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I am hoping that we have an expert or two on the F-82 Twin Mustang. I am wondering if the MLG wheels would have been the same size / diameter as those found on the P-51 Mustang. I haven't been able to find an answer while Googling the net and I do not have any reference material on the F-82. TIA.

If you followed my 'Re-Mojo' build of the T-28B you know it was, unsurprisingly, a bit challenging but enjoyable build - after all it was a Roden kit. You also know that life beyond the bench sucked as I lost my job. The P-400 double build is still in progress, but as it is in the painting stage, and the paint schemes are intricate and the kits were not cheap - I will have to attend to them when I have some more energy. So I cruised the part of my stash that is stored at home (a small part) for some fun build. I have a couple P-51's of different models in my stash - most of them good kits (Tamiya, Eduard, Modelsvit) and also this Italeri P-51D/K. I think this could be a good quick build. It is an NMF build, but I think can build it quickly and it will help out in restoring the fun and good spirit I get from my bench time. So here we go: Not too complicated (I hope), nice decals and an appealing subject - who can ask for more? Ran

Hi! So now I make another try to build an Mustang during an Group Build. I tried in the latest P-51 Mustang GB but the winter was long, cold and dark. Now when the light has returned I make an new effort to build an Mustang here at the Nordic GB. Some time ago I had an idea to build an Norwegian F-5B. But that Italeri kot was sold before I got it. But albeit a little late I make an try to join in with an J26 instead. And my plan is to use the well knewn 1/72 scale Airfix F-51D for this build. I knew I had it somewhere in my stash up at the attic and with some time spending searching I found it. And I will use the nice J26 decals from Mose Republic... http://www.mooserepublic.se/product/j-26-mustang-part-i/ So, lets se if we can build, paint and finish this Mustang? The plan is to build an Swedish J26 from Frösön 1951 with some nice orange exerzise markings. I feel there is always place for another colourfull Mustang! Cheers / André

If you followed my 'Re-Mojo' build of the T-28B you know it was, unsurprisingly, a bit challenging but enjoyable build - after all it was a Roden kit. You also know that life beyond the bench sucked as I lost my job. The P-400 double build is still in progress, but as it is in the painting stage, and the paint schemes are intricate and the kits were not cheap - I will have to attend to them when I have some more energy. So I cruised the part of my stash that is stored at home (a small part) for some fun build. I have a couple P-51's of different models in my stash - most of them good kits (Tamiya, Eduard, Modelsvit) and also this Italeri P-51D/K. I think this could be a good quick build. It is an NMF build, but I think can build it quickly and it will help out in restoring the fun and good spirit I get from my bench time. So here we go: Not too complicated (I hope), nice decals and an appealing subject - who can ask for more? Ran

I think I have already hinted in my P-38F build for the 453rd Museum at Old Buckenham that more than one aircraft might be involved.... and that I am deliberately venturing outside my comfort zone in some areas. Welcome to builds 2 & 3. This will continue to be 1/48, but instead of P-38 I will be moving to the P-51 Mustang, an aircraft of which my knowledge is superficial at best. And this will be my debut NMF... In particular, this will be a tribute to a specific individual, Captain Shelton Monroe, who flew both P-51Bs and P-51Ds with 334th Fighter Squadron in 1944-45. He later flew Mustangs again in the Korean War, where sadly he was to lose his life. This is the gentleman in question: it is sobering to learn that he was born 3 days short of 44 years before me. The accidents of timing. ...and again, photographed in 44-63670, his P-51D after he left the 334th FS. The P51B will be this aircraft, BuNo 37178, which was assigned to Capt Monroe (but later shot down with a different pilot). I need to get a decent quality scan of that panther marking, so I can attempt some home-baked transfer goodness... The kit? Tamiya’s P-51B. This is over 20 years old, and it is fascinating to see the extent to which even Tamiya have progressed in that time; it is a far simpler kit than modern offerings. By all accounts the basic shape is decent, but it will benefit from a bit of after-market bling-itude - notably an Aires cockpit (correcting the incorrect cockpit floor and adding some detail). The cockpit is en route from Lowestoft as we speak. I’ll also be using an Aires wheel well, and elevators, plus a Yahu instrument panel and some Montex masks for that canopy (& probably the markings too). I’ve read at least one build that says the airscrew could be improved, too - more research required on that one. In comparison with a modern kit of equivalent quality - it is still a Tamiya kit, when all is said and done - it is almost laughably simple. 2 runners plus the clear parts: The second kit is at the opposite end of the modernity / complexity continuum - the Eduard P-51D... specifically the original “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” boxing released to coincide with the US IPMS 2019 show... which was held in Chattanooga. Why that boxing? Because one of the 6 schemes therein is from Shelton Monroe’s squadron, which will simplify the markings somewhat... Mine will be this aircraft, BuNo 415312, which Monroe is known to have crash-landed in Belgium in December 1944. I look forward to lots of people complaining that the invasion stripes have been painted wrong... but at least all I need to find is an N (though I will almost certainly try to paint the markings anyway). This kit has an almost bewildering number of options, not to mention a LOT of parts that are not used. 3 canopies that look identical to the naked eye, for instance... Also, it being Eduard, there’s a small but beautifully done PE fret for the cockpit, plus masks - I very much doubt this will need any after-market enhancement. As you can see, I have already made a small start with some Alclad black primer and a little of @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies’s “Teak” to act as the preliminary coat for some “wood”. In their different ways and different eras, both of these look as though they’ll be a lot of fun to build. I plan to build them in parallel - as soon as the Aires cockpit arrives I’ll catch the B up with the D. My original thought for the NMF was Alclad, but I have been so impressed with the Tamiya Lacquer LP-11 Silver in the P-38F build that I suspect that will become involved as well. Heart attacks are never a good thing... but the Cardiac Rehab Team are almost ordering me to do some modelling. After several months where I’ve been exclusively lurking in the Maritime section, now you have 3 of me! More soon Crisp

