1:48 ICM B-26G Marauder

[rverissimo]

ICM

1:48 B-26G Marauder

WWII American/French bomber

ICM 48323

Available here

Introduction

ICM presents the third iteration of this new mould of the elegant B-26 in 1:48 scale.

In this case, the “G” version, featuring new parts and fuselages provided specifically for this version.

The aim of my review is to focus on the necessary corrections to accurately replicate this version, rather than a detailed examination and presentation of the moulds and parts, as it shares most of the sprues with earlier versions, already presented here and here.

Historical Context

The early versions of this model exhibited landing and take-off characteristics that resulted in a high rate of accidents during these phases of flight.

To reduce the landing and take-off speeds, the wing incidence was increased by 3.5 degrees. This modification lowered the landing and take-off speeds, but at the expense of maximum speed, which was reduced to 277 mph.

Another significant change was the standardization of internal equipment, thus creating the “G” version of the B-26. The last of the 1931 B-26G units left the production line on 30 March 1944.

Economic concerns and the reputation created by the early versions of the B-26 (nicknamed the “widowmaker”) led to the abandonment of this model and its replacement largely by the A-26 Invader, which had greater range and speed. Meanwhile, for example, a B-25 had 25% lower production costs.

What's in the box

As previously mentioned, the rigid cardboard box with a lid contains 2 transparent bags holding a total of 11 sprues, three of which are specific to this version.

Sprue A1 includes the fuselage with modifications to the wing angle (which differs from earlier versions).

Similarly, sprue K1 provides the specific parts for this version, featuring spars for attaching the wing root, a new instrument panel, and the wheels' rims for the landing gear.

Sprue H1 supplies the specific plexiglass nose for this version.

Overall, the moulds have excellent detail, though some location pins (mould marks) are present in certain areas—they are very shallow and easy to remove.

The box also includes an A4 instruction booklet with 28 pages and a decal sheet offering three decoration options

 Decoration options

Three decoration options are supplied:

1 - B-26G-5 43-34351 "Willie the Wolf", 494th Bombardment Squadron, 344th Bombardment Group, 1944

2 - B-26G-5-MA 43-34462 "Margie", "Donna Deloris", 444th Bombardment Squadron, Sardinia, Autumn 1944

Note: this airplane does not mount the lateral gunpacks

3 - B-26G-10-MA 43-34580, Bombing Group 1/32 "Burgundy" (GBM 1/32 "Bourgogne"), France, 1945

Decals sheet

Forensic Analysis

As previously mentioned, the most striking modification is the change to the wing angle, which is a key feature of this version.

To confirm this characteristic, a dry fit is in order to verify it and carry out a comparison with the previous version.

At first glance, and by comparing the fuselage of both versions, the alteration is clearly visible.

I then proceeded with the dry fit of the fuselage, wings, and wing spars for testing purposes.

Using the fuselage of the B-26G and its wings, the wing is mounted at a positive angle relative to the fuselage axis.

Taking advantage of the dry-fit assembly, we can also observe the flawless junction of the fuselage halves/wings and the snug, flush fit of the wings to the fuselage (I must note that the parts were not fully fitted but only joined using Tamiya adhesive tape).

Using the fuselage of the B version, I performed a dry fit using the spars from the B version along with the wings from the “G” version (which are identical).

The B-26B Fuselage

The photos are explicit and make it clear that the difference is evident for the G version.

While taking advantage of the photo session—though I apologise as I may not have perfectly captured what I am describing—I present an image of the wing’s leading edge to demonstrate it. Despite the image showing a fault in the union, I can confirm that the fit and alignment are perfect, even though there are few alignment pins.

Conclusion

A new and updated mould of the B-26 was highly anticipated by model enthusiasts, and this series of offerings from ICM delivered on that expectation with flying colours.

The modifications in this version are clear and have been well represented by ICM, showcasing the differences from earlier versions.

The decoration options provide diverse and original choices.

This is a model with some complexity, marked by numerous sub-assemblies and phases. It is not suitable for beginner modellers due to its complexity and the number of parts; however, modellers with intermediate and advanced skills will not struggle to manage such a significant modelling project.

I would like to make one caveat regarding the antennas and pitot tubes moulded into one of the fuselage halves, and the pitot tubes moulded into the wings.

Of course, we all prefer these parts to be moulded as separate pieces for protection and application at the end of assembly. Although this matter has been addressed and explained, speaking as a modeller, when these specific features are present in a model, I usually remove the piece, identify it, and set it aside to be reattached in its final destination after assembly and painting are completed.

As such, this model comes highly recommended!

Our thanks to ICM for the review sample and for making available a great model!

This model is available here:

 

Ricardo Veríssimo