Squadron 1/48
B-25B Mitchell Crystal Clear Canopy

When you break or damage a canopy on your beloved project, what can you do? You can plead with the manufacturer or distributor for a replacement (and wait for some time with some of them), you could plead with your friends (local and online) to see if they might have a spare, and you still might end up with the same problems.

Squadron to the rescue. For those of you with a little experience working with vacuform parts, Squadron's Crystal Clear Canopies line just may have your replacement with some advantages. In some instances, such as the Tamiya 1/48 F4D Skyray, the canopy and windscreen are one piece, meaning that you cannot pose the cockpit with the canopy open. The solution is a Squadron canopy which can be posed closed or open, is scale thickness, and looks good to boot. Another example, such as the Tamiya 1/48 F4F Wildcat, the canopy is molded separate from the windscreen, but it is too thick to realistically pose open as it rests too high on the dorsal spine. I solved this problem with the Squadron canopy and the result is perfect.

In this release, the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B Mitchell transparencies are usually just fine out of the box, but they are thick enough to obscure the details. If you are the unlucky recipient of one of the early B-25B releases, then you've noticed that the transparencies in the kit aren't. They are cloudy and obscure the interior. In addition if you want to open the cockpit side windows or an escape hatch, forget it. This release is a direct replacement for the kit transparancies and will enable you to add some realistic touches to show off the interior.

You can purchase this canopy or any of the others in Squadron's extensive line-up from your favorite hobby shop or directly from Squadron Mail Order.

My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!