After taking a break form the bench for a couple of weeks for work commitments (the nerve of my employer... sheesh) and some other distractions to do with an impending interstate move and the impending birth of our first grandchild, I've taken on one of my very rare commission builds. I'm pretty picky in what I do for commission, mostly because the commercial aspect often removes the joy of the process for me. However, in this case my client wanted something a bit out of the ordinary for me, a warbird not a warplane. This one... This will bring some new challenges! A shiny aeroplane isn't something I do very often, and there's a little bit of converting to do (there's no guns, for example). My client doesn't want me to put the passenger seat in, but otherwise exactly as seen above, pristine with no weathering. I'll be the first to admit that weathering is sometimes a mistake-covering technique on my models so I'm going to need to be quite good on this one! There's nowhere to hide on a gloss finish. I'll be using foil for the NMF portions of the fuselage. I'm going to use the Airfix kit for this one as it's a better representation of the late mark P-51's, of which this is an example (actually, this aircraft is a Frankenstein as the original warbird's airframe [not the wartime one] was essentially wrecked some years ago and it was rebuilt from several airframes and new parts). This will free me from my usual obsession angst pickiness focus on the historical accuracy and instead just replicate what I see in the photos. The Airfix is also, in my opinion at least, superior to the Tamiya kit which is showing its age compared to the more modern offerings available now. I'll begin with the cockpit as usual, but will concurrently work on the wings as I'll repeat the approach I took with "LOU IV" and attach the wings in the final assembly. The cockpit will be closed per the client's wishes, so no heroics required there. I suspect that this WIP might be a little different than the usual from me; less history and more modelling content but nonetheless I hope you'll follow along.

This is the P-51D Mustang by Airfix in 48 scale. It was a joy to build this kit. I used Vallejo acrylics (mainly olive drab and neutral grey). The decals came from SuperScale decals (no48-1065). There is a mistake in the decal sheet instructions, since they make 'ol flak joe' walk towards the tail of the aircraft. I had my doubts if that could be corect. Some searching on the internet showed that in fact he was walking in the direction of flight. Hope you like the Mustang. Regards, Gerben

Hi all. I’m in need of a few solid hours to get the topside colours onto the Tempest so in the meantime I’ve cracked out the 1/48th Airfix P-51D Mustang. Much has been said about the kit that I don’t need to repeat here, most of it favourable. A group of us have been catching up via video conference for our virtual modelling session while COVID has been around. One of the group members suggested the kit for a single type group build which turns out a good choice as the kit is readily available for a good price here in Oz. I’ve been working on the various sub assemblies over the last week and I’ve managed to get it buttoned up and close to being ready for paint. Though the assembly has been all over the place, I’ll try and sort the photos as if you were following along with the instruction. The kit I’m building is the fillet less version of the P-51. It offers the two styles of filleted tail which was handy as neither of the box options took my interest. My subject needs the filleted tail so I was good to go with this one. I’ve also got a bit of resin aftermarket to replace the kit prop and exhausts. The latter being far superior to what was provided in the kit. Standard box pic. Cockpit tub with base desert yellow and oils to simulate the ply floor. The side walls primed with black and the Interior green applied. Followed by a wash and then flat coat + detail painting. The seat and final assembly of the tub plus. The worn black was achieved with the hairspray method. Some light tan pigments have been applied over the black. The sidewall stencils are supplied in the kit and dress the area up nicely. the assembly fits positively into the side walls. It looks good once buttoned up. The kit decal was used for the instrument panel with clear gloss used for the instrument faces. Probably the fiddliest area to clean up is the radiator inlet/outlet ducting. It looks like a Mustang. Don't forget to install the tail wheel and wheel well when joining the fuselage. It'll be a fiddly correction to make if you miss doing this. The main wheel well is nicely appointed. I used the Eduard instructions as guidance for the Chromate Yellow and silver areas. The fit is excellent. The fuselage and wing mated well and the insert for the underside of the cowl and the inner leading edge fitted well. The only real gap of the build so far has been on panel line on the cowl underside. Easily fixed though. The pieces for the rudder, tailplanes and topside of the cowl fit very well. Just about ready for paint. I'll install the windshield tonight as well the as assembly for the nose and oil cooler scoop. I think I'll need to remove a small amount of material from the outside edge of the IP as test fitting it revealed that it was sitting proud a tiny amount. Cheers for now. Mick

