Growing up, I shared a bedroom with my older brother. He had a Monogram 1/48 scale B-24J hanging from the ceiling. He took his model with him when he got his own room, so I built the same kit to replace it. Made with tube glue and corresponding fingerprints, that model is long gone. Forty-five years later, we have a newly-tooled kit of one of my favorite airplanes from HobbyBoss, a 1/48 scale B-24J Liberator plastic model kit.
When I opened the kit, my first thought was, “We’ve got trouble right here in Rivet City.” The exterior is littered with the recessed polka dots, although the petite panel lines look fantastic, and the detail on the interior parts looks soft rather than crisp and sharp. The engines are strangely shaped, and to my horror, the front and rear turrets are split straight through the center of the clear areas rather than on the natural seams.
The box top notes the full interior and HobbyBoss isn’t joking. The first 17 pages of the instructions comprise just the fuselage. At first, I thought some of the details were modern additions to warbirds that still fly, but a close inspection of my references shows they were installed in combat aircraft. In Step 8, do not install the photo-etched metal (PE) detail on the sides of the bomb bay catwalk until final assembly, because they interfere with the fit of fuselage halves during test-fitting to be sure the interior is in the correct position.
The instructions show where to add nose weight on page 15, but do not indicate how much. I jumped ahead to build the wings and tail, then taped everything together to help me calculate a number. I made a small aluminum foil packet for the area behind the nose gear and added nearly 4.5 ounces of lead shot mixed with white glue. I hoped that once this dried, I would be able to remove it and paint the foil, but it wouldn’t budge. In addition, no matter what I tried, there was now a gap in the lower seam between the nose gear and the bomb bay. Considerable filler was needed to make the seams acceptable.
The fit of the wings and tail was great and the flight surfaces press-fit into place without glue. The strangely shaped engines are hidden in the nacelles, and the landing gear looks good.
The level of detail inside the turrets is impressive. Though small, they are near-perfect representations of the Emerson A15, the Consolidated A6C, and the Martin A3C turrets. The exception is that the clear outer shell of the Emerson and Consolidated come in halves with the seam running down the center of the glass panes. I joined the turrets with Microscale Liquid Tape. It looks a little messy now, but with minor modifications to the turret mounts, it allows me to replace HobbyBoss’ clear parts with aftermarket ones if and when they become available.
Part of my masking sheet had not been cut correctly, with the smallest masks not being cut at all. Some of the provided masks were a poor fit, so I used a set from Eduard instead.
The extremely thin decals went down well over a coat of Alclad II Gloss. Be careful, because the decals may fold over themselves, and, if they do, they’re done. I took a few from a second kit I have for another project. Strangely, HobbyBoss provided only three prop logos on the decal sheet, but 12 are needed for all four propellers.
As I completed the final assembly, installing the tail turret, my B-24 rocked back and became a tail dragger. Because of the mods I made, I was able to remove the nose turret and add just enough weight so it sits on all three wheels. The rubber tires flex and I’m not sure the gear legs can take the strain of all that weight, but at least it’s not a tail dragger!
Despite my first impression, the HobbyBoss 1/48 scale B-24J Liberator plastic model kit grew on me. The amount of interior detail is impressive, the decals look good, and, for the most part, the fit is excellent. The finished model scales out perfectly. The biggest downsides are the clear parts split through panes and the rubber tires. With aftermarket wheels, gear legs, and turrets, HobbyBoss’ B-24 could be a showstopper!