Brit Mitch: 1/48th Accurate Miniatures B-25 C/D Mitchell

For such a prolific aircraft, this 1/48th Accurate Miniatures B-25 C/D Mitchell was the first modern injection mold Mitchell of any type (with recessed panel lines) released in this scale. The former Monogram series had to finally take a bow after a decades of providing the only game in town. (Odd how often that happens.) Despite the critics whining about the kit not being completely accurate (cowl openings) the 1/48th Accurate Miniatures B-25 series was best in its class by far at the time of release at the turn of the century.

Notable Kit Features:

• Very thorough instructions, including paint charts of several manufacturers and some reference material

• Nicely detailed interior from front to back (much in the rear won't be seen in this example)

• Optional glass fittings for a few different types in the nose, main and rear

• Weight plates provided to keep the nose on the ground (you will need it all!)

• Optional lower gun turret provided

• Optional gun packages included for nose, turrets and tail

• Detailed engines with options on exhaust types

• Wheels have separate hubs and "weighted" tires

• Bomb bay may be open or closed (Bomb loadout provided)

• Paint masks (for glass & more) provided

• Two decal options provided (although I went with aftermarket)

Build Inspiration:

I picked up this 1/48th Accurate Miniatures B-25 C/D kit as I wanted to build a RCAF Mitchell eventually. I figured that I was going to have to do a lot of research and then mix the decals together from the spares (or use my mini potter-cutter) to get this one done. As luck had it, I came across a set of decals issued by CanMilAir.com / AboveBelow.ca (Set 564) which covered the RCAF Mitchell IIs from 5th OTU based out of Boundary Bay in B.C. around 1944-45. I ended up ordering quite a few different decal sets for a number of future projects, so if you are interested in RCAF aircraft be sure to check these sites out.

Heads-Up Report:

• The instructions for this kit are quite comprehensive complete with check points to track your progress and reminders for what to watch out for

• There are lots of optional parts here, so be sure you have the correct part for your version (See above note:)

• The front nose gear is quite delicate, so be careful with it

• The lower turret blanking plate fit requires some filling and sanding

• The forward nose weight plates shifted on my assembly enough to be seen from the underside (Not really a problem and could've been a self-inflicted problem)

• Forward nose glass to fuselage fit required a bit of sanding and filler

• I needed some filler and sanding on the tail assembly as well

• I left the clamps on too long during the nacelle to wing assembly and drifted the join here (I think it would have worked nicely otherwise)

Kit Additions / Modifications:

• Due to an in-box break of the front landing gear, followed up by a break after gluing it back, I was forced to go the “Drill Out Broken Ends & Add Pin” gear repair route

• I've learned it is best to just tack-glue cockpit glass areas (such as the forward nose glass & top hatch) as a bit of dust always seems to gather on the interior during the final stages of the build. I later used some blu-tak to reach in through these openings and clean up the interior cockpit glass

• I missed installing the propeller spindles during engine assembly and had to later whittle them down to fit post-assembly (Note to self: RTFM or instructions in this case)

• Built out of the box except for the decals

Finishing:

The main exterior paints were airbrushed onto this kit using Vallejo Model Air (with a few drops of Pledge to toughen them up.) This paint job is the standard two colour finish used on most Mitchells, consisting of Olive Drab over Neutral Gray. I applied the paint in typical fashion, in thin coats, starting with the lightest colour first. Paint weathering was applied during the spray by using slightly faded tones initially and then mixing in more standard tones for panel edge and repair spots. I also utilized an AK Flexible Airbrush (mottle) Stencil and over-sprayed areas with a bit of variance in the paint tone to weather the look (very subtle effect in this case, as these aircraft were kept in pretty good shape).

The deicer boots were applied with an AK paint marker after taping off these areas. (No worry about over-spray with this method.) I let the paint dry for a couple of days and then gave the Mitchell a shot of Pledge floor finish gloss to prepare for decals and washes. Decals went on well and Tamiya oil-based sludge did the trick in the panel lines. A matte coat later sealed everything in with a dull finish. All that was left was to get the turrets, gear, doors and finer points established, without taking a step backwards by breaking something off. Mission accomplished, put the call into The Hangar that we have another museum aircraft on the way to be photographed and settled into a suitable parking spot!

The After-Build Report:

Until the HK (and now Eduard's upcoming) release of their B-25 series, these 1/48th Accurate Miniatures B-25s were the pinnacle Mitchell kit to get your hands on after their initial release in 1999. After AM went under, the molds were re-released by Italeri and Academy, and are still available in a range of Mitchell variants. Their comparative price point will still give them a place with model builders, as they offer a relatively modern kit with a good level of detail in a very buildable product. I was quite happy to get an early B-25 C/D Mitchell in RCAF livery into my museum collection and recommend this kit as a great choice. I still pause every time I see one of these kits in a store at a good price and think... do I have space for another? (so far the answer has been, probably not).

Completed build #284 - December 2025 using the 1/48th scale Accurate Miniatures #3431 kit.

Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers