Ukrainian firm ICM’s all-new 1/48 B-26B Marauder is a delight, as Stu Fone discovers.
It was a case of ‘manna from heaven’ for modellers when ICM announced it was to release a 1/48 B-26 Marauder, this being the first ‘modern’ kit of the type.
Until now, we’ve had to opt for either the Monogram or AMT Marauders in this scale, both of which were first released back in 1978 and are showing their age in terms of the raised panel lines plus level of detail and fit. Any such limitations are firmly in the past, as ICM’s new tooling is everything we’ve come to expect from this Ukrainian manufacturer, with superbly moulded components and a breathtaking amount of detail.
Starting with the basics, ICM’s kit (48320) appears spot-on in terms of dimensions and depicts a B-26B Marauder assembled from Block 10 (denoted as B-26B-10) onwards, with the corresponding longer wings (71ft as opposed to the earlier 65ft) and taller vertical stabiliser. Additionally, ICM’s currently planned releases are all B-26Bs, but these can also be built as B-26Cs (all of which had the longer wing); the former were built at Martin’s Maryland factory (MA suffix), while the latter were assembled on the firm’s Nebraska production line (MO suffix). Modellers will nee…
