on of the following
B-17
B-25
B-24
Lancaster
Halifax
Arado 234
your experiences and recommendations
1/72 preferably but a grat 1/48 will be tolerated.
Other than the Halifax, I’ve at one time or another built them all, some several times, but that was a long time ago… Italeri’s B-25 were really good. Hasegawa’s B-17F was OK, but better than the Airfix one. Airfix B-24 is all I could find, but it turned out OK too. I only ever built Frog’s Ar-234. An Airfix’s Lanc. Dragon’s Ar-234 must be WAY better.
Airfuix B-26, by the way, is (was) a real lovely kit. Shame it’s not on your list!
The second issue of the airfix Lancaster is probably the best in !:72 scale. It’s so long ago that I built the others that I realy couldn’t comment on them.
Dai[:)]
the academy B-24’s are a very good kit. Multiple versions have been released also. I have the B-24J very nice. Their B-17’s are nice also. John
I’ve only built the Halifax BIII an Airfix kit. It all went together well but could use inprovment in the wheelwell department. Hope someone else produces another, or a Airfix reissue. I vote for the RAAF 462 Sqn ECM bird.
B-17 - Built Revell F - old kit, landing gear too short, Hasagawa F & G - good kits, G has Cheyenne tail gunner mod, Academy kits will let you build all versions from B thru G plus ASR version (Haven’t built one yet, but have a C model on the shelf)
B-25 - Airfix - old kit, lots of rivets, but with work makes a nice looking kit, built H & J models - Have Italrei kit on shelf, looks good in the box - there’s still some old Frog C models out there but the only thing I would use from that kit is the sprue for stretching.
B-24 - Over the years have built several older kit, lots of rivets, currently modifing one to C-87 configuration - airfix - old kit, lots of rivets, nose too short, canopy too square and too cl;ose to wing, don’t bother - Acadamy, has kits for D thru M + PB4Y-1 (wish they would bring out a 4Y-2) Built a D and have another plus 2 H’s and 2 J’s on the shelf (only difference is the nose turret) - recommended
Lanc - built both the Revell and the Airfix - both old kits, lots of rivets but Airfix is best of the two - Matchbox has one if you can find it (eBay?) never seen it though
Halifax - built the Airfix kit, old but good - haven’t seen theMatchbox kit.
Arado - sorry don’t build kerosene burners but Dragon is probably pretty good kit
Hope this helps
The Hasegawa 1/72 B-25is the best kit I have seen in 1/72 (Haven’t built it yet). I would not reccomend the Academy B-17, I have the B-24 but would reccomend buying the Eduard photoech set for it.