Reading this review was most helpful.

https://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/us/kolb26.htm

I know what to expect.

I have decided to stop procrastinating and start this new project right away.

I proceeded with step 1 and glued all the small windows.

A closer look…

They are pretty tricky.

I glued the tail turret bulkhead and clamped the fuselage halves to insure a proper alignment.

Then came the fuselage bulkheads assembly.

Again clamping the fuselage halves for proper alignment.

The cockpit assembly came next.

Instructions for positioning the Norden were vague.

I did lots of dry fitting to make sure the fuselage halves would fit right.

I then proceeded with more steps.

The elevators…

The nacelles were hard to assemble and I had to spend quite a long time figuring how to glue them so they would fit properly later on.

Remembering how terrible the fit is according to Plane Dave, I took the time to assemble them.

I sure am looking forward for the next steps.

I had made my decision to build the B-26 as if I was building it in 1978. I wish I had told my readers about it.

I got this comment which was warning me not to build Suzie Q using Monogram’s B-26.

Unfortunately, you cannot get there from here with the Monogram kit. The kit is a B-26B/C, very different from the B-26A. The A model has smaller tail feathers, a completely different rear gun position from anything in the kit, the wings are four feet less in span (and you can’t just cut off the tips) and the engine cowlings are completely different. There’s also some big differences around the nose.

Mike West makes a resin conversion kit that provides a different rear fuselage with the correct gun position, different tail, outer wings (from the engine nacelle out), different cowlings, and a resin nose. Unfortunately, due to family medical problems, he has closed Lone Star Models and isn’t producing things right now. He has announced he will re-open in September, but from what he told me in a recent e-mail, that is now « iffy » due to the continuing medical problem in the family.

The best thing to do is what I have done: set the kit aside until he reopens and you can get the resin set, or decide to do one of the many colorful B-26B/C Marauders for which there are lots of decals availabile at eBay for this out-of-production kit.

But trust me, neither you nor anyone else has the skills to just modify the kit to get to a B-26A. You’re talking about half the model being replaced with scratchbuilding. You really cannot get there from here and you’re wasting your time to try, I know whereof I speak.

I won’t be starting this new project right away, but I think I have made a wise decision to go out of box, to pause for awhile, and read some reviews like the one down below.

https://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/us/kolb26.htm

One way I have found to get me going is to scan the instruction sheet.

Perhaps one of the most maligned combat aircraft ever created, the sleek Martin “Marauders” overcame the controversies that surrounded them to compile an enviable combat record. Martin designers created the B-26 in response to an Army Air Corps request for a high-performance medium bomber. They assembled an elegant aircraft that had a cylindrical fuselage and short, tapered wings. Though capable of impressive inflight performance, the “Marauders” possessed takeoff and landing deficiencies that made them infamous with inexperienced pilots. B-26s were recognized as “Hot” aircraft that demanded a high level of training from their aircrews. The rugged “Marauders” saw action as torpedo planes, long-range fighters, ground support aircraft, and strategic bombers. As the war progressed, they were regarded as one of the Allies’ most versatile aircraft.

Each new combat endeavor spawned evolutionary changes to succeeding “Marauders” during their assembly. Cognizant of the persistent landing and takeoff problems, Martin engineers endeavored to decrease the wing loading by increasing the areas of the wings, tail, and horizontal stabilizers. This change occurred with the introduction of the B-26B-10. Armament was increased to twelve .50 caliber machine guns that transformed the “Marauders” into feared adversaries.

When World War II ended, the aircrews that flew the B-26s had achieved the lowest Ioss rate of any combat aircraft operating over Europe. Martin produced more than 5100 of these remarkable aircraft, and they contributed significantly to the eventual Allied victory.

Your model depicts a late model B-26B that can be modeled as the legendary “Flak Bait”. One of the few remaining B-26s, the nose of this aircraft is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

This aircraft can also be modeled as a B-26B assigned to the renowned 320th Bomb Group during the Second World War to begin and end the war flying B-26s.

When I scan the instruction sheet I can zoom in on the images and this helps me figure out how to assemble some parts. This is true if I have to cut into the plastic as in step 1.

The instructions are still vague but it’s something I am getting to be used to.

To cut or not to cut?

Now I get it!

Also I can make sure where every little clear part fits.

I can check if I have missed something before joining the fuselage halves.

Every step can be challenging if you forget to triple check by dry fitting before glueing.

You can also decide not to follow the instructions leaving the wing assemblies for later.

This is something I am now doing making it easier to paint the model kit.

Scanning the instruction sheet allows me also to properly position the decals.

Now how about cleaning that dusty B-25 while I decide when to start…

Dishwashing soap and lukewarm water…

Oups…Finding a cracked canopy…

And a missing landing light lens.

I will make a new one.

I know which B-26 I will be building…