New B-24H with Ford nose as on most UK-Based B-24s in WW2

[Middoman]

Come on Airfix

The B-24 Liberator kits are great but there are not, nor have there ever been, in any scale a model of the B-24H as it was most commonly flown by the USAAF in the UK in the Second World War. The reason is that the B-24H - the most common mark in the UK - was built with numerous combinations of turrets but the most commonly used was built by Ford and featured the 'Ford nose' with Emerson turret and a sloped bomb aimer's position under this turret. Many kit manufacturers have released a B-24H - notably Academy - but never with this configuration. Interestingly Academy released a range of B-24Hs with markings for the so-called 'Zodiacs'. These were B-24Hs based with the 486th Bomb Group at RAF Sudbury in Suffolk (the remains of the airfield are near my home, hence my specific interest) and painted by ground crewman Phil Brinkman with individual nose art for signs of the Zodiac. These were quite famous at the time. But all these B-24Hs featured the different Ford nose and not the one one in the kit, so it isnlt a proper rendition of the aircraft. There are also no conversion kits available in 1/72. You can also buy third party decals for these aircraft but these are pointless without the right model to put them on! So come on Airfix, in addition to the lovely but less significant RAF versions of the Liberator you have released can we have a proper model of the main type of this main US bomber as mostly operated by UK-based USAAF units during WW2. Thanks for reading

[Ratch]

 I'd like the B-24H too. Many of the Zodiacs were transferred to RAF Harrington (a Northamptonshire airfield of interest to me) where they flew with 788/850/859th BS 801st BG on Carpetbagger missions. Some were converted, losing armaments to carry more supplies to the French Resistance. I'd like 42-52711 ‘Screwball’

[Susanna Viljanen]

I wholeheartedly support this suggestion. There is NO Ford Nose B-24 available in any scale, the existing Airfix kit is both dated and grossly inaccurate, and Hasegawa kit is horribly expensive.We NEED an affordable and accurate 1/72 B-24H - it would be a guaranteed seller.

 

Almost all Liberators based in UK were the Ford nose variants, and they usually had the Olive Drab / Neutral Grey camouflage. Most modellers shun natural metal!

 

Most of the turret-nose Liberators with Consolidated nose served at Pacific or China-Burma-India theatre. They do not offer as nice camouflage, unit markings and nose art as do those based in UK or Italy.

[Susanna Viljanen]

Here is the Ford nose (se the bombardier's window and S shaped panel seam)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Newsdude/Models/FordNose.jpg

and here is the Consolidated nose (rectangular triangular bombardier's window which cannot be converted to that of Ford): Notice also the inward opening landing gear doors.

[Middoman]

Wow... Airfix, you do listen! Five years on from me urging you to be the first to kit a 1/72 B-24H with a Ford nose, what do I find in your new releases for 2024. Well done - I will get several.