OzMods Scale Models

1/144 Martin B-57B Canberra model kit

Product # OM14408

Product Article by Steve Bamford in 2004

 

 

 

OzMods Scale Models is an Australian company that has been quietly giving modellers very big grins.  This latest kit is their 8th model kit and it is a beautiful little example of the Martin B-57B Canberra.  It is a multi-media kit consisting of mostly styrene parts with some resin cockpit parts and 2 vacuformed canopies.

There are a variety of 1/144 kits on the market and surprisingly enough they have very good detail....recessed panel lines and such.  As far as I know...this is the only 1/144 B-57 Canberra on the market.  There are certain areas where 1/144 kits fall flat on their faces......cockpit detail and canopy thickness.  This kit shines in these 2 areas and all others.  The cockpit on this kit is all resin.  Now....this isn't the sort of detail you'd expect to see in a 1/144 scale kit, but for 1/144 scale...the detail here is first rate.  On main stream kits the cockpit is nothing more that blobs of plastic....here you have finely crafted resin seats with molded in seat belts with impressively done headrest and side detail.  Try to understand the size here....the Canadian penny below is the exact size of an American penny.  We're talking very tiny here.  The cockpit is a beautiful example of recessed detail.  My guess is you would paint the cockpit and follow that with a "wash" to bring out all the recessed detail....switches etc.  The length of the cockpit tub is slightly longer than the width of my thumbnail.

Click on images below to see larger images

cockpit from front cockpit from rear ejection ejection seats control sticks

The instrument panel is quite well done, considering you can get 15 of these on my thumbnail.....it is quite impressive.  The detail is recessed, so the plan here would be to paint the 2 instrument panels in the proper shade of grey(?) and add black to the recessed instruments by doing  awash and maybe follow that up with some tiny amounts of Future if you have the skill for that.   There is a tiny bit of flash on the wheels that will take a few seconds to clean up.  Detail on the wheels and they even added ribbing detail to the nose and main landing gear bays.

cockpit from front cockpit from rear

The panel lines on the wings and fuselage etc are all recessed and very fine....these should take a wash with great ease.  The kit comes with 2 vacuformed canopies, which is good for those of you keen on opening up the canopy to expose the stellar cockpit detail. 

Click on images below to see larger images

wing showing recessed panel lines   vacuformed canopies

 

There are 2 decal options.....US Air Force and Pakistan Air Force.  The USAF version is a B-57B #52-1567 of the 13th TBS, 35th TWF, USAF in a standard camouflage of Shadow Green (FS34079), Green (FS34102 and Tan (FS30219) with black lower surfaces and a Red rudder.  The Pakistani Air Force is a B-57B #53-3846 in standard black and red USAF finish.  The decals are printed on a clear carrier film so you'll have to cut each decal from the carrier film separately, but this isn't a big deal.....go slow, don't scratch the decals and you'll do just fine.  

The opening picture in this article shows open air brakes.  This kit does not have open air brake, but you can definitely do this if you have a bit of patience.  OzMods Scale Models has a resin detail that will permit you to do the flaps and speed brakes as on Roberto's B-57B at the beginning of this review and these are available from OzMods Scale Models for Aus$5.50 (the flaps are also suitable for their B.2 Canberra).  

The kit plastic is a hard styrene....neither good or bad....just letting you know.  I test fit some major parts and they seemed to fit well with panel lines lining up etc.

There are 2 pages of B&W instructions.  Pretty straight forward stuff.

Click on images below to see larger images

You can order this kit 

  • or write them directly at:
    OzMod Scale Models
    PO Box 700, 
    Booval, QLD 4304, 
    Australia
  • Telephone: (07) 3282 7000

Drop by their website for full details on ordering and prices.

I highly recommend this kit for anyone wanting to add a 1/144 Canberra to their display case of any 1/144 builders.  If you've never built 1/144....then you've never really had fun.....1/144 kits are a blast to build and a challenge to detail if you are so inclined.

Special thanks to OzMods Scale Models for the review sample.

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford