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TB-25K References?


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Hi,

So I picked up a 1/48 Revell B-25J kit on the cheap this week at Wal-Mart ($11). Seems they are having a 50% sale on the meager supply of kits they have...

Anyway, when I tackle this kit, I was thinking of something different instead of the usual late-war AAF bird, like a post-war trainer of some sort. I thought about doing the CAF "Devil Dog" but of the course the "J" kit has the wrong nose so that is out. Is there any decent references out there for post-war Mitchells? I've found a few photos on line and have the Detail and Scale book but there isn't much else that I can find other than a small photo or two.

I think the TB-25K radar trainers with the small nose radome are pretty unusual looking but I have no idea what the interior of the nose would have looked like. There is a neat little b&w photo on page 136 in the Aerofax book "The Air Guard" by Rene Francillion that shows a South Dakota ANG TB-25K. It looks like it has a red lighting bolt on the nose. I think I could cobble together the "S DAK ANG" on the tail using 1/72 F-102 South Dakota ANG decals (from the excellent Draw Decals sheet) and the rest shouldn't be too hard to find from the spare decal stash despite the fact that I am normally a 1/72 modeller. Would the wings have the standard "USAF" on them opposite the national insignia or would they have been painted "ANG" there?

I know this is sort of an obscure topic/request but I'm hoping someone might be able to help me out. I have several other projects to finish first before I even think of staring this one but I'm always planning like 5 builds in advance it seems like, ha ha :blink:/> !

Thanks,

-Derek

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Most TB-25s post-war had a big rectangular carb intake above the cowling, rather than the little skinny crescent shaped one seen on wartime birds. Not a really easy thing to fake up unfortunately.

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Most TB-25s post-war had a big rectangular carb intake above the cowling, rather than the little skinny crescent shaped one seen on wartime birds. Not a really easy thing to fake up unfortunately.

Can't say I even noticed that one Jennings. Bet that's not covered in the Detail and Scale book, eh? Guess I'd better study those few small photos again...

Thanks,

-Derek

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The larger carb intakes were part of the Hayes modification program, which I believe all B-25s still in USAF service went through in the 1950s. The exhausts were also reconfigured, retaining the individual ejector stacks for the lower cylinders, but using a collector ring for the uppers. All armament was removed, with the tail gun opening faired over with metal. The waist guns were removed and the windows just a single peice of plexi. A pair of jump seats were usually added where the top turret used to be. Of course, the avionics were upgraded as well. The SAC museum has a nice cutaway display of a 1950s TB-25 fuselage..I'll post pics of the cockpit when I get home. Unfortunately I can't help with the nose interior..the one at the SAC Museum has a standard bomber nose (making it a TB-25N?)

SN

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I *believe* that aside from the radar (which would have been mounted on a bulkhead behind the radome) and the cabling leading back from it, the nose compartment was empty. The student navigators sat at work tables in the aft fuselage. A friend of mine's dad trained as a navigator on TB-25Ns at Mather during the Korean War.

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Lots of good info. here guys and thanks for the pictures phantom.

I think the radar nose would be easy enough to make from scrap plastic/milliput sanded to shape. Perhaps I could locate the right size square tubing in brass or plastic to make the new carb intakes. Unless you could talk Mr. Fisher into making some new resin bits for this idea Jennings :)/>/>

-Derek

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I believe Revell had one release of the kit (the Red Bull "Flying Bulls" edition) that includes parts for the carb intakes- I've been trying to get my hands on a set so that I can build a model of a PBY-6A that I got the chance to work on (just one of the many conversion items I'll be needing...).

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A TB-25 cowling/carb intake conversion set would be a pretty simple, yet good (IMHO) idea for the aftermarket, in at least two scales.

Hear here! I would love a set in 1/72..mainly so I could finally build the Hawkins & Powers "Super Privateer" water bomber I've been planning since 1983.

I looked, and the only photos I have of the TB-25N cutaway at the SAC museum don't really show much of interest. Besides, it was apparently "civilianized" at some point in its life, so I wouldn't trust much as a reference anyway.

SN

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Thanks for checking your photos Steve, no worries.

I have been thinking about buying a .pdf copy of the TB-25K flight manual. Not a big fan of buying flight manual scans, but it may help add some information on the layout and gear in the nose of the plane.

-Derek

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  • 2 years later...

So, I stumbled on this thread while looking for other TB-25K info.  I plan on building a 1/72 TB-25K of the NH ANG during the F-94A/B and F-86L era in the mid- late fifties.  I too need detailed info on the alterations, including the radar nose, cowlings, carbs and other mods done by Hayes.

 

I have noticed a .pdf version of USAF T.O. 1B-25(T)K-1 Flight Manual for the TB-25K on eBay from "Warbird Manuals" in Willis, TX for $20 plus $4.50 shipping.  Not sure if I will purchase at that price just for details shots of the forward fuselage in .pdf format.

 

Here is a link to a different outfit selling .pdf Flight Manuals. http://www.flight-manuals.com/1b-25tk-1.html  $18.95

 

OTOH, here is a link to an outfit that will sell you a .pdf of flight manuals for $14.85.  http://www.aircraft-reports.com/north-american-aviation-tb-25k-aircraft-flight-manual-t-o-1b-25-t-k-1-1957/  I may purchase this one. 

 

HTH.

R/

Dutch

 

Edited by Dutch
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Well, I went ahead and bought the .pdf download from the last outfit mentioned above and it promptly failed to download properly.  The download expires on the same day you order and they give you two extra chances.  My download failed after the first try; it stopped @ ~27 MB of 141 MB.  So I emailed the outfit and asked them to send me an email file (zipped).  Still waiting for response. Will keep you guys abreast.

Edited by Dutch
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Hi Dutch,

 

Thanks for bringing this thread back from the dead 🙂 I actually built a 1/72 TB-25N a few years back using decals from a Wolfpak sheet.  I did the post-war carburetor mods out stryene and Milliput.  I have some poor photos of it,  I just never took any proper photos.  Here are a few of them:

 

Dj8qfuB.jpg

 

 

bvG7Xl8.jpg

 

 

EF0mOUM.jpg

 

 

I used the ancient 1/72 Italeri B-25 kit as my starting point.  Used some resin wheels and everything else was scratch build.  I used the glass bomber nose as the starting point for the solid nose.  I reshaped it with some Milliput.  I also had to smash vac some new gunners waist windows to remove the opening for the gun mount.

 

A TB-25K would fun to build as well so I'll be looking out for your build.

 

-Derek

 

Edited by viking73
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Here's an in-process shot of my building the carbs and the also new exhaust pipe out of some stryene tubing.  The cowls were also modified by removing the bumps around the cowl flaps and I also had to made a cut out for the new exhaust pipe.

 

They didn't come out 100% as you can see but overall I am happy with the end result.  This is a tough thing to scratch up and I can always hope these are produced in after-market resin some day...  It would be a lot easier 🤣

 

-Derek

 

9Aaf7vI.jpg

 

Edited by viking73
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  • 3 months later...

Beautiful work there Derek. 

I hope get to the TB-25K in a year or two.  I travel too much for work to plan my builds.  I had a recent trip cancelled, so I celebrated by building two 1/144 B-52s and a Ye-152 this last week, as well as making progress on a 737-100 prototype in NASA markings.  I have about two dozen kits in various stages of assembly, so will start knocking those out first before kicking off new projects. 

R/

Dutch 

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