What to do? I have no ideas?

[seadude]

Back in early December, I went to my model club's Christmas meeting. It was nice. Met with friends and had a gift exchange. During the exchange, I got a 1/48 scale Revell B-25J Mitchell (Kit # 85-5512).
Short story is this:  I don't know what to do with it. I'm fresh out of ideas and have no clue. 

[Leading Observer]

Give it a single fin like the PB4Y-2 Privateer

[JayBee]

Scaleorama it into a 1/32 scale single seat fighter. Maybe a US Navy predecessor to the Grumman Tigercat, or even the design that beat the Tigercat and do it in KOrean service markings. Maybe as a two seat night-fighter.
Or how about giving it four engines and making it :
1/48 scale long range US Navy patrol bomber,
or
1/72 scale Amerika Bomber of the luftwaffe,
or
how about 1/144 scale 

[Army of One]

That the hard nose with 8x .50's....?? Another 2 on either side of the cockpit....?? I'd say bin the waist n upper gunners....keep the tail gunner....fast attack bomber/strafer in Korea....!! Bomb bay with smaller bombs for multiple targets.....?? Maybe an engine change......?? RAF or RAAF colours.........

[Weaver]

Looking at the kit number. I think it's the one with a glass nose but 4 x 0.50" in packs on the fuselage sides.

How about bucking the trend and taking all the armament off, to make it a post-war fire-bomber, OR how about a camera plane for making war movies? There have been several B-25s used for that in real life, so if you made up a Whiff one, it would be very credible.

[seadude]

That the hard nose with 8x .50's....?? Another 2 on either side of the cockpit....?? I'd say bin the waist n upper gunners....keep the tail gunner....fast attack bomber/strafer in Korea....!! Bomb bay with smaller bombs for multiple targets.....?? Maybe an engine change......?? RAF or RAAF colours.........

I think I like this.  A Korean War B-25 to strafe enemy positions, etc. Imagine what would've happened if the B-26 was never used in Korea? The only problems I am encountering with the kit are the following:

1. What camouflage scheme should I use for the Korean War era?
2. I'd need new decals/unit markings for that era.
3. Ditch the waist guns. They aren't needed.
4. Maybe keep the upper turret and tail guns for defensive purposes.
5. Add rockets under each wing. Racks for eight 5 in (130 mm) high velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR)
6. Main problem is that the kit I have only has 2 different nose pieces, but both of them don't have the 8 openings needed in the front for the 8 guns that are forward firing. I would have to fill the holes, then re-drill new holes where the guns are supposed to be. And the kit only comes with 4 guns for the nose. I'd need four more somehow.

[Weaver]

You can buy aftermarket 0.50cal barrels in brass:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U-S-0-5-BROWNING-M2-BARRELS-x-2PCS-MITCHELL-MARUDER-LIBERATOR-1-48-MASTER-/320772752061?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item4aaf8bc2bd

OR there are resin ones:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/QB48029

[Rheged]

How about bucking the trend and taking all the armament off, to make it a post-war fire-bomber, OR how about a camera plane for making war movies? There have been several B-25s used for that in real life, so if you made up a Whiff one, it would be very credible.

Camera plane in harlequin colours gets my support.  Read Gavin Lyall's book  "Shooting Script"  for background  ........and information on how to destroy a  Latin American air force with  a couple of tons  of building bricks.

[Hobbes]

You could rebuild it into a really big two-engined fighter: make the fuselage narrower and put a two-seat tandem bubble cockpit on top. Add more nose guns and underwing rocket packs. Maybe add antennas to create a night fighter. 

[Gondor]

3. Ditch the waist guns. They aren't needed.

And the kit only comes with 4 guns for the nose. I'd need four more somehow.

You only need two more if your ditching the waist gun positions and I am sure that someone on the site can help with another two

Gondor

[Army of One]

As I said.....ditch the waist n upper turret.....there's your 4 extra guns....I would use steel/brass tubing or hypo needles cut down....I'd only keep the rear guns for defence....the escort can deal with any fighters...is think main problem come from AAA.......camo would depend on what air force was using it.....as it will spend most of its time low down....some sort of mix of green n browns......over grey

[albeback]

Maybe an "experimental" two tone green/tan/black ( or light grey?) scheme? This is after all, a what if! I rather fancy the idea of a turbo prop powered, V tailed B 25..........................!!!!!. Solid nose for (say) 4 x 20mm cannons, tip tanks,underwing gun pods/napalm tanks/bombs etc....................................!!!!!!.I'd ditch the defensive armament completely.

Allan

[PR19_Kit]

Read Gavin Lyall's book  "Shooting Script"  for background  ........and information on how to destroy a  Latin American air force with  a couple of tons  of building bricks.

Oh YES! What a cracking read that is! 

The finale where he puts the B-25 right down............ er no, you'll have to read it but it's a ZINGER!

To be truly authentic you'd need a LOT of 1/48 Vampire FB9 kits though......... 

[Radish]

A B-25 replica with a single fin WAS built for some peculiar reason for the film "Tora, Tora, Tora".

I'd predate it, steampunk the engines.,..easy....add the engines to the FRONT of the cowlings with lots of bibs and bobs. Then clip the wingtips, have the upper turret open with a windscreen....same for the fuselage positions. And tail gunner too.....
Make the nose solid except for the tip, and make it a tail dragger....

Scheme?
French? Finnish? Swedish?
Belgian 1940.....Dark Earth, Dark Green over Black.
Or choose a Mexican or South American airline....

Most of the above needs no extra bits expect some rod, sprue and strip.....and what's in the box.

Good luck.

[Army of One]

Yeah.....green/tan upper with black undersides.....can be used at night...I'd keep the tail guns to discourage fire after the gun/rocket/bomb run.....as the Russians did with the Il-28 in early part of war in Afghanistan....think I read that once......