72modeler

Very interesting, Jun! However, the documents you posted show matte black for the walkways, and in many of the color period photos, they are clearly grey. Decisions, decisions! BTW- thanks for the posted diagrams! Mike

Yep- that's one of the things that can be adjusted, and one of the reasons an aircraft is put up on jack stands and connected to a hydraulic power source. Ideally, both struts extend and retract at the same rate, but on some aircraft, not sure about Mustangs, you will see first one strut retract and then the other- never been sure if that's by design or improper adjustment, as you see this a lot on Mustang warbirds. (Looking at the video, it does appear that the RH inner fairing door doesn't fully open before the strut extends- good eye!) Mike A little off-topic, but see this video on retraction/extension of an FG-1 Corsair's landing gear; just another example of all the sequences and operations that have to be adjusted for proper operation of the undercart. I was not aware that the Corsair had a strut that compressed the oleos to fit the assembly into the wheel bay, just like the P-47. Footage via YouTube.

From the sun bleached coral strip to the RFI on Britmodeller! One beautiful replica! Well done! Mike

Getting better all the time, Bill! Keep on keepin' on! Mike

That is one fine Ki-100! Beautifully done in all respects! The best all-around IJA single-engine fighter, and one of the most handsome. Mike

On a P-51, I think the undercart is sequenced so that the gear struts are engaged into the uplocks before the inner fairing doors close; the operation is reversed when the undercart is extended. The video below shows it better than I can explain. Mike Note that the gear is fully up before the inner fairing doors close, and how the landing light is pushed up into the wheel bay by the strut. It is also a characteristic of the Mustang that the inner fairing doors close again when the undercart is down- they are only open during retraction, extension, or when the pressure in the hydraulic system bleeds off after shutdown or when the inner doors are released manually. Footage via YouTube.

While on the subject of Wellingtons, here is a neat film clip of a Mk 1c, I think, being turned around; very interesting period footage and details. I hope many of you will find it of interest. Mike https://youtu.be/NScptsa5zJA Here's a short video of a Wellington in display at the Brooklands Museum, where the Wimpy was built. It was N2980, and was ditched in Loch Ness in 1940 and discovered in 1980. Great views of the geodetic structure. https://youtu.be/JjqOek5ubxI @Simon Nonymous, That being said, I am following this build with great interest, as I have the new-tool Airfix kit as well as a resin conversion set for the MPM or new-tool Airfix Mk 1c. I have always considered the Mk II and XIV as the most handsome of the breed.

If you are referring to the wheel bays, there are some differences. IIRC, due to the different leading edge extensions and a slight change in strut geometry when retracted, the hydraulic piston/strut for the inner fairing door was located at the front of the door on the B/C, and it was at the back of the door on the D. The inner fairing doors also had different external contours between the two variants. The D also had the landing light relocated from the leading edge of the wing to the LH wheel bay, where a small wooden roller (You can see it in the posted photo.) was contacted by the landing gear strut to retract it back into the wheel bay- the light was extended with gear extension. Mike

Yep, You are correct, sir. That being said, I have seen period color photos of P-51B's and D's that show the scuff plates painted in ZCY, which doesn't make a lot of sense, as I would think the tires would scuff the primer off after repeated landing gear cycles. Maybe in some instances, aluminum instead of stainless steel was used at the factory- thus the need for primer to prevent corrosion? You see this a lot on restored airworthy Mustangs. Mike

What the others have said- an incredibly realistic replica! If you had taken b&w photos of your model, you would be hard-pressed to tell it from the period photos of 'Bubbles!' Mike @TheyJammedKenny!, The blister on the birdcage F4U-1 canopy was added to allow the installation of a rear-view mirror; don't think those rear quarter transparencies did much good, especially as the armor plate on the backrest probably prevented much of a view behind for the pilot.

She's a beaut, Fuad! Beautiful metal finish and riveting. Mike

The deck tractor is every bit as nice as your Prowler, which is a beaut! Mike

You might see if you know someone who has the Warpaint Number 112 on the A-3D or the Aerograph Number 5 on the A-3D. If you look at photos that show the upper surfaces, some have a grey walkway that runs along the centerline with a swept section that extends out along each inner wing; many photos show the absence of these walkways. Perhaps @Tailspin Turtle might be of assistance, but the A-3D blogs I saw on his website did not cover markings per se or the walkways. Mike This photo from the AVGeekery website is the best one I could find that shows the walkways. Submitted for informational purposes.

https://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-articles/wwii-veteran-aviator-bill-overstreet-p-51-mustang-berlin-express.html Not sure, either, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Mike

@tomthounaojam, See if this information helps you. Good luck with your build. Mike https://www.airlinercafe.com/page.php?id=72