Being a glutton for punishment at times in building a kit that is not an easy one. The reward is completing it in such a way that you were able to overcome the obstacles of all the known issues of the kit. Yet not go to some of the elaborate intensive work that some get involved in. I will keep this one as simple as possible yet present a model that will be hopefully well built to cover those issues. So lets go take a peek what is in the box.

This is the Pro Modeller edition of the basic Monogram kit with the addition of resin parts that are not in the base kit and different set of decals. I have a set of Cutting Edge decals with some nice nose art on OD over Neutral Gray schemes.

The instruction sheet is typical Monogram/Revell with a short history of the Marauder, paint chart for the colors needed to paint the Marauder. No parts map.

The assembly sequence starts with the interior,though I will deviate from that sequence.

The paint schemes have 2 OD and one NMF to choose.

The decal sheet looks nice, but at times difficult to work with depending who is the vender supplying the markings.

The Cutting Edge set #48-116, features 3 OD schemes, I will be doing the 2nd scheme on the sheet.

First is the resin parts that Monogram supplies with the kit. Which provides a flight deck, mainwheel bay front and rear walls, nose gear bay, center console, upper turret ring, rear gunners bulkhead, instrument panel and LH/RH side cockpit wall panels and consoles.

The first sprue are the fuselage halves. Fine raised panel lines, the rudder is molded on each fuselage half. The interior has the stringers, various control boxes moulded into each half. The RH cockpit sidewall has moulded in side console panels, control boxes, a bit soft, can be replaced with the sharper details resin parts provided.

The bomb bay and rear section of the fuselage has decent details to work with and improve.

The side lower gun positions can be left opened or closed, The wing attachment point will have the spars portrude from the slots to set the correct dihedral when when the wings are attached. The armor plating panels are molded on the LH side of the cockpit.

23 additional images. Click to enlarge.

Good one Chuck. I converted mine to a Navy JM-1. I had lots of fit issues around the nacelles and rear gunners area. Nothing putty couldn't fix

Very great start with this kit!

First my typical first step is to pre-paint the interior components. Reading reviews and looking at pics in color, I went with the US Interior Green cockpit and rear fuselage section, Silver Lacquer weapons bay.

Next up is to start building.
more to follow

Excellent painting, my friend @uscusn!

Thanks John and Spiros, I used Mission Models, Acrylic for the Interior Green and Vallejo Aluminum for the bomb bay section and bulkheads.
Yes Louis, that is very true growing up with Monogram. They still hold up against the newer molds, when it comes to shape in accuracy in some intances, and not much easier to build. With the extra detail parts that the newer kits provide adds to the challenge, but also that extra detailing is rewarding when finished.

Looks great, Chuck (@uscusn). I built one of these about 35 years ago and remember it being a nice kit. All the extras will certainly add to a pretty solid foundation. It cracks me up that "Other George" (@blackadder57) built his as a JM-1, because that is what I did with mine. I would love to send photos, but the model didn't survive one of my moves. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

Excellent progress and nice addressing of some fit issues, my friend @uscusn!