 Albatros
Modelworks 1/72 B-25 Decals
Subtitled "Dragons and tigers and girls….. oh my!",
this sheet is aptly timed with the recently released Hasegawa B-25 kits.
The downside to this sheet is that it is going to make you want to buy
a bunch of those Hasegawa B-25s, which is going to really cut into the
kit budget. The decal sheet has a total of thirteen options presented
on its two decal sheets, covering the Pacific, Mediterranean, and Indochina.
B-25 variants covered include the B-25C, D, G, H, and J, so there's something
for just about any kit here.
Starting with option 1, this is a B-25C-5-NA of the 428th BS/310th BG
flying out of Tunisia in 1943. This plane is camouflaged in olive drab
over neutral gray and has a reclining female figure with a name of "Worth
Fighting For" painted on the left side. On the right side is another
variation of the figure, with the name repeated.
Number 2 is a B-25D-1 of the 498th BS/345th BG out of Port Moresby in
October 1943. This plane features a stylized parrot on the nose, with
white vertical tails and the name "Near Miss" on the right side,
along with a woman riding a bomb. On the left engine nacelle is the name
"Hilda", and the plane features quite an impressive scoreboard
including mission marks and three aircraft silhouettes.
Number 3 is a B-25D-1-NC from the 405th BS/338th BG out of Wewak, New
Guinea in August 1943. The "Green Dragon" unit, this plane appropriately
features a green dragon on the nose, with yellow fin caps. This plane
also has red-outlined stars and bars and is camouflaged in olive drab
over neutral gray. The instructions mention that a Major Cheli received
the Medal of Honor for his service in this aircraft during a raid on August
18th.
 Number
4 is a B-25G of the 822nd BS/38th BG "Black Panthers" out of
Nadzab, New Guinea in 1944. This plane has a stylized black panther head
on the nose, with the lower fin cap in yellow, while the plane is finished
in olive drab over neutral gray.
Number 5 (not even halfway there yet!) is a B-25G-12 of the 379th BS/310th
BG flying out of Oran, Algeria in August and September 1943. This plane
is camouflaged in sand over neutral gray and has red-outlined stars and
bars. It also carries nose art consisting of the name "Shady Lady"
and a black silhouette of a woman.
Number 6 is a B-25G-5-NA of the 48th BS/41st BG flying out of Makin
Island in 1944. This plane returns to the olive drab and neutral gray
camouflage, with a lighter blue roundel in the star and bar. This plane
is named "Luscious Lady" and has a sitting female figure.
Number 7 and 8 both are from the 823rd BS/38th BG "Tigers"
flying out of Nazdab, New Guinea in 1944. Both are finished in olive drab
and neutral gray, with blue cowling fronts and lower fin caps. On the
nose of each is a stylized tiger's head, with one carrying the name "Tee-Kay"
and the other "Kunai Kutter".
Number 9 is a B-25H-1 from the 82nd BS/12th BG out of Karachi, India
in 1944. This plane has a face painted around the nose, with the name
"Vikin's Vicious Virgin" on the nose net to a standing female
holding a sword and wearing a Viking helmet. A large white 35 is on the
tail.
Number 10 and 11 are both from the 501st BS/345th BG out of Tacloban,
Leyte Island in January of 1945. Both have a green disc on the tail with
an Indianhead emblem centered. One of these B-25Js is named "Apache
Princess" and has a reclining nude woman on a bed of flowers. The
second is also a B-25J and has the name "Reina del Pacifico",
with a sitting nude figure surrounded by bubbles and a fish.
Number 12 is a B-25J-11 from the 71st BS/38th BG from Okinawa in August
1945. This plane has a leering wolf's head on the nose, with a pink heart
and a nude female figure inside, with the name "Emergency Strip".
Number 13 is a B-25J-32 from the 82BS/12th BG out of Padaveswar, India
in 1945. Stepping out from the rest of the sheet, this plane is in overall
natural metal. It has a face painted across the nose, and a reclining
woman with the name "Sunday Punch" is under the canopy.
All thirteen options offer something new to the B-25 modeler, and the
quality of the decal sheet ensures a nice model when finished. Our thanks
to Albatros for the review sample. Check your usual hobby shop for this
sheet if you've got a few B-25s that need interesting markings.
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