I am in the process of converting an AcMin B-25 into a PBJ-1. I was originally going to arm it with a torpedo, until I learned the Marines never dropped one from a PBJ in anger, only in test and training. By the time the PBJ’s arrived in theater, there was little shipping to use them on.
But these Marine Corps B-25’s often carried 5" rockets on stubs, and also sported underwing bomb racks. From the photos I can find, these are those “flat” type racks, and the rockets are standard HVAR’s fired from wing-mounted stubs. Does anyone know where I can find a set of these rockets? I don’t have any in the spares box, and I certainly don’t have two or four of those wing racks.
Would there be an aftermarket maker of these things in 1/48? If necessary, I can scratchbuild the rocket stubs, and if I had decent photos, could probably laminate some sheet styrene and carve the bomb racks, adding sway braces from spares.(I think I have seen these same racks used on P-47’s, but I may be wrong.) I have one photo showing Marine armorers putting two 250 lb. bombs on each of these racks, with four bombs under each wing. They also carried some in the bay. I’d prefer to model it with rockets under the wings and bombs in the bay, but I’ll take what I can find.
TOM
I may have some of what you are looking for in my parts drawers. I have meetings tonight but should be able to let you know by Friday night what I have. If I have them I will send you a picture of what I got, and they are yours if they will work.
Much thanks, John. I found some of the odd-shaped bomb racks. They were in the kit on an unused sprue (duh) intended for some other version. With a little work they’ll do. Now I have to figure out if these PBJ’s flew with bombs and rockets on the wings at the same time. It’s funny that such a nifty medium bomber, and the only one used by the Marine’s in the Big War, gets so very little publicity, especially when you consider how much of a headache they gave the other side. But it’s those wildly colored strafers from the army that get all the glory and, to be fair, they did shoot up much more than their share of the shipping. It was the bases the Marines devastated. And, the PBJ didn’t get into the show until early 1944. Still, I think it’s a worthwhile project and when it’s done I’ll tell everyone how to do it. I know you’ll all be holding your breaths until I come through.
Still wondering, though, if anyone makes AM HVAR’s in white metal or even resin. However, plastic will do. I’ll just replace the fins with PE sprue and add fine wire pigtails.
TOM