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Tamiya P-51D


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Evening All.

My second entry for this GB has been inspired by seeing SilverFox's effort with Tamiya's 1/48th offering. This is outside my normal sphere of interest, but those massive chequer boards either side of the roundels just look so good....

Anyway, I'll be adorning this with some Eduard etch in the cockpit, a Pavla prop and Ventura will be providing the decals.

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Not much to say, the box contains a nicely moulded P-51 which builds up into something looking like a Mustang. The wheel well is a little inaccurate and there is no provision to drop the flaps, but it's good enough for me! I was going to try and correct the wheel well, but time is not on my side, so will only be dropping the flaps and focusing on doing a decent cockpit.

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Decals and Etch from Ventura and Eduard respectively.

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Pavla will be providing the correct style of prop for a TAF Mustang and I'll be using Montex Masks from A2Zee to save time on masking.

Should make some progress over the next few days, I'll post up pics as I do.

Mark.

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Glad to be of help HL. I was really suprised that the Tamiya 1/72nd Mustang had no dropped flaps, I'd wrongly assumed(yes I know) that it was justa scaled down version of the 1/48th scale kit.

Anyway, watching this one with interest. Any idea which squadron you are doing?

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SilverFox,

I was a little disappointed myself to find out that Tamiya's range of 1/72 stuff doesn't have as many features as their bigger 1/48th brothers. Still, nothing that can't be sorted with a razor saw, some files and a little work!

I'm hoping that in future I'll be able to use the forthcoming Airfix F-51 Mustang to use up all the Ventura decals I've now got. If the CAD drawings are to be believed, it comes with dropped flaps, the right style of prop and the rocket stubs. I hope Airfix also get the wheel well right as well...

This one will be done as NZ2427 from 3(Canterbury)Sqdn.

Mark.

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Mark,

Brilliant choice. Just be very carefu;l of the small red/white titling decals, they were very fragile in 1/48th wso they'll b even thinner in 1/72nd

It looks like the new Airfix P-51D is going to be a very good kit.

Take care.

Andy

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Mark,

Brilliant choice. Just be very carefu;l of the small red/white titling decals, they were very fragile in 1/48th wso they'll b even thinner in 1/72nd

It looks like the new Airfix P-51D is going to be a very good kit.

Take care.

Andy

Thanks for the heads up Andy!

A little progress over the last couple of days, but it is mostly just preperation work. I've trimmed off all the detail that needs to be removed to make way for the etch in the cockpit and assembled some of the etch prior to first blast of paint.

I've also started dropping the flaps.

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First up, the easy part. A 5 minute job with a razor saw and job done! The incorrect cut outs at the inner edge will be filled with plasticard to better replicate the real thing. At this point, it dawned on me this was not going to be the easiest of jobs, even though it should be!

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Next up, I thinned the trailing edge of the upper wing, and the under side of the fuselage wing roots. Thank goodness for decent references! I've also opened up the holes in the wing for the hardpoint and the rocket stubs (which will be kindly donated by my Tamiya Corsair!) If only I'd typed F-51 into ebay's search engine!!!!!

I'll be plugging away at this over the next few days and I'll update as decent progress is made,

Mark.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Any progress mate?

Unfortunately not. I went to spray some interior green and found my tin had dried solid, so I've had to order a new one. I managed to get up to the sorting office to collect said parcel before work yesterday, so this morning will be spent spraying some paint. With my shift pattern this week, the simplicity of this kit and my chosen colour scheme, I stand a fighting chance of being able to get this done by the deadline, but it'll be tight!

Time to crack out the airbrush....

Mark.

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Today I have mostly been doing Mustang. Between watching Arsenal v Spurs, Scotland V France and then Liverpool v Cardiff, I've managed to paint the interior and get some etch installed. It still needs to be dirtyed up a little before I get the major construction done, but it's a lot further on than this time last week!

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Some pics of the Eduard coloured etch being glued in place. It's a little fiddly at times, but it looks pretty good in the end.

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The cockpit side walls look great once all the etch is in place. A little dry brushing, perhaps a wash too, and that's the cockpit done and then I can nail the construction on my day off on Tues.

Until then,

Mark.

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Mark,

"It looks like the new Airfix P-51D is going to be a very good kit."

The new tool Airfix one IS going to be good!!! Trust me.

Just seen a new Tamiya one on Hannants new arrivals 1/72 P-51 for,............... £169.99!!! Special METAL PLATE EDITION. Not for me at any price!

Edited by Paul J
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Looks good Mark keep up the good work.

wellzy :headphones:

I've only managed a little today, had this rather annoying problem crop up. I think some people call it employment, I find it gets in the way of making models!

Mark,

"It looks like the new Airfix P-51D is going to be a very good kit."

The new tool Airfix one IS going to be good!!! Trust me.

Just seen a new Tamiya one on Hannants new arrivals 1/72 P-51 for,............... £169.99!!! Special METAL PLATE EDITION. Not for me at any price!

I take it you have seen the sprues? I've seen a lot of pics of the sprues, but so far haven't seen any of the wheel wells and where the spar is. The dropped flaps by Airfix is a fantastic option, but have they or haven't they sorted out the spar location that sooooo many kits have got wrong? Still think it looks good overall and will become the Mustang of choice in 1/72 scale, I know I'll be getting a bunch of them as soon as they're out!

As for shelling out 170 quid for a Tamiya Mustang? Barking bloody mad! Still, I'm sure those Leading Edge decals would look rather good on it......

Mark.

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To qoute a well known film, "Good Afternoon my bottom!". After spending waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long bending Eduard etch belts into shape and going cross eyed trying to see the damn things, I've just about completed the cockpit. If I have learnt one thing today, it is that I shall be using seats with the straps cast/moulded in place and just go cross eyed painting them instead. Still, I beat the carpet monster 2-1 when several bits went pinging out of my tweezers....

Right, some pics.

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The almost completed cockpit. Just a couple of bits to finish off, then I can get the fuselage halves together and press on with the major construction tonight.

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The flaps have had the cut out section replaced with some scrap plasticard yesterday and I've now sanded them back into shape. Soooo looking forward to not having to do with the new Mustang from Airfix when it's out!

Until the next time!

Mark.

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looking good looking very good indeed.

Thanks, I nearly went blind doing all that etch! :wacko:

Major construction is now done, tidying up the joins tomorrow and should have the silver on by Thurs evening. This kit practically builds itself, a world away from the Special Hobby kit...

Flaps have had some more work done as well, pics will follow later.

Mark.

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Afternoon Mustang fans,

After a busy couple of evenings and some unexpected time off work today, I'm just about ready for the paintshop. A little Milliput to be applied here and there on the flaps, leave that to cure overnight, then tomorrow evening it's Silver paint time!

Some pics of progress...

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The flaps have modified by adding some plastic rod to the leading edge. This then sits in the gap in the wing trailing edge.

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A couple of pics of the completed work. Well worth the effort I think, but what an effort! Bring on the new tool Airfix F-51 and its OOB dropped flaps option.

Until next time,

Mark.

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Getting there Mark

Thank you, but unfortunatly I'm gonna miss the GB deadline. :(

I've had a little problem with the silver finish that means I'll be a couple of days over. I had to get the silver right first time, but I didn't so it meant stripping a few areas and respraying to get something I was happy with with. I have my local club night on Tues, so will be finishing for that instead.

I would like to thank everyone involved with this GB, Ian and Wellzy for hosting and Andy (Silver Fox) for his help in enlightening me on the vagaries of RNZAF Mustangs.

Mark.

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