Air Apache! - 1/32 B-25J Strafer of the fabled 345th Bomb Group
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This is my rendition of B-25J s/n 43-36199, as it would have appeared in late spring, 1945 in the Philippines. At the time, it was serving in the 501st Bomb Squadron of the 345th Bomb Group - the famed "Air Apaches." This group was famous for transforming the B-25 from a medium altitude bomber, to a low-level attack aircraft. With eight forward-firing M2 .50 caliber machine guns in the nose, and a potent bomb load, strafer B-25s savaged Japanese shipping all throughout the Pacific campaigns.
This particular aircraft had its nose reconfigured to the strafer configuration in the field and it was never repainted. At some point before the reference photos, its right rudder was replaced, leaving only part of the unit insignia and tail number. Oddly, the reference photos show the vertical stabilizer to be darker than the replacement rudder, so I tried to capture that here.
This is the HK Models 1/32 kit with a significant number of add-ons. I used Eduard photoetch sets for the cockpit, bomb bay, and fuselage in addition to their resin wheel kit. I also included AMS resin props, G-Factor brass landing gear, Master Model brass .50cal MG barrels, and EagleCals aftermarket decals for the kill marks, crew names, and tail insignia. All national insignia and markings are custom made on my stencil cutter.
