Esci/Ertl B-26 Marauder

[afspret]

Okay its time for a little trip through the wayback machine.  How many of you built the 1/48th scale Esci/Ertl B-26 Marauder?  I bought one way back in like 1979 or 80 and all I can remember is the parts were molded in white plastic.  I remember starting it but don't think I ever finished it.  I was in the USAF at the time and think I tossed it when I got orders to another base.  My main question is, for those that can remember, is how did it compare to the Monogram/Revell 1/48th kit.  Oh, and the reason I'm curious is I realized don't have a B-26 kit (in any scale) in my stash of WW2 USAAF bombers and there are several kits from both manufacturers available on EBay.  

[Charlie D.]

As I recall....it has the wrong engines, and the engine cowlings are over size. More/better interior detail than monogram kit. Mike Ashley has a build up article on his website, and swanny has a nice comparison here:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/B26B.html

 

 

[HistnScale]

Having built both and still having one of each sitting on the stash shelf, my preference would be the Monogram kit.  To me, the Monogram kit just looks better sitting on the display shelf.

 

HTH, Dave

[afspret]

Thanks, I checked the swannymodels link but not all the pics were available for me, but the rest of the article was helpful. 

[imatt88]

Funny, I just bought the AMT version.  Never built it before,

 

Should be interesting,

Cheers,  Ian

[imatt88]

Afspret,

 

Does your version have the Free French markings? 

 

AMT must have repoped the ESCI version.  I would bet the decal sheets are similar, except mine doesn't have the French markings.

 

Cheers,  Ian

[Charlie D.]

First issued by AMT in 1975, as one of a series of newly designed aircraft kits. Ertl bought AMT in 1981, and also bought Esci in 1987. THEN, Esci started re-issuing the AMT kits. I think this kit has only been issued twice, once in the original AMT box, and once in the white/blue esci/Ertl box.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Charlie D.

[afspret]

imatt88,

 

Can't remember if it had Free French markings or not, but IIRC I had started to paint the wings & fuselage white for the D-Day markings.

[Charlie D.]

My original AMT release does not have free french markings, can't comment on the later Ertl/esci release

[Robertson]

On ‎2018‎-‎01‎-‎17 at 4:21 PM, HistnScale said:

Having built both and still having one of each sitting on the stash shelf, my preference would be the Monogram kit.  To me, the Monogram kit just looks better sitting on the display shelf.

 

HTH, Dave

 

 

  Monogram far superior indeed. Nose cone sitting base should be trimmed backwards 2 mm on the fuselage side, and the fin's tip should be taller/pointier by about the same. Cowls need help. Squadron canopy will correct one badly misplaced canopy frame. Very, very hard to build generally, especially the belly windows, but it has a very good shape generally. Biggest peeve for me is that the left wing underside is kinked all the way to the inner leading edge, breaking severely alignment with the outboard wing (should be dead straight and continuous all the way: See Hasegawa kit in 1:72), while the right wing is shaped completely different, and has a mismatching chord, and even mismatching aileron/flap scribing!!! R.

[ReccePhreak]

On 1/17/2018 at 2:40 PM, Charlie D. said:

As I recall....it has the wrong engines, and the engine cowlings are over size. More/better interior detail than monogram kit. Mike Ashley has a build up article on his website, and swanny has a nice comparison here:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/B26B.html

 

 

Too bad most of his pictures are "missing". I wonder if they were on Photobucket?

[Doppelgänger]

On ‎17‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 5:40 PM, Charlie D. said:

As I recall....it has the wrong engines, and the engine cowlings are over size. More/better interior detail than monogram kit. Mike Ashley has a build up article on his website, and swanny has a nice comparison here:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/B26B.html

 

Aren't the engine cowlings wrong on the Monogram kit? I read they're of an oval shape, when they ought to be round, as in the Esci kit. Loon Models used to have a correction set for the engine cowlings, which were cast by using the Esci parts as a mould.

[Charlie D.]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment, although the esci cowlings are definitely oversized

 You can fit the Monogram cowlings inside the esci ones. The Monogram 2800 looks the right size for 1/48, whereas the fictional engine in the esci kit looks too big for 1/48.

 

I've got the loon set, looks like they used the Monogram cowlings as a pattern to me. The goal of those was to fix the awful fit of the intakes on top of the cowls.