North American
B-25 Mitchell Pt. 3

Lifelike Decals, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner Jr.

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Some of the most colorful marking schemes were carried by B-25s in the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters of operations.  These aircraft carried a variety of enticing nose art and varied camouflage schemes as well as natural metal finishes.  While these have been well covered by various decal manufacturers in 1:48 scale, there have been few options in 1:72 scale since the demise of Aeromaster. 

Thankfully, Likelike Decals from Japan has stepped into the void to offer a new line of high-quality decals for B-25s with some helpful extras.

Part three of the series focuses on the J-model conventional bombers and provides markings for four subjects covering three B-25s based in Corsica and one based in India.  They will be very useful for application on the Hasegawa line of B-25s.  Another option would be to use the decals on the old Italeri kits which are still quite nice. 

The decal sheets in my sample are printed in perfect register by Microscale with some of the nose art on a supplemental sheet by Cartograf.  The colors appear to be spot on.  They appear to be thin and should conform well to surface details using the tried and true Microscale finishing system of the blue label setting solution and red label softener.  Be sure to add plenty of water under the Cartograf marking, if used, as these tend to grab quickly onto the surface without it.

Another helpful item is a set of masks to reproduce the area behind the nose art for one of the subjects which is a nice touch and will make things much easier. There are extensive historical notes on each subject and a helpful list of references that many will find quite useful.

There appear to be enough markings to do at least two of the subjects on the sheet, though it may be necessary to source extra prop logos and small stencils. 

All in all, this is a great option to do some very attractive markings for these colourful Mitchells.  I am really glad to see Lifelike providing options in this scale and especially with such quality.

Thanks to Lifelike Decals for these samples.

Text and Images Copyright © 2020 by Floyd S. Werne Jr.
Page Created 28 January, 2020
Last updated 28 January, 2020

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