Let's try this one again! A new kit, with new tooling, a new thread and some decals kindly donated by a member! I will be building the Mustang flown by Lt. Jorge Thomasset, Grupo de Aviación No.2 Caza, Uruguay in 1955. After the last debacle with the Revell junk, this looks to be a much better kit indeed. Here are the prerequisite opening salvos... Nice looking plastic...excellent detail compared to what I had struggles with before. Some decals... And the info sheet from the LF Models decals. I will try to combine the best of both, imho. Airfix has supplied some excellent decals too. I will be using the stencils. I have found they add a level of detail that, for the monoplane and jet, reminds me of the rigging on a biplane. Now that the Stuka is off the bench I have some room to move. I'll dig into this one this evening after work. --John

When building an Israeli P-51D Mustang I noticed that the insignias, the David Star was much further forward on the fuselage compared to insignia's on US, RAF and Swedish P-51D's. And in this position some of those insignias also partly covered the fuelcap on the left side of the fuselage just under the canopy. https://pixels.com/featured/iaf-first-p-51d-mustang-amos-dor.html It's not easy to find pictures on natural metal Israeli P-51D's. Those I have found is from the delivery from Sweden. And those first insignias covered the Swedish insignias. I have Sky's Decals decal set for the first fighter. But there are no pictures on fuelcaps etc. Cheers / André Ps. Is there any who has experiences with Sky's Decals? I had rather big problems concerning those decals, Micro Sol and Tamiya semi gloss clear. They cracked...

Hello! Just wonder if there is any pictures somewhere on the internet on Miller's last "The Millie G" the P-51D 44-72123 (the fourth aircraft and the third P-51D with the same same)? Cheers / Andre

Hello, Wonder a little about Lifelike P-51D decals and those stars and bars used on some aircrafts. It seems that the white paint was omitted or washed out and/or the ensignia only painted in dark blue. Whats the story behind this? http://www.hyperscale.com/2018/reviews/decals/lifelike72038reviewdc_1.htm Cheers / André

Introduction Hello Britmodeller! I thought to just mix my forum 'Intro Post' with a build thread for the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations GB. My name is Rowan, but use the pseudonym 'Romeo Delta' online as it's my initials. I'm new to these forums and quite new to this hobby. Still learning the basics and trying to learn the art of airbrushing. Haven't quite got that figured out yet. I built a modelling desk a few years back in my shed and tried to get into it seriously back in 2013, but a change in career and everything was put into boxes for a few years. I recently bought a home, unpacked and "commandeered" a small room to quietly enjoy these kits again. Once it's all set up I'll show you guys. I used to make a few kits as a young boy and have started to get back into it as a form of relaxation. This hobby ticks a lot of boxes for me as I love military history, and through building the kits I learn a lot more about a diverse range of topics from the squadrons; unique things about the aircraft; and the history of the conflicts of that time. Anyway, that's me. Let's start the build! The Kit I have chosen the 1/72 Airfix Mustang because it's an affordable scale to start in, and this model has a great reputation in terms of fit and accuracy. It's a recently tooled kit from 2012, has 53 parts, and the sprues are all clean and sharp with moulded recessed panel lines. The cockpit has a decal instrument panel and the cockpit sidewalls are quite detailed. The wheel wells and undercarriage look great for this scale. I'm really happy with it. Decals are printed by Cartograf and are just for 1 scheme - 1Lt Spurgeon Ellington, 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group - and seem quite comprehensive with clear stencil data. I will be making this completely 'Out Of The Box' with zero aftermarket, and using the supplied markings that come with the kit. Paints will be acrylics and some Mr Metal paints. I plan on keeping things pretty basic and straightforward. I've never worked with metal finishes before, or used any form of pin-washing or weathering. So lots of new things to try. Thanks for reading

Hi In the Airfix P-51D Mustang 1/72, do the yellow strips on the wings mean that it's a trainer? Same with the Airfix Heinkel He 111 H-20 1/72, with the yellow band and tips on the underside of the wings.

On an picture with an P-51D showed on IPMS Stockholm we noticed a marking on the flaps just a half meter from the pilot on the picture. That markings cant only be seen when the flaps are in down position. What kind of marking is that? An optical indicator or...? http://www.ipmsstockholm.se/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7389&p=59376#p59376 //André B.