Paul J

This is it! Another completed P-51 and my favourite. More pics in the P-51 Finished Builds gallery. Finshed in Alclad duralinium over dull aluminium, the red is Testors sachet paket acrylic and a couple of coats of Klear.

Nice I hope. If the Hurricane is anything to go by. BUt I notice going through the other makers lists that the armour guys are in for a treat!

Top picture with the JU87, in the background is a Beaufighter that was swapped for the Stranraer, I think, for the RAF Museum. This is that Beaufighter in the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa 2006.

Seeing as we have until March 4th, I might yet get another built.

Earlier this evening I put up some piccies of last nights decal work. Now a few more piccies from this evenings decalling session. Starboard side with codes unit badge and national insignia applied... before those tricky speedbird tails!! Port side with the addition of codes and roundel. Unders. And a general view of a bit more progress to the starboard side with the blue trim applied. The lower ones are for tomorrow night! Before the eagle eyed and knowledgable ones write in to say the 'D' wheel cover doors should be closed with the flaps up... I know. For this one I decided to leave them down just to show off the kits detail because I can. More work is needed still with some shadowing/highlighting to the undercarriage bays and smaller items to be added. I also need to try and match the blue of the decal for the spinner. And there are a number of extremely tiny stencilling to be applied but I'm not sure if I will go that far but some have been put on already.

Love the formation shots. Red Arrahs...hmmmm...!

First shots with decal application started! Let me tell you that the blue 'comet trail' stripes were very tricky to put on even with the decal paper laid on the model with decal still in place. Took me best part of half an hour to get it right!! This view shows the supplied discs in place and drying before roundels go on. Just the left side partially done and those very tricky stripes! The little packet has the ADF antenna in resin that replaces the aerial mast. Four enclosed so that many and another can be completed from all the decals supplied!

Its nearly finished!

Also it was an earlier D without the dorsal fin fillet! But Very nice!!!

Thanks Scott. I have also found several very good pics with nice underside views in airlinerdotnet! Gives me enough to go on.

That Cosford one has them in the pretty much NON Standard, NON service position anyway! Its more in keeping with the prototype pre production roundel position. Like the Hunter T7 with inaccurate fonts for the serial! Go by Zeros model for the right place and over the wingwalk.

So, modelling wise there is no real external, visual difference between the two, except for the underwing/fuselage pylons and fewer sonor launchers plus all the antenna fit of the USN version.

Re the Sled, I remember the very first time I saw one inthe air. It was at Upper Heyford around 1970/71. The whole wing were lined up minus tail codes and I think may have been readied to depart back to the States. It was just before the F-111Es came over to UH. Anyway at the show, an F-100 departed and came back a few minutes later right down on the deck at was very close to the 'bang' speed!!! It was the sound that followed it a couple of seconds after it had disappeared from view! What a performance. Never saw anything like that since. The last F-100 flying I saw was at the 'Hall in formation with a P-51. Happy days.

Thanks guys. Much as I thought. That'll save me the effort from seeking out the CP-140 kit and I can carry on with this little project. Not much done last night as I concentrated on my Canadian Mustang and started decalling using the Leading Edge set. Will go back to the Aurora/Arcturus tonight possibly. Does any one know the difference between the two Canadian CP-140 Variants?

Progress report on my final P-51 build for this GB. Main paintwork done today. Had a major scare at one point when I was brushing on Klear to the starboard wing. I noticed that, after I had dipped into cellulose thinners that was left open instead of the Klear that was close by, the paint started to lift!!! AAARRGH!!!! Fortunately, I left it to harden and went back to it half hour later. Also, luckily enough no damage to the surface and it was a case of masking the already applied red area. So the red was masked and fresh coats of dull aluminium and duralinium rendered the area and no visible faults . Phew!! Anyway onto pics... Fortuantely the red areas are painted up to a very convenient panel line making masking for this very easy! Re use of used Tamiya tape to mask the anti-dazzle black and the seat added. Anti dazzle done. And windshield in place. Incidentally, the finish is supposed to be a dulled lacquered aluminium and so not bare metal toned panels Tomorrow night(Monday) decals!!! And maybe the wheels etc....

