icm 1:48 ICM B-26B Marauder

[Fran]

1:48

B-26B

Marauder

 

 

ICM

Catalogue number 48320

Price: around 75€

 

“The Glenn L. Martin Company's Model 179 answered a January 1939 Army Air Corps specification for a high-speed bomber. The Army ordered the streamline twin-engine, all-metal monoplane, designated the B-26 Marauder, in September and the first production example flew in November 1940. The design incorporated several new innovations. The high wing loading of the design and the resultant increased landing and take-off speeds caused many accidents in training. Intimidating epithets such as the "Widow Maker" and "One-a-Day-in-Tampa-Bay" added to the B-26's initial reputation as it underwent Congressional scrutiny.

 

As those problems were being resolved, Marauders immediately went into combat after American entry into World War II. On June 4, 1942, Army Air Forces (AAF) Marauders defending Midway Island attacked Japanese aircraft carriers with torpedoes, but failed to score hits. The AAF sent Marauders to North Africa after the Allied invasion in November 1942 for service with the Twelfth Air Force. Eighth Air Force B-26s flew the first bombing mission against German forces in Europe on May 14, 1943. In preparation for the invasion of France, the Eighth's Marauders were transferred to the Ninth Air Force, the primary American tactical air force in Europe, in October 1943.

 

Like the M1 Garand combat rifle, the Sherman tank, and the LST, the Marauder was an important weapon in the war against the Axis powers. B-26 crews flew over 100,000 sorties and dropped approximately 150,000 tons of bombs, primarily against Nazi Germany. The AAF lost fewer Marauders than any Allied bomber it flew—less than one-half of one percent. Besides the United States, the air forces of Great Britain and France operated Marauders in combat. Few Marauders survive today out of the 5,266 produced by Martin.

*History from National Air and Space Museum.

 

 

 Just a brief history for a very well know aircraft.

So, let`s crack the box to check one of the most wanted and eagerly waited model of the year.

 

The usual ICM flip top cardboard with a separate card lid showing the artwork.

 

 

Inside you have sprues separated in two plastic bags and the clear parts in another bag and full protected.

 

 

Speaking of artwork, I really love these ICM artworks. No idea who is the author but kudos to his work.

 

Inside you will also find a calendar.

 

 

Passing on, a fist general view, is a typical ICM quality plastic, with no distortion, no flash, with very good surface detail.

 On sprue A, the fuselage halves.

In the external view, the surface detail is there but you don’t see most of the rivets made. An intermediate modeler will do that with no problem.

 

 

The fuselage has a fantastic fit as usual in the ICM models in a few years now.

Checking the interior, there is the internal frame in the visible parts and location pins to put the fuselage together and to put the other internal details into the place.

 

 

Injection marks… a few and one of them, just near a window will give a few extra work to remove it…

Checking the construction evolution this location pin probably will not be total expose but I don’t think that you can pass not delete it.

Sprue B

On this sprue, one wing, engine gondola with the undercarriage.

The inside detail on the undercarriage is good. There´s some improvements that can be made for the AM companies.

The wings also have a very good and sharp surface detail.

Sprue C

Here the other wing, tailwings, cockpit floor and front floor. Also intermediate “walls” with some very engrave detail (those doors are asking to be open….)

 

 

Sprue D

 

Two sprues in fact, with all the parts for the engine, propellers and engine nacelles.

The engines detail looks quite good. No doubts a very good effort have being made in giving a nice looking detail engines on this one. Kudos engine. To make it almost perfect in this scale you just need to add some wires.

 

 

 

A few small details are given in this sprue and all the ordinance for the bomb bay.

Also the wheels, in two halves, but with quite good detail on the hub and also the tire. I’m quite happy with detail on the wheels.

 

Sprue E

Besides the rest of the tail wings, several detail for the wing jig attach to the inside walls. These walls have quite sharp and good detail waiting for a good paintjob to bring up all the detail. The final result could be quite good directly from box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprue F

This sprue brings us the flaps, upper turret (and all its details) instrument panels, side cockpit consoles and undercarriage bay.

 

 

 

 

The instrument panels is quite good in raised detail and you have a decal set for the instruments bazels.

The undercarriage bay could have been a little more detail but for me, is good as it is. Personally I don’t used to give much attention to undercarriage detail as is a quite hidden detail.

 

Sprue G

Almost all the small detail are in this sprue. Machines guns, bomb details, cockpit consoles, bars and ladder.

All with good detail and no flash!!!

 

 

 

Here the location points have some relevance because some part are quite small and it could be not so easy to remove then form the sprue But the location points are well thought in places that are easy to remove, without damaging any details and easy to remove with a small sanding stick or another sanding tool.

