Italeri 1/72 B-25H/J Mitchell "Gunship"

ITALERI 1:72 B-25H/J MITCHELL "GUNSHIP"
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: John Lacey (elric@johnsmail.com)

Kit: ITALERI 1/72nd B-25H/J 'Gunship'

Italeri's B-25 is yet another multi versioned kit, available in -25C, -25H/J and USMC PBJ. Having built the -25C and PBJ variants, I looked forward to the Gunship, being a fan of Italeri kits in general and the -25H with its blunt nose and 75mm cannon. It would provide a comparison to memories of Airfix's B-25.

Standard Italeri instructions with history, parts breakdown, parts callout and construction diagrams. Alternate parts include 'glass' nose for the J and 'cannon' nose for the H. One disappointing omission was the MG nose for the J as used by the 345th BG 'Air Apaches'. A resin conversion or crosskitting with the Airfix kit would be the only recourse.

Cockpit and engine detail is Spartan but adequate for the scale, super detailers or 'rivet counters' will bemoan the lack, but then it's standard Italeri. Raised panel lines is another matter and will cause some headaches particularly on the fuselage centreline. Undercarriage has either 'in flight' or lowered options, although this isn't mentioned in the instructions, the lowered version prevailing. Transparencies are clear and of medium thickness, the entire nose of the J being a clear piece. Conversion of the H to a PBJ-1H with its wingtip radar pod would be a simple affair, adding to the value of the kit. A clear tail prop is provided for those with gear down and no nose weight, a thoughtful inclusion, particularly for younger modellers but not followed by many companies.

Decal options for a J of the 31st BG in Corsica and the H of the 1st Air Commando Group in Burma (my choice), however aftermarket sheets abound for the kit, my own desires leading to the purchase of approximately another 4-5 kits.

Painting options are Model Master and English callouts, being Natural Metal with White/Yellow/Red Fins for the J and standard OD over NG for the H, highlighted by white ACG striping. Curiously the lower Neutral Grey is listed as Dark Gull Grey, certainly an inconsistency but not impassable.

In conclusion, the kit's failings do not detract from its overall value particularly with the crosskitting of all three versions and other available kits to produce a plethora of B-25 variants. A simple one being the -25G, a cannon armed C model airframe.

Related INBOX Reviews:-

Italeri 1/72 B-25B/C Mitchell

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