I'd be interested to know if the plastic is any different after having to remove the pylons and filling up surplus holes and some of the sonar buoy outlets from my already built one!

Trying to stay on topic, some more pics. This view shows how it had progressed before dealing with the vents and window surrounds. Trying to see why it is thought the kit is 6.00mm too short. Here the HAS 3 kit fuselage is laid over the 4+ plans. The right half(top of pic) moved a bit when I took the photo but was laid with the tail 'fin/pylon' against the plan and showed me that the cockpit side window is a tad to the rear but the nose is OK-ish. Also the 'turtle deck is out by a mill or 2. See pic below as it better shows how close the kit really is and the length issue is marginal. The left fuselage half (lower part of pic) was laid withe the forward and nose cone from on the plan lining it up with the cockpit as exact as poss. Here it does show that the tail rotor housing is abit further back but only2.5 to 3.00mm NOT 6.00mm. The plastic was laid firmly on to the plans but as I said earlier because of the curve of the page, the part moved a bit and I did hold it firmly and found that the error is minimal and variable along the fuselage proving the lentgh issue. Unless of course the plans are wrong! But that is another story and I don't always believe plans because they differ so much. Anyway, I hope this helps. But for me I am not really bothered about a couple of mill here or there and can live with it and it still looks 99.6% a Wessex!! And I'm going to carry on regardless.

A few update pics of my P-3C to CP-140 WIP. All old paint safely removed. xcept the nose cone but its no bother. The proposed decals for this job. Note the engine fronts and props were safely removed before attacking the model with Mr Muscle!! The in board pylon slots before filling. Underwing and inboard slots all filled while wing pylons were safely removed. Also note some of the central area of the sonor buoy holes filled too courtesy of good images on line! The undercart will have some additional struts not in the kit and a tad of detail if I feel up to it. After that in to the paint shed!

Doors on wrong sides and back to front. But good effort. Well done.

One of my local charity shops has an Airfix Chinook for £4.50. But its partly started !! I've been debating whether I should go for it and also for the yellow Sea King which I suspect is in a similar state. The shop usually has kits a week before the Poppy day week ends on dispaly but with an invite to reserve any items until after the evnt. 2010 I miised out on an Airfix 1/24 Hurricane. It went for ........£6.50!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I missed it.

Hi Thanks for your interest. Re Helomans comment about the Italeri kit being too short, I have had a look and compared my spare kit ( a HAS.3) fuselage with the 4+ drawings. My findings are that, yes it may be a bit short but only around 3mm max... not the 6.00mm! In fact the length varies along the way, a bit like the hasegawa 48th Spitfire 9. So for me I am not going to be bothered by this discrepancy. Its not that seriously noticeable I feel. And in any case, its well and truly assembled and on its way. I'll put up a picture tomorrow of the plans with the kit part laid over as have no time tonight.

A couple of pics showing a bit of work done such as an attempt to reduce those big window frames and the aft facing vents and fuel fillers from the Choctaw fuselage removed and filled. New ones have been added as per Wessex HC2

My next P-51!!! And from the Stash!! Since the pictures taken last night and the night before, the wings and tail feathers have all been attached! This evening a little rub down of the joints and inspection it'll be primed. And tomorrow night,maybe, paintwork started... Note the Leading Edge Decals! The interior on several of the Canadian P-51 were black. My one here looks a bit rough but does look a lot better in real life. Couldn't decide how the floor should look so went for the green and scufffed it to make it look worn. Again it looks better than what the photo shows.

As i ssaid above try it. If you mix the two well and airbrush it it atomises as you know and the cellulosed isn't so strong that it attacks plastic. Its worth experimenting if you are unsure.

Try experimenting by thinning the paint with cellulose thinners. I know this sounds scary but it does work with enamels. As I said, experiment on a scrap model or plastic. It worked for me on my RCAF Dak for the red areas.