 

The Clear parts

As usual are pristine and very clear with no distortion at all.

 

 

 

 

 

The instructions.

The usual standard from ICM with a booklet with the first and last page in satin paper and the rest in normal paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The color table chart only have ICM paint range and it start to make some sense (at least in Europe) as you start to have some online store that sell them as Art Scale Kit.

 

 

I already try ICM in brush application only (Airbrush will follow) and I must say: I has impressed with the brush paint flow and the cover pigmentation. I will make a proper review on those paints.

Anyway, the instruction manual is detailed and easy to follow. It includes step-by-step assembly diagrams, color callouts, and decal placement guides.

And this one has masking templates.

 

 

 

The decal sheet has a good color registration and supply 3 finishing options:

 

B-26B-55MA 42-96077 “Ladies Delight”, 584^th Bomber Squadron, 394^th Bomb Group, probably in Boreham, England, Summer 1944,

 

 

 

B-26B.55MA42-96214 “Coral Princess III”, 494th Bom Squadron, 344^th Bomb Group, Pontoise France, Autumn of 1944;

 

 

 

 

 B-26B-55MA 42-96165 “The Big Hairy Bird”, 599^th Bomb Squadron, 397^th Bomb Group, Peronne, France, December 1944.

 

 

The decals are design by ICM and made for the third party but I have no idea who.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for “The Big Hairy Bird” the yellow nose must be painted… so some extra masking work will be needed to get this scheme in to good term.

 

 

 

A negative aspect…

So if you watch carefully the sprues, you have notice something that is not the best solution (at all) from ICM…

 

ICM decided to mould in the pitot probes in the fuselage and in the wings….

 

 

 

Why??? This is the best way to break during construction. I bet that at least 98% of those will be broken in the construction….

So the best way will be remove both, make the respective hole and store it an put it in only in the final steps of construction.

 

It`s a negative aspect on this beautiful kit.

 

 Conclusion

 

A must eager (probably one of the most ones) model that we have been waiting as a 2023 release but only saw the daylight in March of 2024.

The wait as worth it, no doubt about it!!

The detail out of the box is very good and it will make a very good replica. For the expert and keen modeler some AM will make some extra detail to make this beauty into a total masterpiece. 

The pitot decision moulded in the fuselage is a wrong decision (that I hope that ICM will not do it again) but will not remove the higly recommendion on the best B-26 in 1:48 scale!.

The construction is not totally straightforward as there are several sub-assembly that you need to take care and time (as undercarriage is a complex sub-assembly steps) to get it right on spot., so the novice could have some trouble in build this one. But all other modelers can make from this a truly fantastic model of the B-26 Marauder.

VERY Highly recommend this to intermediate/expert modeler

 

My thanks to ICM for making this fantastic model.

 

 

[Martinnfb]

Exceptionally detailed pile of plastic, thank you for the preview.

[Peterpools]

Thanks Fran for the review and photographs of the kit in detail.

Ordered and waiting for the kit to arrive. Surely will be a summer build for me.

[Fran]

ICM read, as usual, this review. 

 

And Alina (from ICM) send me an email regarding the pitot option, and allow me to share their reply. 

 

Its fantastic to have an ICM official reply:

 

 

"Regarding the pitot option, there are two possible design options - either mold the part together with the fuselage (cutting it off if necessary) or make the part separately (by adding a seat under it). Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. We decided to go with the first option, as we believe that it simplifies the assembly. Moreover, the Pitot tube under the fuselage is difficult to align correctly after the model is assembled. If the modeler is afraid of damage to these parts, they can be cut off during fuselage assembly and glued to the final stage."

Absolutely, you are welcome to share our explanation as an official option from ICM. It's always great to contribute to the community's understanding.

 Regarding the second pito of the wing - maybe it will be used in the next modefications."

 

 

 

 

 

[Peterpools]

Thanks Fran for sharing the email. My Marauder is on the way and hoping to start it after my current build if either Quinta or Eduard has their cockpit upgrade sets out by then - if not, I just need to wait. 🤞

[KevinM]

I got to say Fran ICM is very close to the quality of Tamyia and the clear plastic is superior to that of Tamyia.

[Peterpools]

Kev

I'm out to lunch on that.  After building a number of Tamiya latest kits, it's going to take a nearly perfect kit, in every aspect of the build to equal Tamiya. I have the Marauder coming from Hobbynut and I'm hoping the kit lives up to expectations. 

🤞

 

[KevinM]

Peter the B-26 Invader and the He-111 were both gems in my book for fit and lack of having to do seam work on the spine and wing/root area.

[Peterpools]

Kev

Right with you and completely agree. 👍