That's good news. I hope some day they get round to doing the He 219 and Ho 229 they have over there.

Outstanding attention to detail, stik!

Bish, the 219 seems to be in restoration as well, from the few photos that I have come across online. According to their website, the wing is currently being restored.

http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19600322000

CMK, thanks for the kind words.

Thanks for that link and info. that is good news, the last pics I had seen was the fuselage in a sorry state next to the Enola gay. It looks much better now. And after I posted that last comment, I found some info suggesting the 229 is in the process of restoration as well.

Youre very welcome Bish... oh and remember my earlier stuff about yellow bombs? I just came across this photo, probably from 1942, of some yellow 500 lb bombs. If I am not mistaken, the 2-42 stencil would indicate a manufacture date of Feb. 1942. Just the opposite of mine, and with OD fins. I suspect that all the pre war and early war yellow bombs had been dropped by mid war or so.

stikpusher

Thanks Gary. Your suggestion about the graying out of the stars is possible that this is due to wear. But I do know that it was fairly common for 8th Air Force Bomb Groups to spray the white portions of the stars in gray to tone them down. Especially in 1942/1943 when the Luftwaffe was most dangerous to bombers air to air. 322nd BG was part of the 8th AF until later in 1943 when 9th AF took over the "tactical" role out of the UK. Plenty of color photos show the Marauders with Gray stars in Summer 1943 when Marauder ops were just beginning and none would have yet been as beat up as Flak Bait was by late Summer 1945 when she was put in storage. And if you look at the fuselage side Star in the one photo, over the OD, the white would have worn away to that, and not the Gray. And that is my reasoning behind my work on that. Is it historically accurate? Maybe, maybe not. But it looks the part. Which is my prime goal here.

Stik,

Interesting information about the graying out of the stars by the bomber forces.  I don't think I've read that before.

Thanks!  You're a scholar and a gentleman. 

Gary

Love how the fading is starting to look SP, and thanks for posting those cool photos of the zinc chromate yellow bombs.

It's done!!!! Finally!!! Pics tonite after IPMS...

Well, this turned out to be a good evening. I had lots of last minute difficulties here with this build, but it's finally done. I will get a full set of photos of her up tomorrow. To my eye, it's full of flaws, mainly from trying to get it done fast. But it did take 2nd place tonite at IPMS monthly contest, Master Category. So not too bad...

Now that's a sweet looking build SP, and a very big well done on the second place. Awesome, i'll use that pic for the front page, but I am sure we would all like to see a few more if you can.

Awesome Stik!  I can't wait to see more

Congratulations, stik!  A job well done!

Check, do you have any idea when the B-24 will be done.

SP, I have just spotted your other post. That is interesting that they are still painting bombs yellow in 1942, I assume there must have been an order at some point to paint them OD. So it would not be out of place to have a 1942 scene with yellow bombs, now that would add a nice splash of colour. Seeing as the fins were fitted on scene, any combination of yellow and OD bombs and fins would seem possible.

Bish, I have a week's vacation starting Monday, so I'll have a (hopefully) uninterrupted week to finish this.

The major parts were painted a few days ago.  I test-fitted the wings and horizontal stabilizer.  The wings are a tight fit into the fuselage, and required some thinning to get them in place.  The horizontal stabilizer doesn't seem to want to sit properly, so will have to fiddle with this.

I applied a clear coat to the parts, let it dry for a couple of days, then ran a thinned black acrylic wash into the panel lines.

Today I applied a second clear coat over the wash, and will try to salvage the kit decals and apply them tomorrow or Monday.

Sorry for taking so long with this , but between work schedules this summer and various construction issues with the kit, it's been a challenge.

Bish

Thanks for that link and info. that is good news, the last pics I had seen was the fuselage in a sorry state next to the Enola gay. It looks much better now. And after I posted that last comment, I found some info suggesting the 229 is in the process of restoration as well.

Bish here is a link to what is currently undergoing restoration at Smithsonian with photos. The 229 is among them.

http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/multimedia/Index.cfm?subjectid=8

OK guys, first off, many thanks for the kind words. The Marauder was very well received at IPMS last night and seeing how some many guys there had built this kit at some point in their lives, I think many knew the level of work that I put into her and appreciated that. I am back from my morning activities here and need to get a couple more photos of the undersides that I did not take last night, then will get them all uploaded here and posted in a bit.

As far as the yellow bombs go, yes, they would make a great splash of color to a 1942/1943 diorama of uploading/arming a bomber in the early days of the US air war in WWII in any theater. The changeover to OD came in late spring of 1942 around April or so, and it would take time I imagine for the arsenals to get the orders and the paint to begin to implement that change. Than more time to produce the bombs and ship them to the various theaters of war. I just may do some yellow bombs on a couple of planned builds that I have for 1942 US bombers.

CMK that is looking good! Youre getting closer to the finish now! You sure do not have to explain summer time constraints to me...

Check, no worries. I will hang on until the end of the month and then do a round up in the general modelling section.

SP, thanks for that link. Nice to see the Horten getting some attention. And thanks for the info on the bombs. I will defiantly put that to use.

And again, awesome build, thanks for making it a part of this GB.

Bish, many thanks for hosting this GB! This was really a great one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (even if my wife may think otherwise due to some choice swearing  at times)

And now, without further ado, on D+32 and in time for the Operation Cobra bombardment and the break out from Normandy I present "Flak Bait", a Martin B-26B that took part in that greatest of operations 70 years ago.

As stated earlier, here are the pictured of my build of the old 1/48 scale Monogram B-26B Marauder kit, "Flak Bait".

B-26B-25-MA Serial Number 41-31773 was completed off of the Assembly line in late April 1943. She was flown across the Atlantic and assigned to the 8th Bomber Command in England, 322nd Bomb Group in late May 1943. This group had just introduced the B-26 to combat in the ETO. The 322nd had just stood down after all the B-26s dispatched on a low level strike into Holland had been shot down by fighters and flak, save one which aborted en route to the target.
She would fly over 200 combat missions in the ETO without an abort (207 or 208 depending upon the source), more than any other American bomber in the ETO. Aptly named by her first pilot, Lt. Farrell (after his brother’s dog “Flea Bait”), she took over 1000 holes in her airframe during the course of these missions. During the span of her combat career she would return to base twice on only one engine, survive an engine fire, have her hydraulics shot out once and electrical systems twice. But she always came back, for a total of 725 combat hours in the ETO while assigned to the 449th Bombardment Squadron, 322nd Bomb Group. She would be forward based in France and later Belgium after those areas had been liberated, and end her flying career in Germany before being selected to be sent home for preservation at the Smithsonian due to her distinguished combat career.
On June 1st Flak Bait flew her 100th combat sortie. On June 6th she would fly two more as part of the “maximum effort” put forth by the Allies to support the Normandy Invasion. On the morning of June 6th, the 322nd would dispatch three 16 ship “boxes”. Two were assigned to strike gun batteries near Ouistreham, opposite Sword Beach, while the third box was assigned to strike gun batteries near Utah Beach at Montfarfille. The overcast weather and icing conditions forced the Marauders to fly in under the cloud ceiling at 8000 feet. Many would abort, but not “Flak Bait”. In the afternoon, the full 322nd Bomb Group would fly a strike near Caen. Just a small part of the huge operation that the Normandy Operation was, but overall the B-26s of the 9th Air Force would put in the most effect close air support against the German coastal defenses of any of the Allied bombers that day, especially at Utah Beach.
This is Monogram’s venerable 1/48 scale kit, first issued in 1978. I added a scratch built radio/navigators compartment, tail gunner’s compartment, and added detail to the waist and top gunner’s compartments. All colors used are based off of WWII era color photos of Marauders, and of the actual Flak Bait herself in storage at the Smithsonian Institute.

Thanks for looking!

Comments and critques welcome!

Amazing work Stik!  I've really enjoyed following along with this, especially when I realized you were doing Flak Bait.  I was amazed when I saw how many missions she finished when I saw the nose at the Smithsonian last year.  I'm going to have to make a special trip down when she's all done.

Thank you SB. Doing the research for this build was really enlightening. I have a LOT more understanding and respect for the Marauder crews in general and the crews of this ship in particular after all that I read and learned along the way.  I would LOVE to go see her when she is all rebuilt as well. Perhaps one day if I ever make it out that way again.

stikpusher

Bish, many thanks for hosting this GB! This was really a great one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (even if my wife may think otherwise due to some choice swearing  at times)

 

Amen to that brother Stik.

And it was a real pleasure to host it, once again, it was the great members that really made it a great GB. Its just a shame HvH hasn't shown up, but its good to see your holding up the Monogram banner in his absence.

Love those photo's and the history. You certainly did the old girl proud.

Hey SP, two big thumbs up- fantastic job on taking an older classic kit and making a masterpiece out of her! And thanks for the history, I knew 'Flak Bait' had a distinguished career but not to that extent. As I think I've said here I live down in SW Virginia- I'll have to get up to there and check her out when she's done.

CMK02: Nice work there too- looking forward to seeing her all done up!  

Flak Bait looks really AWESOME!!!!!!

Many thanks for the kind words guys.

Stik - you have created a stunning build there, and from such an old kit.  Enjoyed reading the history of her too.  As you were approaching the final stages, I was thinking you have to enter this at some competition, and you have and came home with some hardware to boot.

Congrats on all fronts!

regards,

Jack

Thank you Jack. I really wish that I had it done in time for the June meet. The theme was D-Day and I think I might have been in the running for the theme award had this been completed in time.

Everyone did a real bang up job on their builds. They all look great.  It was great fun. and thanks again Bish for hosting it.

I can't help but think of the guys who went through D-Day and after. There can't be many left. My Dad, uncles and all the other WW2 Veterans I knew are gone. "I didn't know what to say here for a few minutes." But, with things like our GB's, we can keep their memories alive.

Great photography of an outstanding model, stik.  What exceptional results you achieved!!

And thanks, Gamera.  I'm looking forward to finishing up, too!

Added decals to the props yesterday, and had mixed results trying to salvage them with MicroScale's liquid decal-preservation potion.  Some still shattered, so I have to return to the spares file today.

Will post photos when I have some success to report.

Thanks for the compliments CMK. That really sucks about the decal problems. That can be a huge speed bump to completion for such a simple thing. Best of luck on getting that handled.