Readers' gallery: B-25

Model Airplane News, Sep 1999 by Sharp, Debra

John Tozser spent more than two years-that's 3,000 hours!-building and detailing this B-25 model. It earned the highest static score at this year's Top Gun-an outstanding 99.083 points. Bill Fuori flew the model in Team, in which it finished in sixth place.

John built the plane using enlarged Ziroli plans and equipped it with two standard G-38s, Robart retracts and Glennis tires, brakes and rims. A Futaba 1024 radio with two receivers and 16 servos provides control. The B-25 features a full cockpit interior, functional navigation and landing lights, a bomb drop and flaps, and it weighs about 52 pounds ready to fly with bombs and fuel.

It's finished with fiberglass, Z-poxy and resin and automotive lacquer. John copied a color scheme that was used on about 500 lend/lease airplanes that were painted in the U.S. and sent to Russia, and he notes that in the Smithsonian's records, the serial number of the particular plane he modeled is that of a Piper Cub. "Just goes to show the accuracy of records," he laughs. Pilot Bill Fuori says that the model has taken to the skies more than 25 times, and it flies great.