I have these beautiful markings for B-24M’s. The instructions are very specific, and helpful, about what exact sub-subtypes of the Liberators these big decals are for, but knowing as I do how many variations on noses and tails there were among the late-model B-24’s, how do you take the one available B-24J kit (Monogram’s old standby) or even and Academy 1/72 scale B-24, and make it into a B-24M-5 with a “high hat” dorsal turret, as called for? Does the Koster conversion give that kind of detai? And making slice-and-dice conversions even harder, these a/c are all in NMF, so your new, homemade seams have to be perfectly erased.
TOM
Academy/Minicraft released a B-24M before in 1/72. I have one and plan to build it as ‘Mabel’s Labels’
check out my thread titled DECALS FOR A PB4Y-1, on that is a entry by Swanny showing a “M” for the B-24 in both the “D” model and the “J”. I don’t know whether this is what your looking for but here it is.
Well, I’m interested in a 1/48 build, but Mabel’s Labels is among the fine Zotz/Albatross sheets available to me. There are three multi-sheet sets by this company for the late model Liberators with that huge nose art, and these decals are as good as decals get. Thet come as “Libby Gals” Parts I,II and III, with two aircraft in each set. With nose art this large, you can’t cram much more into it.
IMHO, when it comes to elaborately rendered markings, such as nose art, nobody does it better than Zotz/Albatross. Colors are (almost) always dead on (I say “almost” because Wibhi2 and I found a major color differential between one element of the nose art on the sheet and the color photo of the real thing on “Million$Baby” but I don’t want to get into the habit of “rivet counting” with colors), the register is perfect, and the research is beyond reproach. Now, if I can just make MY research the same way.
I’m still wondering what the Koster conversion kit offers. I just got a new product sheet from them yesterday, but as always, except for the addition of a color page showing their decals, not much as changed on it: It provides little information beyond parts count.
TOM
The koster kit will do a consolidated b-24M not a Ford built B-24M. It is basically the same as the MOnogram consolidated J only with modified navigator scanning windows. It includes an emerson nose turret and a6a and a6b turrets and a martin high hat top turret. I think mables labels is a ford M. Cutting edge sells a ford nose conversion. Squadron also makes a vacuform nose glass that would do a ford M. You would also need to make the elongated scanning windows, but these could be vacu formed easily. Check out b24bestweb.com go to the nose matrix.