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P-51D "Daddy's Girl," Zoukei-Mura 1/32


Mach Turtle

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Greetings, everyone. I'm going to try to model the P-51D of Ray Wetmore as it was when deployed as part of the 370th Fighter Squadron at RAF East Wretham in late 1944. Wetmore's aircraft (44-14733) was designated "Daddy's Girl" and remains flying today, after postwar service in a couple of South American air forces.

 

Here she is:

 

cs-l2.jpg

 

I've made a start with the Merlin. The Z-M kit is great because it attempts to mimic the real manufacturing process, and for that reason is highly modular.

 

Mini Merlin:

 

DSC_4969_zpsicyurmwg.jpg

 

DSC_4967_zpsgui9bz9n.jpg

 

 

DSC_4964_zpsq2paclfl.jpg

 

 

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nice!! have wanted to see a build of one of these! I recently built the Ta-152-H1, nice model but I wasn't really happy with the way a lot of the parts fitted, they had to be perfectly aligned else you had major dramas. Plus I won't talk about the PE extras I bought.

 

Am looking forward to following this build!!!  :popcorn:

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Coming right along. I've supplemented the basic kit with the Zoukei-Mura phototoetch for the cockpit and various other areas. I also have the turned gun barrels, resin weighted tires, and cast landing gear struts for later.

 

The instrument panel and center console:

P1030720_zpsxvo03dge.jpg

 

Right side cockpit panel, with map. Apparently, they're ready for a diversion to a tropical island:

 

P1030719_zpsvmlydowl.jpg

 

The engine, with mounts and oil tank in place:

 

P1030717_zpssjmxblid.jpg

 

P1030715_zpsaniw1vvy.jpg

 

Thanks for watching. I'm learning a lot from everyone else, as usual.

 

Edited by Mach Turtle
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  • 2 weeks later...

I wanted to show some progress. Here's the cockpit as it stands now. The instrument panel, rudder pedals, and right side panel are ready to be put in place soon.

 

3_zpsgck56dtf.jpg

 

2_zpsx5lj8u36.jpg

 

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This is with Z-M's "Super Wing Extras" cockpit photoetch set.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

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I'm running out of time, aren't I? In any case, I had some time to work on this today, and made some progress.

 

The interior is further detailed, with a couple of subassemblies stuck together:

 

5_zpspbrxzoqi.jpg

 

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Plus, the empennage (except for the rudder, which I will paint before adding) is done...

 

8_zpsfhqxnpcd.jpg

 

...and I've done four of the six gun assemblies, with turned barrels from the Z-M updetail kit:

 

11_zpsvq6a9uo8.jpg

 

Thanks for looking.

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Ooohkay, the wing is coming together, with fuel cells and guns in place:

IMG_20161224_095555_zpsn0e59kmj.jpg

 

Guns, as yet unloaded, close-up:

 

IMG_20161224_095610_zps3macu0ti.jpg

You can see daylight through the cooling jacket holes, which is nice.

Some more detailing on the guts:

IMG_20161224_095635_zpspr5p63yc.jpg

 

And, press-fit together, it's starting to look like an airplane:

IMG_20161224_095730_zpshaafq6bx.jpg

 

IMG_20161224_095718_zpsz6a4wefw.jpg

 

I'm thinking about leaving some of the panels off so we can see the innards -- otherwise all of this detail will be invisible after this. Maybe I can do a half-and-half model, skinned and unskinned?

 

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You know, a lot of you are leaving off the gun camera actuation linkages from your models (that's the silver thing near the leading edge, inboard of the main gear). I just thought I'd remind you about them. Here's my right wing:

 

IMG_20161227_153922_zpsozoqkw5o.jpg

 

Here's the right main gear (cast metal, with resin tyre, still needing a brake line):

 

IMG_20161227_153934_zpsc3cdqvmp.jpg

 

It may be that this kit is meant for grown-ups.

 

Sorry for the photo quality.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, some updates. There are a gazillion parts in this kit.

 

The oil and coolant radiators:

 

DSC_5342_zpszntnzymo.jpg

 

The ram air scoop and duct:

 

DSC_5341_zpsftifbege.jpg

 

The whole of the innards as they are now:

 

DSC_5340_zpsuwu7cpyu.jpg

 

The wing. I am going for a partially cut-away effect to show the internal detail:

 

DSC_5338_zpsyxbjh0gp.jpg

 

Tentatively assembled, less the empennage:

 

DSC_5336_zps9arhsdn2.jpg

 

Thanks for looking.

 

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Thanks guys.

 

One of the great things about this kit is that you learn about how the P-51 was manufactured and how it all fits together. You also gain an appreciation for how it worked in combat. Here, for example, is the Mustang's Achilles heel:

 

P51Scoop_zpsfv0edczr.jpeg

 

Those are oil and coolant lines, taking fluids between the engine and the radiators (oil cooler is the oval one in front, the water cooler is the big rectangular one in back). They are not protected by armor. If any of those get cut, you'll be visiting France very soon.

 

Also, as I understand it, the big scoop underneath made a successful belly landing much harder.

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Making progress. I have decided to leave one half of the engine cowlings off to show detail. I'm not done with that yet, but the two sides fit together better than I thought (the frames and covers are an either/or system -- you don't put the covers on top of the frames).

 

DSC_5350_zpsd8y8qwwe.jpg

 

DSC_5352_zps0mwfz8ab.jpg

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Just a few more details to go:

 

DSC_5359_zpsp109ro7e.jpg

 

DSC_5358_zpsidoeclxn.jpg

 

While we're here, let's spare a thought for the people who went to war in these things. While the P-51 may have been the greatest piston-powered fighter ever (debatable, I know), it was still basically a wing, an engine, and six guns with a guy strapped in place to control them. Those pilots were brave people, and lots of them didn't return from their sorties. Credit where credit is due.

 

The pilot of "Daddy's Girl," Ray Wetmore, survived the war with more than 21 kills to his credit. He went on to die in an apparent loss-of-control accident in an F-86 on approach to Otis AFB, Massachusetts, in 1951.

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