PRU RAF Mustang III HobbyBoss 1/72

[Ed Russell]

No.541 Squadron used three Mustang Mk.III aircraft - FD182, FX855 and FX952, taken on strength in June 1944 and used through until May 1945. They were modified in a similar way to the USAAF F-6C Mustang with the installation of an oblique camera in the lower rear fuselage and a vertical camera in the rear fuselage ahead of the tail wheel. I am most grateful to Colin Ford for the information and inspiration for this model. My only photographic source is the picture in the Ventura PRU Spitfires book but I have picked up a lot of background from Colin.

Some useful quotes -

There has been a bit of discussion of these and it seems generally accepted that they are real. "There are two relevant threads on Hyperscale, one in "Plane Talking", titled "PRU Mustang" and started 28 June 2007 and one in "Plastic Pics" entitled "Mustang in Blue" and started 3 Feb 2006, which has a 1/48 model. Between them I think they contain most of what is known about this/these aircraft." from previous thread (Nick Millman). "The details of the three Mustangs have become a fair bit clearer since that original posting and series of response postings back in 2006 that appeared on Hyperscale. There has been ongoing research (which involves access to original RAF and UK Air Ministry files) which has turned up additional information on the aircraft, the status of their modification, camouflage and markings." (Colin Ford)

I wanted to have another go at a Hobby Boss Mustang as I quite like it, having done one as a 3 Sqn RAAF one. Even better, a friend of mine gave it the tick of approval - as he owns a real one, this is quite significant. Mind you he did itemize a dozen or so modifications that were needed.

I started with the bits that made the essential difference from other Mustangs - the camera gear. The RAF added an access hatch on the starboard side of the rear fuselage to allow access to the camera without having to remove it. It was a rectangular hatch, rounded corners about 5 to 6 inches tall and 8 to 10 inches long. It was scribed as shown and fasteners later added with a beading tool. I contemplated leaving it open to show a Pavla camera inside but the HB plastic is awfully thick and it would have been a major undertaking.

Then the apertures for the cameras. I did the side one too big and had to correct it. Piece of sprue, re-drill a pilot hole and then the final size..... grr

Then I could go to the most common start point of a build - the cockpit. Hobby Boss kits have very little if anything inside. At least their Mustang has a bit of space to work with and access from below. I had a spare CMK P-51D interior resin kit which I cut up for bits. I used the radio, instrument panel, control column and the seat.

As you see there isnt much left once you cut out the unwanted bits. Even though it would have been as easy to make one, I retained the HB floor as I knew it would fit.

I'll return to the cockpit but I thought I'd move on to the main wing/fuselage assembly.

There are locating holes for underwing stores which I didn't need. I find it's easiest to fill them with sprue or plastic card rather then filler.

Similarly I filled the locating slots at the end of the wheelwells as the door was not really attached like that.

The card or sprue is then cut to size and sanded smooth.

As the main doors are usually in the closed position I butchered the massive locating pillars off with sprue cutters so the doors would fit flush.

and then chiselled the remaining part flush

Likewise the large locating pins on the wheel doors aren't needed.

More to come..... comments welcome, particularly other peoples' experience of Hobby Boss kits as they are such a mixed bag.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Ed Russell

[thx6667]

More to come..... comments welcome, particularly other peoples' experience of Hobby Boss kits as they are such a mixed bag.

This one looks like fun, being interesting how this one develops Ed.

I think the only HB kit that I did find a trifle disappointing was their Spitfire Vb - the overall shape I found to be OK for my tastes, but the skinny prop, cannons, comedy canopy and lack of u/c doors were unfortunate - fine if you have done spare Airfix bits, but that's missing the point a bit.

I liked their P-39 and He 162, even if the canopies are a bit shallow, the Me 163 is terrific and the FW 190D is gorgeous.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Jonathan Mock

[Ed Russell]

It's not exactly "Here's one I prepared earlier" but I did make a HobbyBoss Mustang previously. More or less out-of-the-box with Rising Decals markings for 3 Sqn RAAF in Italy

A little more progress on the PRU Mustang - resin instrument panel with ProModeler P-51B instrument panel decal and resin seat.

