In Box Review of AMT-FROG 1/72nd Scale Martin B-26C Marauder II
Bomber
Kit no. A-646:130
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
The B-26C appeared under the Frog label in 1963 and 1964. It appeared under the Frog Airlines label in 1966.The AMT-Frog label in this 1967 and this kit in 1968. Afterwards, by Frog in 1972 & 1973.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
The B-26C appeared under the Frog label in 1963 and 1964. It appeared under the Frog Airlines label in 1966.The AMT-Frog label in this 1967 and this kit in 1968. Afterwards, by Frog in 1972 & 1973.
HISTORY:
The first Martin B-26 Marauder was flown on November 25, 1940 and it became one of the most discussed airplanes of its generation. Its streamlined shape earned it the title of "Flying torpedo", but its small wing and very high speed for a bomber earned the uncomplimentary name "Widow Maker".
The B-26 was a good airplane and did what it was designed to do....if you followed the book. But if you erred, it was a most unforgiving machine. A great number of accidents took place during pilot training in the Marauder, but when new pilots learned that the B-26 handled more like a fighter than a bomber the accidents began to wane. The manufacturer had also made several design improvements to the plane, the most important of which was the increase in wing span.
While the B-26 was having teething troubles at home, the first operational combat sorties were being flown in the Pacific area with great success. The first B-26 raids took place on April 5, 1942 from Australia. After sixteen missions only three Marauders had been lost to Japanese Zeros.
Late in 1941, the Royal Air Force received its first B-26's. In 1942, they became operational in Egypt where they replaced Blenheims.
The B-26 progressively improved throughout the war and gradually earned the respect of the enemy, who found that it could be filled with holes and still fight fiercely. It was heavily and effectively armed and on some occasions the B-26 was used as a fighter escort. Many uses were found for the B-26 that were not thought of during the initial planning stages. The Marauder was the first Army bomber to carry aerial torpedos, a task usually reserved for naval aircraft.
Like so many aircraft of its nature, the B-26 began to appear in the air forces of other countries. Marauders were used by the French Armee de l'air and the South African Air Force.
The addition of four externally mounted gun packages to the sides of the fuselage made the Marauder into an effective ground-attack aircraft; these became standard on later production models. The bomb load was carried behind two sets of bomb bays, one hinged open outward and the other double hinged to slide upward. Bomb capacity of the B-26C was 3,000 lbs.
By the end of WWII the Marauder had lived down its uncomplimentary names and earned a truly enviable reputation by gaining one of the lowest loss ratios of any combat aircraft. In the long run, the Martin Marauder turned out to be one of the outstanding military aircraft of its time and certainly proved the worth of its design.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Engines: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800's of 2,000 h.p.
Performance: Maximum speed: 282 mph
Ceiling: 21,700 ft.
Range: 1,150 miles
Dimensions: Span: 71 ft., Length: 58 ft. 3 in.
Armament: Twelve o.5 inch machine guns, 3,000 lb. bomb load
The first Martin B-26 Marauder was flown on November 25, 1940 and it became one of the most discussed airplanes of its generation. Its streamlined shape earned it the title of "Flying torpedo", but its small wing and very high speed for a bomber earned the uncomplimentary name "Widow Maker".
The B-26 was a good airplane and did what it was designed to do....if you followed the book. But if you erred, it was a most unforgiving machine. A great number of accidents took place during pilot training in the Marauder, but when new pilots learned that the B-26 handled more like a fighter than a bomber the accidents began to wane. The manufacturer had also made several design improvements to the plane, the most important of which was the increase in wing span.
While the B-26 was having teething troubles at home, the first operational combat sorties were being flown in the Pacific area with great success. The first B-26 raids took place on April 5, 1942 from Australia. After sixteen missions only three Marauders had been lost to Japanese Zeros.
Late in 1941, the Royal Air Force received its first B-26's. In 1942, they became operational in Egypt where they replaced Blenheims.
The B-26 progressively improved throughout the war and gradually earned the respect of the enemy, who found that it could be filled with holes and still fight fiercely. It was heavily and effectively armed and on some occasions the B-26 was used as a fighter escort. Many uses were found for the B-26 that were not thought of during the initial planning stages. The Marauder was the first Army bomber to carry aerial torpedos, a task usually reserved for naval aircraft.
Like so many aircraft of its nature, the B-26 began to appear in the air forces of other countries. Marauders were used by the French Armee de l'air and the South African Air Force.
The addition of four externally mounted gun packages to the sides of the fuselage made the Marauder into an effective ground-attack aircraft; these became standard on later production models. The bomb load was carried behind two sets of bomb bays, one hinged open outward and the other double hinged to slide upward. Bomb capacity of the B-26C was 3,000 lbs.
By the end of WWII the Marauder had lived down its uncomplimentary names and earned a truly enviable reputation by gaining one of the lowest loss ratios of any combat aircraft. In the long run, the Martin Marauder turned out to be one of the outstanding military aircraft of its time and certainly proved the worth of its design.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Engines: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800's of 2,000 h.p.
Performance: Maximum speed: 282 mph
Ceiling: 21,700 ft.
Range: 1,150 miles
Dimensions: Span: 71 ft., Length: 58 ft. 3 in.
Armament: Twelve o.5 inch machine guns, 3,000 lb. bomb load
THE KIT:
AMT was based in the USA in Troy, Michigan and imported and distributed Frog (UK) models under their label. Both AMT and Frog went out of business. Frog molds went to Novo in Russia after they closed and Novo is out of business now too.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts find their way past the end flaps and become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows 2 Marauders strafing and bombing an enemy position and surrounded by flak bursts.
