Classic Airframes 1/48 Martin Baltimore By Mike Whye

Introduction

From what I’ve seen of Classic Airframes’ kits over the past decade or so, its products get better and better as time goes on. Such is the case with one of CA’s newer kits, the 1/48 Baltimore, specifically Kit No. 4139.

First though, a bit of history. Officially called Model 187 by the Glenn Martin Company, the plane never acquired the usual “B-” designation used by the United States, like its Martin brother, the B-26 Marauder, perhaps because the U.S. military did not order it. France and Britain did, however, and it was Britain’s Air Ministry that called it the Baltimore and the name stuck.

The Baltimore was powered by two Wright R-2600 air-cooled radial engines and it was considered a hot airplane. Used primarily by the British, especially in the North African campaign, it was also flown by Greece, South Africa, Australia, Turkey, France and Italy (after it changed sides). For more about the Baltimore’s history, visit The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum's site.

The Kit

Okay, back to the model. A 1/72 Baltimore, made by whom I don’t remember anymore, caught my eye when I began modeling eons ago. I thought it was a really nice-looking aircraft. So when CA announced it was making a 1/48 version, I couldn’t wait to see the kit. CA released two kits: one in RAF markings and the other in the markings of other nations. I chose the RAF kit which has markings for four Baltimores:

1. 223 Squadron, July 1942 in the Mediterranean colors of azure blue undersides and the typical RAF dark earth and middlestone camouflage on the upper surfaces; This version is the only one of the three with an open gunner’s position in the rear. The other three have a powered turret with two .50 caliber machineguns.

2. 13 Squadron, which has the same camouflage as the previous Baltimore.

3. A Flight, 55 Squadron, RAF, which is all night black.

4. Coastal Command which has dark sea gray topsides. White covers the bottom of the wings plus goes more than three-quarters of the way up the sides of the fuselage.

The kit contains three large sprues (I had to trim a few to fit them onto my scanner for this article so it looks like more than three) of gray-blue styrene. Actually, two wing pieces were trimmed nicely off the sprues so those particular sprues would fit into the box. All pieces were in resealable plastic bags. The big sprues were in one bag; decals in another, most of the resin pieces in a third, the resin instrument panel in a fourth and the clear pieces in a fifth.

The styrene pieces have finely engraved lines and look like they’ll be easy to assemble. One note about the fuselage pieces. Because the fuselage pieces are molded for the version that has the powered gun turret, you have to trim away part of the fuselage to create the open gunner’s position and then insert another piece for a proper look. While the inside of the right fuselage has an engraved line to show where to cut, the left side does not so you’d better be on your toes when cutting out that section of the left fuselage. Also, the fuselage has none of what I call pins and holes to fit together when gluing the halves together such as what you’d find with kits made by most other manufacturers (and nor do any other pieces in this kit have the pins and holes which help align pieces when assembling them).

The front canopy was off its sprue when I opened the box but it was contained in the bag with the other clear parts. All of the clear pieces look very fine and clear (and despite my picture of them with the blue background, they are absolutely clear without any color tint).

The gray resin pieces are many, primarily because you have 24 cylinders to assemble for the engines. Cockpit pieces have great detail and for some reason the instrument panel is made of a cream-colored resin. Other resin pieces are the tires/wheels, seats (I love the basket seat’s detail), machineguns for the open position and turret, propeller hubs, air scoops and engine housings.

Seven of the first eight assembly drawings relate to the manned positions--obviously a lot of detail here but the position of what looks like the radio room is wasted detail because you won’t be able to see it when the fuselage is assembled. I plan to save those parts for detailing something else in the future.

The turret interior has a fair amount of detail but if you create the open gunner’s position, you’re going to be lacking basics such as even a floor or seat. Why CA chose to detail the other manned positions (including the to-be-unseen radio room) and not the open gunner’s position which is easily visible is beyond me.

The main landing gear wheel wells are subassemblies that fit into each wing but only the sides, front and back of each wheel well are detailed. The upper side of each wheel well is just the smooth underside of the upper wing piece, void of detail.

When you assemble the wings and engine cowlings, you’re given a choice of engine air scoops but with no explanation, so you‘d better learn what you can about the different types of Baltimores because the drawings of the four types you can build out of this kit show the same enlarged scoop for each type. Perhaps the smaller air scoops are necessary in the CA’s other Baltimore kit.

All control surfaces are molded in place so there’s no chance to position those otherwise unless you’re willing to do some surgery but for most modelers, this is no big deal. Also, the wings have no tabs to fit into the fuselage so you’re forced into just gluing these on as a butt fit (if there were slots for wing tabs, it looks like they‘d be penetrating into the radio room so perhaps that‘s why wing tabs are not provided here).

When dry-fitting the major pieces, I’m able to figure out that the model will have a wingspan just under 16 inches and a length of 12 inches.

Decals are by Cartograf and look fine.

Conclusion

Although the kit can be assembled in a straight-forward fashion, I’d say it’s not one for beginners, particularly if you want to create an open gunner’s position. I haven’t assembled the kit but from what I see of it in the box, CA’s Baltimore is going to be one that you will like to build and have in your collection, especially since it represents a plane that some considered to be overlooked in history.