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P51b Question


Uncle Pete

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A real minefield, that one! The consensus is that the definitive P-51B/C has not yet appeared. There are 5 contenders out there, my two cents on each...

 

Monogram: an ancient kit from the 1960's, raised surface detail and little internal detail, but considered by many to have the most accurate overall shape of all.

 

Hasegawa: IMHO the most accurate fuselage of all (most kits are too narrow in the front upper cowl--not enough room in there for the Merlin--but this kit has it right). But the wings completely miss the correct shape of the strake at the inboard leading edge, and interior detail, especially the absurdly shallow wheel wells, is weak.

 

Academy: a decent overall shape, but the wing root chord is a bit too broad, and the carb intake opening under the nose is much too big. A favorite of many, though, and that intake can easily be replaced with bits from another kit.

 

Revell: Also decent looking overall, but some funny shapes in the nose, a poorly detailed canopy, and the fuselage is a bit short.

 

AZ: the newest contender. Appears to mimic Revell's shape (and errors) closely, but a much higher level of detail, and an especially good cockpit.

 

Many builders opt for a hybrid solution, I've seen the Academy wing on the Hasegawa fuselage done well for example. For an out-of-the-box build, I'd go with either Academy or AZ.

 

Others will disagree!

 

 

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Thanks, lads, I'll take it all under advisement.  A bit dodgy in the shape doesn't bother me as long as the kit goes together without too much mucking about and looks more-or-less like a 'Stang.  (Sorry to upset the purists! ;))  Not sure If I'd want to tackle marrying two different kits, though.  I just finished a Lindberg one and it wasn't worth doing in any other way than OOB.  No interior, either.  It was handy as a practice plane for patching and exterior painting but the decals are about a foot thick, though... It has a pair that are supposed to wrap around the nose but they came off the backer like cardboard... Nothing was going to make them wrap so I did a bit of creative painting.

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Thanks, W.I.P.  I was planning on using add on decals anyway.  I have the 617 Squadron set.  Hoping to put together Cheshire's little sports model.  I'd imagine he'd have considered it such after driving those Lancaster lorries.:lol:

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According to the Valiant Wings book on early Mustangs, the best overall kit if you just want to build a P-51B/C and your not bothered about the kit decals, is the Academy one. As others have said it does have a few minor shape issues here or there but having built a few of them, I think it looks fine and importantly the wing leading edges are about right.

 

I've also now built the AZ/KP Models P-51B and it's a worthy contender too and you can get one very cheaply too (get the Heller-bust boxing from KP), the only big issue for me is that you don't get wing racks and drop tanks in the kit. So for a one-off, you'll probably find the Academy kit is still the best bet.

 

thanks

Mike

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On November 17, 2017 at 7:16 AM, Uncle Pete said:

Thanks, lads, I'll take it all under advisement.  A bit dodgy in the shape doesn't bother me as long as the kit goes together without too much mucking about and looks more-or-less like a 'Stang.  (Sorry to upset the purists! ;))  

You seem to have this curious notion, that building models should be fun! Of all the nerve...!  :P

 

For whatever my opinion is worth...the fuselage glitches in the AZ kit, bother me less than the wing geometry of the Academy kit. Given your criteria, I'd go with the former; but will look forward to seeing the results here regardless!

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On ‎17‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 11:35 AM, MDriskill said:

A real minefield, that one! The consensus is that the definitive P-51B/C has not yet appeared. There are 5 contenders out there, my two cents on each...

 

Monogram: an ancient kit from the 1960's, raised surface detail and little internal detail, but considered by many to have the most accurate overall shape of all.

 

Hasegawa: IMHO the most accurate fuselage of all (most kits are too narrow in the front upper cowl--not enough room in there for the Merlin--but this kit has it right). But the wings completely miss the correct shape of the strake at the inboard leading edge, and interior detail, especially the absurdly shallow wheel wells, is weak.

 

Academy: a decent overall shape, but the wing root chord is a bit too broad, and the carb intake opening under the nose is much too big. A favorite of many, though, and that intake can easily be replaced with bits from another kit.

 

Revell: Also decent looking overall, but some funny shapes in the nose, a poorly detailed canopy, and the fuselage is a bit short.

 

AZ: the newest contender. Appears to mimic Revell's shape (and errors) closely, but a much higher level of detail, and an especially good cockpit.

 

Many builders opt for a hybrid solution, I've seen the Academy wing on the Hasegawa fuselage done well for example. For an out-of-the-box build, I'd go with either Academy or AZ.

 

Others will disagree!

 

 

Monogram: Often favourably described but engine profile is quite wrong.  I made a posting awhile back for those really interested, but I'd say 'leave it be': the kit that is!

Hasegawa: Radiator intake very blunt.  Exhaust must be installed from the inside.  With my build one has 'fallen free' and I still have to figure out how to recover and re-install it.....

My 'best build' would be a Hawkeye (if you can find it) replacement wing, designed to fit the Hasegawa kit.

I'll pass on the others as I've not examined them.

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My opinion/experience  is that most people will, in their image of an aircraft,  picture the fuselage more than the wing.  By this means of judgement, the Hasegawa kit is the best.  But if you really only want "more or less" then any of them will do.  Even the Lindberg, though from the sound of it some after-market transfers will help...

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36 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

My opinion/experience  is that most people will, in their image of an aircraft,  picture the fuselage more than the wing.  By this means of judgement, the Hasegawa kit is the best.  But if you really only want "more or less" then any of them will do.  Even the Lindberg, though from the sound of it some after-market transfers will help...

 

Actually in the case of the P-51B, I notice the error in the wing leading edge kink in the Hasegawa kit far more than and size shape issues that are supposed to be in the Academy or KP/AZ kits. That and the fact I can get the Academy and KP/AZ kits fairly cheaply and easily means I'm not getting any more Hasegawa kits, I have 3 of them all built.

 

thanks

Mike 

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After much thought my own approach was Hasegawa fuselage lengthened by approx 1mm before the fin, plus the AZ/KP wing. For me even the Hawkeye wing has panel lines around the ammo bays in the wrong place, which the AZ/KP wing has correct. WIP below for what it's worth:

Justin

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On 17/11/2017 at 11:35 AM, MDriskill said:

Monogram: an ancient kit from the 1960's, raised surface detail and little internal detail, but considered by many to have the most accurate overall shape of all.

 

Hasegawa: IMHO the most accurate fuselage of all (most kits are too narrow in the front upper cowl--not enough room in there for the Merlin--but this kit has it right). But the wings completely miss the correct shape of the strake at the inboard leading edge, and interior detail, especially the absurdly shallow wheel wells, is weak.

 

Academy: a decent overall shape, but the wing root chord is a bit too broad, and the carb intake opening under the nose is much too big. A favorite of many, though, and that intake can easily be replaced with bits from another kit.

 

Revell: Also decent looking overall, but some funny shapes in the nose, a poorly detailed canopy, and the fuselage is a bit short.

 

AZ: the newest contender. Appears to mimic Revell's shape (and errors) closely, but a much higher level of detail, and an especially good cockpit.

Didn't Airfix do one as well? I don't know enough about the P-51 to rate it.

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11 minutes ago, Nigel Bunker said:

Didn't Airfix do one as well? I don't know enough about the P-51 to rate it.

Not a contender; If it weren't for the missing wing pylons, my recommendations would be the KP, and then still,  if you could source them from another kit.

 

Hasegawa has the best nose and canopy section, but is way off on the wing kink and the UC bay, but now it's getting complicated with kit bash and stuff.

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