I received an early release of the new H-K Models B-25J Mitchell back in December, sans decals and instructions, fir review. The instructions showed up online a few weeks later and I downloaded them. I've decided to do "The Little King" from the 380th Bomb Squadron of the 310th Bomb Group from the 57th Bomb Wing on Corsica. That's because I have the decals from SuperScale, and because the two members of the wing who were most helpful when I was researching "the Bridgebusters" - bombardier Sterling Ditchey and flight engineer/turret gunner George Underwood (both sadly flown west now) - both served in that unit. In fact, George flew 10 of his 60 missions in "The Little King."
The nose art refers to a then-popular cartoon series in the newspapers during the war and through the 1950s (I remember reading it).

Both Sterling and George were 20 during their tour with the 310th. Sterling returned to the States a year after he left, having flown 70 missions through the battles of the Po Valley and Brenner Pass, a month before he turned 21. George came back just before the Brenner Pass campaign. He returned to Los Angeles and after the war got into the real estate development business, building a lot of the post-war GI bill housing that formed the basis of the LA we know today, and got rich doing it. Both were really great guys, and I miss them every time I think of them. They died in 2020 within three weeks of each other.

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Great entry and ditto start on this Mitchell, Tom @tcinla
An aircraft which is still on my wishlist to build one day, so I'm definitely going to follow your thread.
I've always wondered if the Mitchell was orginally designed as bomber and later on became a gunship as well, or the other way around.

I feel this one is probably the best of HKs recent 1/48 bomber stream. Now twin engine bombers are the right size for my diminishing shelf space and this one is probably getting my attention sooner or later. As usual Tom I hope you don’t mind me grabbing a chair and follow along your build

"(B)ombardier Sterling Ditchey and flight engineer/turret gunner George Underwood "
These guy's are some of the two most important reasons for modeling. I had an opportunity to crawl through the Commemorative Air Forces B-25, Ms Mitchell. Crawling through the tunnel underneath the the cockpit and sitting in the bombardier's seat, looking at all of the Plexiglas and seeing how thick the nose skins our is like sitting on pole. Everyone looks up to you and can see your behind naked to the wind. These guy's are hero's.

Tom, I hope you include in your write up of this kit that you had a hand in developing HK's first efforts in making their 1/32nd B-25 and I'm sure your efforts will be seen in this kit too. Some folks say that the original kit is HK's best efforts and this new kit release will echo that kit.

I’ll be following along on this one for sure Tom. That nose weight looks well thought out. Nice of HK to include it.

Have a seat @holzhamer!

@stephen-w-towle: this kit is, as I mentioned, a scale-down of the excellent 1/32 kit. I put this kit and their scaled-down Lancaster as their two best.

But actually I may change that ranking, since yesterday I got a box from them with the test shot of the new 1/32 A-20G and all I can say is WOW! Now that WNW proved surface detail could be done that replicated the "dimpling" and "oil canning" of a riveted metal surface, that's the new standard, and this kit has that - beautifully petite, you have to hold it under a light to see it completely. I think when I get to examining more than the fuselage halves I am going to see this kit takes things to a whole new level.

Thanks for the information, Tom @tcinla
Progressing quickly and nicely, were the transparency masks included in the kit are did you create those yourself.