Sag Harbor Express: Enhancing Monogram's 1/48 B-25J
On January 7, Sag Harbor Express 1945 took off from Tacloban Airfield on Leyte piloted by 2nd Lt. Arthur Browngardt, Jr. on a low level bombing and strafing mission against Clark Field on Luzon. Over the target, it pull up to avoid an A-20 cross cutting the formation and was hit by anti-aircraft fire in the right engine. Trailing smoke and loosing altitude, the left wing hit the roof of Holy Rosary Parish Church in Angeles then crashed into the courtyard of the campus of Holy Angel Academy and exploded.
The attractive looking nose art of the ill fated Sag Harbor Express was the subject of ProModeler/Monograms venerable B-25J kit. Given that it was the only game in town for many years, I thought to enhance the sparse kit's raised panel surface details. I measured the detailed riveting patterns of Accurate Miniature's B-25G and applied them on the Monogram kit using a tooth wheel and cut sprue sections to represent the reinforcing nuts..
This is the Accurate Miniature kit wing
And this is Monogram's kit enhanced wing
Great looking build, Rafi, glad all the detailing work turned out so spectacularly. The Monogram kit has long been a jewel in its various releases and modifications, even after it began showing its age and limited technology. You've done an outstanding job of showing what a master can do with it, but it can still look good straight out of the box with a little care. Thanks for sharing these great photos, and congratulations on completing this sizeable gem!
Thank you Christopher!
Yet another wonderful result, Rafi!
This time out of the venerable Monogram kit.
Fantastic application of the riveting patterns, awesome painting and weathering as always.
Congratulations!
Thank you Spiros!
A wonderful result, Rafi @blackmopane
Especially the reinforcing nuts and riveting are done beautifully. Weathering and painting is awesome.
Thank you John.
I really like what you have done here Rafi.
Thank you Tom.
Congratulations on another very fine effort. You have done wonders with this old Monogram B-25.
Thank you Marvin!
That really does look great, Rafi @blackmopane! 🤩 It's such an elegant twin! 😃
Thank you Gary!
Great work! Thanks for calling out the enhancement to the wings and for including the short history on the subject aircraft. I remember seeing that type of rivet line on a C-47 at Oshkosh. I think I just stood there staring at it for fifteen seconds and might have even taken a photo of it.
Thank you Russell.
Indeed, the nose art is eye catching.
Nice job on that Monogram Mitchell dude. Your upgrades are really awesome and the result is fantastic!
Thank you Ramon.
Excellent detail upgrades on an excellent model.
Thank you Dan!
Nice work on that old kit. I've done a couple of their B-25s - lots of potential for improvement and they still look good sitting next to the AM B-25s.
Thank you Chas.
I also built two. They look good event without improvements.
Beautiful B-25, great work!
Thank you David.
Very nicely done! Another great model.
Thank you Greg!
Beautiful B-25, Rafi! Those old Monogram kits are usually accurate shape wise, and are still viable kits. I think another of us modelers (myself included) have gotten use to the modern "easy" to build more detailed kits and discount these older kits. It's a shame, there great for honing our skills as modelers, and they cau be had pretty cheap in a lot of cases.
You've demonstrated once again through your skills, what's possible with some effort. Great job.
Thank you Clint.
I built many Monogram kits since their overall dimensions are correct and usually give excellent value for money.
Sag Harbor Express. Hmmmmm I wonder if the fella that named this one was from that lovely little fishing town out toward the end of the Long Island NY on which I reside.
Very nicely done.
Thank you Bill.
Lucky you😉