Actually I have three in the stash along with Eli Raphael’s ‘Naughty Invaders’ package. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. A friend of mine built one as ‘The Sixth Chadwick’ a few months ago and it turned out very nice. I believe there are several built in the Hyperscale review department.
Once upon a time, before The Fire, which I annoying refer to so often but which destroyed everything model-related I’d collected over 20 years, but before The Fire, I was just getting ready to start my A-26. I too love this airplane and want to build it in its many disguises. The one I was to start the day after the fire was a glass nosed WW II version. It was not my first choice, a Korean War gun noser was that. But I had all three of Eduard’s frets for the Invader and by gar I wuz gonna use 'em. They are among the best PE Eduard has ever done. Lots of three dimensional thingies and an absolutely magnificent bomb bay. I want to do a Bay of Pigs Invader, which, though they came courtesy of the Alabama Air National Guard, were painted in some bogus liberation scheme which I can’t find photos of anywhere. Then there was the On-Mark conversion for the early years of Vietnam. It was used to torment trucks along The Trail (there was also a version of the Navy’s P2V Neptune which did the same thing and bearing a great camo scheme). On Mark was the company that put new guns (eight, I think) in the nose and updated target acquistion gear as well as other weapons system updates. There is a really old back issue of IPMS Quarterly featuring everything you ever wanted to know about this On Mark bird. I’d lend you mine, but it burned. Do I sound bitter?[:o)]
I am planning to build mine soon, i just need to get done with my B-17 my P-35(almost done) and my B-26. i have the Promodeler kit and also i got the Eduard Exterior Detail Set, Bomb Bay Detail Set and the interior Detail Set, i also built the monogram one a few years a go, was not a great build but i enjoyed a lot building it. certainly would be cool to see some builds of this bird [^]…
Responder, I don’t know how you find obscure sheets like that, but this one you just referred us to is one heckuva beaut. Now, in addition to the price of the ProModeler Invader and three Eduard frets, I gotta come up with another double sawbuck for this entrancing decal sheet. (Now, go try to explain to your girlfriend or any other sane person how a decal sheet can be entrancing.)
thanks swanny for the links, told you, everyone seems to like the “kilo” version the best.
yeah those are some nice decals, i’ve looked high and low for the best decals i can find for my a-26.
my explaination to my girlfriend: nose art like that back in the war got those guys through it so they could come back to her. if you’d like, i could do the same on my plane[:D]
Those are the Eli Raphael items I was refering to earlier. You should see the stuff he is doing right now under the Zotz nametag for B-24s - sweet stuff. http://69.12.6.178/albatros/index.htm
The A-26 is my favorite medium bomber! It’s just so sleek… Anyway, i built one a LONG time ago as a kid, and like all of my other models back then, i “messed it up”. I’m wanting to build another one, but i want it in 1/72; haven’t found one in that scale… I also want to dress up one in the colors of the fire bomber in “Always”… Fire eaters, i think was the nose art.
Oh, and I like my invaders with the glass nose… [:D]
Hey Shrikes, did you know you can get the “Always” decals from Mike Grant? Friend of mine commissioned them last year (ALPS printed) but I’m not sure what Mike is reselling them for these days. http://www.mikegrantdesign.com/decals/
I plan on doing two up as soon as I wade through my Heinkel. I’ve got all the above-mentioned goodies- but only one kit! One will pop up, though, I’m sure. Squadron just reissued their In Action book, sometimes that signals a re-release! Gotta scribe those panel lines- a first for me. Gotta find some pix of that B-26K with the Lil’ Annie Fannie noseart, too- any suggestions?
Went to the site, Matt, and what should i see in the gallery? Your fantastic PB4Y-1! I looked around for the “Always” decals, but i couldn’t find them… I don’t think the custom decals have an image gallery… That and the site says he no longer takes orders for custom decals for the forseeable future.
Well the B-26K Counter Invader needs to be a conversion as there is no true “K” right of a kit in 48th scale. You know I try to build just USN/USMC but when Monogram released the A-26 Invader way back when, I always liked this airplane for some reason. Then Paragon produced the Counter Invader conversion set.
I knew I had to build it. But not much in research available back then (mid 90’)
Then Aeromaster produced some nice decals. So that pushed me over the edge and went ahead with the project. Paragon basically has a good conversion set, Cutting Edge has since released their own conversion as well. But the CE set is a little bit more labor intensive, has the correct wheels but no co-pilot seat? I’m hoping when Mr Paragon gets into swing the of things will reproduce this set and hopefully update it with the corrrect wheels. It does already include the mods for the cockpit. I have several more "k’s to build along as a WWII and Korean version.
A group build would be nice, but building a Counter Invader will take me over a year to do the conversion. I would have to settle for a B or C model.
Paragon basically has a good conversion set, Cutting Edge has since released their own conversion as well. But the CE set is a little bit more labor intensive, has the correct wheels but no co-pilot seat? I’m hoping when Mr Paragon gets into swing the of things will reproduce this set and hopefully update it with the corrrect wheels. It does already include the mods for the cockpit. I have several more "k’s to build along as a WWII and Korean version.