[Ed Russell]

Here is the underside camera - a bit of joint cleanup needed here, I had the same problem in the earlier one. I opened up the air vent (to the right) as it's modelled solid.

You can work on the cockpit from underneath.

while having most of the works exposed on top of the wing.

I think I have put the instrument panel too far forward but can't fix it now.

Even through the open Malcolm hood there isn't that much to see.

Now for putting it together and then on to the little bits

It's been pointed out that the yellower shade of zinc chromate is more likely so I'll repaint this.

[jamboseven]

Morning Ed,

here is one I did earlier

mine is the Accurate Miniatures 1/48.

Good luck with your build, looking forward to it

Jambo

[shelfspace]

Nice build of a nice type - watching with much interest. Got quite a soft spot for these little Hobbyboss kits myself; have built one of the Hellcats, one of the Wildcats and the MiG-15 UTI - downsides are obvious - simplified details, bare cockpits that are difficult to get-at for detailing, and the lack of an easy wheels-up option in most cases - seems strange since their appeal appears to be primarily to the younger modeller - but the surface detail on all the examples i've seen is superb - really crisp - Tamigawa crisp, even. . And I like the solid fuselages, despite the seam problems - they give the models a nice weight, which appeals, for some reason...

[Ed Russell]

Nice picture jamboseven, but you need to move the whip aerial aft to not foul the hood. There are a couple of these built - inspirational stuff! Thanks.

Soild fuselage is a mixed blessing shelfspace - I had a Hellcat crack in half!

Back to the quickbuild -

I couldn't decide whether to paint or decal the stripes. I wanted to decal them in the spirit of the quick build conversion but I have had mixed fortunes with D-day stripes. So let's try some paint.

Ancient tin of Revell white paint.

Hmm looks okay

Second coat later on - looks acceptable.

Okay, wait for it to harden and play with little bits.

Choice of wheels - HobbyBoss top (a bit small) Red Roo centre (not enough spokes - to be fair, they are for a CAC Mustang) Hasegawa bottom (best)

Propeller is fine, gear door has a hole to fill.

More little bits - paint up the undercarriage legs, prop, exhausts etc - all from kit.

Oops - there's an escapee in there - Aboukir filter for a coming project!

Edited December 8, 2010 by Ed Russell

[Tom R]

Sorry to mess with your thread but is there any chance of getting a clone of that Aboukir filter (assume it's 1/72) or is there a commercial one around? Anyone know?

Oops - there's an escapee in there - Aboukir filter for a coming project!

[Ed Russell]

Tom - I will cast a few of these. PM me and I'll work out a way of getting one to you.

Back to the build.

I masked off the white areas and painted the entire plane with a couple of light coats of Model Master enamel PRU Blue.

Removing the masking it looked good

But now.... the black stripes! I was a little chary of masking it all up again so I thought I'd check out the kit decals again.

I didn't want to use the white, so I though maybe cutting the black stripes out might work.

One worry was that even though I have built 4 HobbyBoss kits, I have not yet used a Hobby Boss decal - I thought I'd better do a test run using one of the unwanted bits to check out if they worked.

They settled down okay, even over rivets - success.

Print out a suitable serial and we are ready to decal.

More to come.....

[Ed Russell]

Time to put some decals on, starting with the underwing stripes - aligned by eyeball. They look about right



and then continuing with the overwing stripes, lined up with the underwing ones, and cross checking the red dots. Then the fuselage ones which don't quite fit around, and the bits of roundels look quite odd.



But I had checked this before and the red/blue fuselage roundels nicely cover the remnants of the Hobby Boss ones. Upper wing roundels are also red/blue and Alps printed serial is applied too



Decals finished, so better add all the little bits - brake lines for the undercarriage, wheels etc. I have added a Pavla Malcolm hood, the kit prop and a wire whip aerial on the rear spine.




So, that's it effectively finished - my photography hasn't kept up with the build but I'll take a few more and put in Ready for Inspection.

Time to clean up the workbench and have a better look in that box to the left.