modeler. A nicely molded telescopic gunsight for the upper turret completes the resin details for the turrets. The PE sheet has the perforated back support for the upper turret gunner.

Unnecessary for a Doolittle aircraft, a very nice Norden bombsight and additional control panels are provided for the bombardier's compartment. These parts could be used in other USAAF bombers. A welcome addition is the inclusion of extra fire extinguishers and walk-around oxygen bottles in two sizes. These items again could find use in another USAAF bomber. A detailed resin seat and PE lap belt replace the kit provided bombardier's riding seat. Another resin seat replaces the navigator's riding seat located in the rear of the navigator's compartment.

Resin engines with molded-in push rods and separate PE ignition harnesses replace the kit items. The engines are molded in two pieces with both banks of cylinders flat on the rear face. No comment on the fit into the kit or Cutting Edge engine cowlings.

Recommended for those wanting to add details and improve the appearance of a B-25 model.