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1/48 - North American P-51D/F-51D & Mustang lV/P-51K by Airfix - released


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1 hour ago, Vingtor said:

Thanks. This means that the Aeroproducts propeller most likely will be included in a later RAF version of the kit.

 

Nils

The louvred vents are included in the kit. I haven't checked to see if the Ultracast stuff will fit yet.

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On 22/10/2017 at 08:36, AussiePhantom said:

Unless it has the fillet less tail which sprue shots shows it doesn't I won't be rushing out to buy one as its won't better than the Tamiya kit. Typical of kit manufactures these days release a subject that already exists yet isn't any great improvement or they miss details that the older kit had down to simply copying parts of original kit. I will keep dreaming to build Hurry Home Honey without a conversion.

A kit I won't buy as it is simply not my barra.

 

However, given you don't have the kit in hand this is an extremely low blow and in my opinion unforgivable and adds to an increasingly worrying trend of those that critique from from flimsiest of  internet information. Given you don't have the kit, you are passing comment from an uninformed position, period.

 

 

Thomo.

Edited by The Tomohawk Kid
Typo what else
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15 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

A kit I won't buy as it is simply not my barra.

 

However, given you don't have the kit in hand this is an extremely low blow and in my opinion unforgivable and adds to an increasingly worrying trend of those that critique from from flimsiest of  internet information. Given you don't have the kit you are passing comment from an uninformed position, period.

 

 

Thomo.

+1

 

(and I will be buying this one, like any previous one. Yes, I do like mustangs that much)

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I do have the kit in hand and therefore feel that I can comment.  I've built the Tamiya kit but not the more recent Meng kit.  Is it better than the Tamiya kit - In my opinion yes.  Surface detail is subtle and there are some lovely details to wheel wells and cockpit.  On the downside, there are more sink marks than I would expect and some very badly located injector pins that I am not sure will be entirely covered by other parts.  My personal view is that it is a lovely kit but it doesn't quite get to my 1/48 benchmark which is Eduard's Spitfire range.  

 

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On 27/10/2017 at 03:47, Tim T said:

I do have the kit in hand and therefore feel that I can comment.  I've built the Tamiya kit but not the more recent Meng kit.  Is it better than the Tamiya kit - In my opinion yes.  Surface detail is subtle and there are some lovely details to wheel wells and cockpit.  On the downside, there are more sink marks than I would expect and some very badly located injector pins that I am not sure will be entirely covered by other parts.  My personal view is that it is a lovely kit but it doesn't quite get to my 1/48 benchmark which is Eduard's Spitfire range.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really don't get some of these holes the Airfix are putting in some of their latest kits.  Some of those holes are screws which show up more but some are rivets, but just a very few, why would you do this? Either don't add any or add the right amount ( or something close anyway ), it just looks stupid the way it is especially since it looks like they haven't added any rivets to the fuselage. Sure I would be filling them anyway on the wing along with most of the panel lines but I just don't understand why they are bothering to do this? 

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6 hours ago, Tbolt said:

I really don't get some of these holes the Airfix are putting in some of their latest kits.  Some of those holes are screws which show up more but some are rivets, but just a very few, why would you do this? Either don't add any or add the right amount ( or something close anyway ), it just looks stupid the way it is especially since it looks like they haven't added any rivets to the fuselage. Sure I would be filling them anyway on the wing along with most of the panel lines but I just don't understand why they are bothering to do this? 

Same here... I think I need to hold the sprues in my own hand before I can make a decision on buying. Photos can be misleading.

 

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On 10/23/2017 at 08:18, Vingtor said:

Are both propellers included in the standard kit? Airfix will undoubtedly release the kit as a P-51K/Mk.IV at some time, with the Aeroproducts  propeller on the extra sprue. I just wonder if this is included in the first P-51D kit boxing.

 

Nils

 

On 10/23/2017 at 13:06, Stephen said:

There's only one propeller, (Hamilton Standard Cuffed) in my kit.

 

On 10/23/2017 at 20:55, Vingtor said:

Thanks. This means that the Aeroproducts propeller most likely will be included in a later RAF version of the kit.

 

Nils

 

On 10/23/2017 at 22:03, Stephen said:

The louvred vents are included in the kit. I haven't checked to see if the Ultracast stuff will fit yet.

 

Which means a Mustang IVa can be built from the current release

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One thing noticeable is the big D wheel cover doors integrally moulded with the side wall detail. As I see it, one would need to separate these to depict a parked P-51 D when the hydraulics bled and these doors dropped / sagged independently.

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Just received mine today, not had a super close look as yet, or delved to far. It looks quite nice and all I can say is that the surface detail in reality is NOT as bad / accentuated in the pictures shown, posted by 'Tim T' above, and that is not a negative against Tim....just pictures can show some details so accentuated. 

When I first saw those pictures I thought like others OH NO..... but now having one in my hands it will certainly be getting built.

 

Ali

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Thanks Ali.  I certainly wasn't trying to portray the kit in a negative way.  As i said in my post the details are very good and way more subtle than Airfix kits of the recent past.  Compared to the Spitfire XII and the Seafire XVII   (which are both pretty good) this is a step forward.  They do lack the subtlety of Eduard's 1/48 Spitfires in terms of rivets and panel lines which I do consider to be the benchmark of WWII models.

 

Will I build this kit?  Undoubtedly.  Will I enjoy it?  Definitely.  

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I agree with you Tim, Eduard is setting the benchmark in a lot of aspects especially in 1/48 scale, also agree Airfix is moving forward and they do come up with some innovative assembly ideas, some work better than others, but I do not mind that too much when I can see companies trying new or alternative ideas.

