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Soooo it's time to start on my second bulid :OMG-OMG:

It's the very cool Italeri Invader. Albatros decals and scratsh bulid gun nose. Here's a link for more photos and the storry behind the Invader Biafran Invader

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soon there will bee pics

Edited by blunce
fixed Biafran Invader link for ya! Was a bad link
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Watching this one for sure. The Biafran story is is my favourite lost cause story. The book about the airwar over Biafra & the relief airlift "Shadows" by Michael Draper, one of my most treasured volumes. This plane is definitely on my to do list so I'll be watching this very keenly.

Steve.

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thanks for the nice comments :)

I have read on wiki that biafra had two B-25, is that correct or... I know what they had two B-26 invaders.

oh and about the nose, its done dosen't look to good

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Hi Mikkel, I'm just off to work but I will have a look in "Shadows" I think there were a couple at one stage but forget the exact details. I'll try to get this info tomorrow.

Steve.

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  • 4 weeks later...

herer is the corrent status of the Invader. The fit is very very very very bad, can't believe that a "new" model like this is so crapy :explode:

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the radar thing on the nose is maybe a little to short, but ***

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  • 2 weeks later...

thanks for the nice comments :)

I have read on wiki that biafra had two B-25, is that correct or... I know what they had two B-26 invaders.

oh and about the nose, its done dosen't look to good

They had a pair of each, albeit at different times.

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thanks for the nice comments :)

I have read on wiki that biafra had two B-25, is that correct or... I know what they had two B-26 invaders.

oh and about the nose, its done dosen't look to good

Hi Mikkel, sorry I haven't given you the details of the Biafran B-25s, they kind of slipped off the radar. (just like the real ones. :D )

The two B-25s were N8013 & N9868C. Built originally as B-25J-NCs, N8013 was a block 30 44-31941 which served with the RCAF fropm 1951 as 5245. N9868C was originally 44-29919. The first was flown to Sao Tome from Opa Locke in mid 1967 but remained there for nearly 6 months according to some reports. In Oct 1967, the Div of Export Control, Bureau of International Commerce subpoenaed Tripoint Aviation of Miami alleging the B-25s had broken export regs by their departure. N9868C had a glazed nose whereas N8013 is shown in a pic as having a solid nose with possibly locally installed machine guns. The B-25s were in service for a time with the last of the RB-26Ps but one was dogged with engine problems for most of Nov 1967. The last RB-26 & the serviceable B-25 were both lost in landing accidents after a night attack on the Nigerian Airforce airbase at Calabar & the one with unservicable engines never flew again. The book has a poor quality pic of the solid nosed B-25 in a camo scheme which may well be similar to the Biafran RB-26 scheme, of mid green with darker green wavy rings all over the uppers & light grey underneath. HTHs

Steve.

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  • 2 weeks later...
The italeri invader is ****!, when it's finished I will never ever buy another dry.gif

I'm sure it'll look nice in the end....... I feel your pain with the Invader....lol

I've built the 1/48 RM kit 3 times now for Guatemalan,Cuban and Salvadoran and its a utter pig!

I thought about doing another one,a Honduran sharkmouth B-26 for this GB.....but it wasn't worth the stress & grey hairs...lol

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have to make the "bump" on the nose. I have made the nose to night, useing the front of a Cavalier mustang wing tiptank, piece of cake dry.gif

Hello. Interesting subject. I'm really looking forward to seeing the camo work. I have one B-26 on my list of future projects.

BTW, the "bump" on the nose on this Biafran Invader was actually a locally adapted MG. Its not a radar, at least not at that point in time of the service life of this AC, but it once was when the AC was in French service and that bulge was a result of some radar system installation . In fact, this AC was flown in the Bifran conflict by a Polish mercenary. It's a really interesting story. Also, they never managed to get the internal bombay system working properly, and as far as I know, the only managed to make two external underwing hardpoints work for bomb dropping and used a "manual" bomb drop method through the bombay. Oh, and the MG in the nose was operated by a local "crew member" who would receive the signal via a string pulled by the pilot form the cockpit (NO JOKE!). Finally, they installed another gun through the bombay that would fire vertically down. This was one of the most unusual b-26's I know of for sure!

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Hello Tropicmoon!

Yeah the Biafran B-26 is a very interresting story! you are sadly going to wait some time before you can see the camo, cause this bulid :deadhorse1:

It's reply's like these that makes me whant to bulid the Invader :)

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