IPMS Netherlands - MIP B-25D

IPMS The Netherlands
Modelbouw in Plastic
1/32 B-25D vacu

Introduction

Wim Nijenhuis (44), former chairman of IPMS The Netherlands, has specialised himself in building 1/48 models of British and American Second World War bombers. He paid special attention to the North American B-25 Mitchell, because in his opinion this is truly the greatest bomber of all. There is some historical evidence for this claim by a Dutch modeller, since two Dutch squadrons were equiped with B-25's, one operating in the European (320 Sq. RAF) and the other in the Pacific theater of war (18 Sq. RAAF).

Photograph 1: 320 (Dutch) Sq. RAF at Melsbroek, Belgium, in 1944. Wim Nijenhuis modelled his kit upon the plane in the foreground, B-25D-25, 42-87263, FR-189, NO-Z.

After building more than ten 1:48 B-25's, Wim bumped into a coarse 1:32 scale Combat Models vacuform of the B-25J. He converted this kit into a B-25D of 320 (Dutch) Squadron RAF. Lack of detail posed a big problem, so Wim had to build many many parts out of scratch. The construction was extra complicated by fitting electronics into the hull and wings. The completed model still lacks some detail, but this is fully compensated by the air of nostalgia when the 'Mitch' is situated in a diorama with shelter and ground crew, the navigation and landing lights being illuminated and the propellers and dorsal turret turning!

Pictures

Photograph 2 : The 1/32 vacuform kit in diorama. The cockpit, nose-section and bomb-bay are extensively detailled inside. The engines, propellers and the front piece of the engine-nacelles are adapted parts from a cannibalized 1:32 Revell Beaufighter kit. Photograph 3 also shows this.

Photograph 4: The electric motors spin the propellers and the positioning lights are lit.

Photograph 5: Two small port hole windows, no sideblisters and the dorsal turret positioned further to the rear are distinctive features that differ between a B-25J and a B-25D.

Photograph 6: The Nissen hut, made of hardboard, plasticard and cardboard, accommodates the transformator, needed to power the electronics of the model. And of course, no Dutch ground-crew is complete without a mechanic repairing a bycicle !

Photograph 7: Wim Nijenhuis (second on the left) with the IPMS Special Interest Group RAF/AAF on a visit to the Duke of Brabant Air Force at Eindhoven Airport in The Netherlands. The DBAF keeps a B-25J in perfect flying condition. It is painted to represent a 320 (Dutch) Squadron RAF aircraft.