They are in a wave pattern of dark green and dark brown over grey under carraiges. The one in the forground has a white fuselage code letter Z before the fuselage roundel and on the sides of the nose. Behind the nose Z is a logo of a blond female in red bathing suit. There are 40 white completed mission marks under the cockpit.
The box art has no text on it. Just the art work, which can be framed and used as a wall decoration if the modeler cares to.
The bottom of the box lists features of the kit: movable control surfaces, propellers and wheels. Optional position landing gear, easy-to-follow instruction sheet. highly detailed pilot figures, multiple matte decals, AMT-Frog authenticity.
To the right of this list is two 2-views of colors and markings of B-26's,
1. A B-26 in overall bare metal with D-Day black and white invasion stripes around the rear of the fuselage and on the wings. A shark mouth on the nose. Black letter code SB (star with bars) T over the fuselage stripes. A diagonal yellow band outlined in black on the rudder with the black serial no. 286165 over it.
2. A B-26 in overall bare metal too with black cowling fronts.There is the logo of a black bird on the sides of the nose. British roundels in the normal 6 positions. A British fin flash on the rudder with the black serial no. 2107655 above it.
We are not told what units these are from.
AMT was based in the USA in Troy, Michigan and imported and distributed Frog (UK) models under their label. Both AMT and Frog went out of business. Frog molds went to Novo in Russia after they closed and Novo is out of business now too.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts find their way past the end flaps and become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows 2 Marauders strafing and bombing an enemy position and surrounded by flak bursts.
They are in a wave pattern of dark green and dark brown over grey under carraiges. The one in the forground has a white fuselage code letter Z before the fuselage roundel and on the sides of the nose. Behind the nose Z is a logo of a blond female in red bathing suit. There are 40 white completed mission marks under the cockpit.
The box art has no text on it. Just the art work, which can be framed and used as a wall decoration if the modeler cares to.
The bottom of the box lists features of the kit: movable control surfaces, propellers and wheels. Optional position landing gear, easy-to-follow instruction sheet. highly detailed pilot figures, multiple matte decals, AMT-Frog authenticity.
To the right of this list is two 2-views of colors and markings of B-26's,
1. A B-26 in overall bare metal with D-Day black and white invasion stripes around the rear of the fuselage and on the wings. A shark mouth on the nose. Black letter code SB (star with bars) T over the fuselage stripes. A diagonal yellow band outlined in black on the rudder with the black serial no. 286165 over it.
2. A B-26 in overall bare metal too with black cowling fronts.There is the logo of a black bird on the sides of the nose. British roundels in the normal 6 positions. A British fin flash on the rudder with the black serial no. 2107655 above it.
We are not told what units these are from.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 4 cream-colored parts trees, the cream colored fuselage and wing halves, 2 clear trees, the decal sheet and the instructions. Parts and decal are in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a singe sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 " x 8 1/2" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white photo of the model in the shark mounted scheme, above READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions.
Pages 2 and 3 has assembly instruction text next to an exploded drawing to use for assembly.
Page 4 has the history of the Marauder.
The first cream-colored parts tree holds: main wheels and tail wheel halves, one cowlings halves. one propeller and elevator front top and bottom halves (11 parts)
This kit holds 4 cream-colored parts trees, the cream colored fuselage and wing halves, 2 clear trees, the decal sheet and the instructions. Parts and decal are in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a singe sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 6 " x 8 1/2" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white photo of the model in the shark mounted scheme, above READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions.
Pages 2 and 3 has assembly instruction text next to an exploded drawing to use for assembly.
Page 4 has the history of the Marauder.
The first cream-colored parts tree holds: main wheels and tail wheel halves, one cowlings halves. one propeller and elevator front top and bottom halves (11 parts)
The second cream-colored parts tree holds: the other propeller, other halves of the elevator fronts, other cowling halves, crew figures, gun pods, cockpit floor etc. (17 parts)
The third cream-colored parts tree holds: engine cylinders, flaps, bomb bay doors and gear legs, seats etc. (23 parts)
The fourth cream-colored parts tree holds: more flaps and cowling halves (12 parts)
Next is the cream-colored 2 fuselage halves and upper and lower wing halves (6 parts)
The clear trees are next. There are 2 that hold all the cockpit windows and turret dome (11 parts)
The decal is next. Somewhere over the years it got sliced up. A friend sent me additional spare decals out of his B-26 kit.
They are for a British scheme that had a diving eagle on the nose with DOMINIONS REVENGE and a fuselage code letter D and serial no. FK375. I wish I had a picture of this one to go by.
They are for a British scheme that had a diving eagle on the nose with DOMINIONS REVENGE and a fuselage code letter D and serial no. FK375. I wish I had a picture of this one to go by.
This is a nice older Frog kit.
The panel lines are of the raised variety. There are no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees and no parts tree illustrations in the instructions. Study of the exploded drawing is imperative then to get the right parts for the build. Bad move Frog -AMT.
I got this kit years ago for a few bucks. I am willing to sell it for a reasonable offer.
The panel lines are of the raised variety. There are no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees and no parts tree illustrations in the instructions. Study of the exploded drawing is imperative then to get the right parts for the build. Bad move Frog -AMT.
I got this kit years ago for a few bucks. I am willing to sell it for a reasonable offer.