Arma Hobby – 70075 – P-51B Mustang China/Burma/India

Description:

Arma Hobby’s new 1/72 scale P-51B Mustang kit focuses on one of the lesser-known but equally intense fronts of WWII: the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. The kit includes two finely molded grey sprues for the aircraft, a clear sprue for the signature “razorback” canopy, and an additional sprue with optional external armament such as bombs and rockets—perfect for recreating the Mustang’s multi-role versatility. Also included are painting masks for the canopy and wheels, along with a high-quality decal sheet offering three historically accurate marking options.

While the P-51 Mustang is often remembered for its long-range escort missions over Europe, it also played a vital role in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. In the CBI Theater, Mustangs operated in more tactical roles—providing ground support, attacking enemy positions, and conducting reconnaissance missions across rugged terrain and dense jungle. With its powerful Packard-Merlin engine and robust payload capacity, the P-51B proved highly effective, capable of carrying out dive-bombing and strike missions without the need for escort. This kit captures that unique chapter of Mustang history, offering modelers the chance to build aircraft flown by real pilots during intense 1944 operations in China and Burma.

Markings

• P-51B-15-NA, Cpt. B.H. “Butch” Ashmore, 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, Kunming, China, 1944
• P-51B-10-NA, Lt. Wilbert McEvoy, 529th Fighter Squadron, 311th Fighter Group, Burma, summer 1944
• P-51B-7-NA “JEANNE III”, Cpt. Burton N. Rodier, 26th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, China, 1944

Kit include M10 triple-tube rocket launchers, “bazooka-style”. These M10 triple-tube launchers fired 4.5-inch M8 rockets, and were used primarily in the early to mid-WWII period before the widespread adoption of the 5-inch HVARs with ZLLs. They were commonly mounted on:

• P-47 Thunderbolt
• P-38 Lightning
• P-51B/C Mustang (including in the CBI theater)

In the China-Burma-India Theater, units like the 311th Fighter Group equipped their P-51Bs with these M10 launchers for tactical strikes against Japanese ground positions. The triple-tube design gave the aircraft a substantial punch while still keeping drag within acceptable limits.