I am certainly looking forward to many of the new Airfix releases, that are due.

 

Ali

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I have all of the recent d kits. In my view this is the best of the lot, including the Meng.  Both of these have correct wheel wells, however Airfix have a much better cockpit in my view. For me Airfix have got it right in terms of quality vs subject vs price. Roll on the Blenheim and Sea Fury

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Having now seen Tim T's photos ( which wouldn't load earlier ) the wings look pretty good to me, with just a few holes to fill as mentioned by Tbolt, rather than most of the surface. I will be waiting for a fillet less tail version myself and hopefully some ' Happy Jack's Go Buggy ' decals in the correct colours.

Whilst agreeing that Ediard have set the bar high and I love their Spitfires, they have still depicted rivets (pin holes ) between the wing leading edges and main spar lines where the surface should be smooth.

 

John

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1 hour ago, Biggles87 said:

Having now seen Tim T's photos ( which wouldn't load earlier ) the wings look pretty good to me, with just a few holes to fill as mentioned by Tbolt, rather than most of the surface. I will be waiting for a fillet less tail version myself and hopefully some ' Happy Jack's Go Buggy ' decals in the correct colours.

Whilst agreeing that Ediard have set the bar high and I love their Spitfires, they have still depicted rivets (pin holes ) between the wing leading edges and main spar lines where the surface should be smooth.

 

John

Eduard will probably do a full riveted wing in their P-51D as well as no one seems to want to do a filled wing, I guess they think most modellers prefer rivets all over their kits.

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16 hours ago, Tim T said:

Compared to the Spitfire XII and the Seafire XVII   (which are both pretty good) this is a step forward.  They do lack the subtlety of Eduard's 1/48 Spitfires in terms of rivets and panel lines which I do consider to be the benchmark of WWII models.

two points on Spitfires mentioned.

The Airfix Spit XII and Seafire XVII,  after much research, reference to reputable plans, threads here, taping  together bits of kits and other such slightly demented behavior,  the kits they most closely resemble are the much maligned Academy XIV kits except Airfix got the nose ring and  thus spinner the right size and I think  the wing thickness.  The oversize spinner  on the Academy is  the thing that really looks  off.

The other big problems, too deep fuselage, "tamiya" wing shape (too broad at centre chord) etc etc are all there.  

All fixable with "some modelling skill" , it's  an ongoing project....

except the prop blades, the Airfix ones are  dire.  They maybe fixable,  if you like gluing on strips of platic  and reshaping,  I  had a go and it's tricky.

Of course the it's the  AM item they  really need, and isn't made....  the Barracudacals 5 blade ones can be modified.

 

Eduard made one glitch on the riveting, the leading  edge "D" section of Spitfires was found  to be crucial for speed, and was made extra smooth,  and  is made of a heavier  gauge metal, and the flush rivets were filled and rubbed down,  so the divots Eduard show really need filling.

 

@Work In Progress  is correct that the rivet hole thing is  a trend..... sad thing is that they could actually do decent raised rivets now.

 

 

Airfix are at least trying,  first time anyone has done both the  fin fillets, 

note  this from Christian A, noted Mustang buff on Hypercale on the sprue shots

Quote

Sweet!

October 26 2017, 3:27 PM 
 
I did provide some info to Airfix for this kit but I was not involved in the development and I was curious to see what it'd look like.
Looks nice.
I'm glad they included the two different dorsal fin fillets, it's something I've been trying to get manufacturers to do for a while.
Christian A.

 

though the Eduard comparions can be tricky,  Eduard are  model company aimed squarely at the specialist market,  Airfix are still in the  minds most in the UK  "a toy company"  and perhaps to some in Hornby management and  bean counter world, I suspect the latter is behind the quality control problems and plastic used.....

But, Airfix research has been superlative, and  LIDAR has really upped the  game.    

 

I'm really curious to  see  how the Sea Fury comes out!   

 

cheers

T

 

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

The plague of holes for rivets is the modern equivalent of "realistic" movable control surfaces and rotating / elevating turrets on 1960s kits.

 

Sensible policies for a happier Britain... :D

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having started my working as life as a mechanical engineer, a real  Christmas treat this year kindly sorted by a fellow Britmodeller is a lecture from Airfix chief researcher at my old college in December.

Should be very interesting on finding out their approach

Edited by BushBrit66
new stuff
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Finally got my kit today. I also have the Meng 1/48 Mustang in my stash - I'm not a Meng buyer usually but TBH the 'push fit' intrigued me. So I thought I'd compare the two....

 

Meng Vs Airfix 

Pluses - surface detail is absolutely lovely on the Meng kit, you also get both types of props. The push fit means that there are some compromises for example there are underwing rebates for the tank pylons etc. 

 

Airfix Vs Meng

IMHO the internal cockpit detail is much better in the Airfix example, the wheel wells are slightly better,  you also get separate rudder, elevators which you do not get with Meng. Dropped flaps are an option in both kits as are posable ailerons, canopy.

 

Both look to be good straightforward builds - the Meng being easier by design. The Airfix one edges it for me in detail - EXCEPT for the surface detail where IMHO Meng's is superior - especially the rivet detail if that blows your frock up.

 

The final kicker is this though - cheapest for Meng's kit is £29.99 plus delivery 2.50  - Jadlam were flogging the Airfix machine for £18.50 delivered  thats a massive difference - nearly 75% more for the Meng Kit inc delivery.....

 

It remains to be seen how they build though! ATB TT

 

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