Search the Community

Cavalier F-51D Mustang/Mustang II Complete Kit & Conversion Kit 1:48 Halberd Models After WWII, the P-51 Mustang continued to serve with the US Air Force for a while as their standard fighter, although with every day it became more out-dated due to the headlong rush of aviation technology after the advent of jet propulsion and the race to break the sound barrier. By 1957 the last Mustang left service, and North American sold the intellectual rights to the design to Trans Florida Aviation Inc., who intended to create a high-speed executive transport by taking surplus airframes and rebuilding them as an improved two-seat civilian aircraft. The initial Cavalier Mustangs were stripped and rebuilt without their military equipment, but apart from their livery and the taller rudder fin, they were visually almost indistinguishable from the old warhorse. They were well-appointed, with new avionics and luxury interiors, were powered by an improved Merlin engine, and were available with various-sized fuel capacities that gave a range from 750 up to 2,500 miles. Around 20 were made of the initial mark, then the Mark II was designed, with tip-tanks for extra range and various structural and avionics improvements. It was also outfitted with hard-points for weapons, and another boost to the power of the Merlin engine. Some of these were sold to Asian and South American countries, where some El Salvadoran airframes took part in the Soccer War. During this period Cavalier were actively courting the US Air Force trying to sell them the improved airframe as a Counter Insurgency (COIN) or Close Air Support (CAS) platform, but they weren’t biting, so sales were small to other customers. Soon after they chopped off the Merlin and replaced it with a Dart 510 turboprop, again from Rolls-Royce, although they had really wanted a Lycoming engine. It reduced the maintenance burden and was more gutsy and fuel efficient, but they still couldn’t get the US government interested. The design with the preferred Lycoming turboprop engine replacing the Dart was sold to Piper, and became the PA-48 Enforcer, but only four were made and shared so few parts with the original Mustang that there was little in the way of cost-savings by using existing parts. Only two of the four survived the years in between, and are to be found in US museums. Many of the original Cavalier Mustangs were converted back to their original specification when Warbirds and heritage flights became popular. The Kit Just like Halberd’s recent Bf.109W floatplane that we reviewed here, this model is available as a conversion kit only, or as a full kit in an Eduard Overtrees box so that you can either apply the conversion to a kit you already possess, or get the full package in one fell swoop. The difference in price between the two is about the same as the cost of the overtrees kit, so there’s nothing to stop you from choosing whichever one is most suitable for your needs. Within the box are twelve resin parts in Halberd’s signature green resin, plus a grey styrene sprue, and two new decal sheets. With the full kit (larger box), you also get the five Eduard grey/blue sprues and circular clear sprue in the box, which you can see below, culled from our reviews of this excellent kit. Resin & Styrene Conversion Parts Eduard Donor Kit (if applicable) You can also go through the details of the build of the base kit by following any of our Eduard P-51D reviews in this section. Suffice to say, this is our current favourite 1:48 Mustang since it came out. Highly detailed, crisp and with a growing range of options, as well as aftermarket upgrades. The Conversion We’ll assume that you’re now au fait with the contents of the Eduard box, so we’ll concentrate on the alterations made by the conversion kit. You get a full set of instructions printed in colour on both sides of two pages of A4, plus three pages of profiles for the four decal options, including the undersides on the back page. The Eduard instructions are available on their site by looking up kit numbered 82102 or clicking here. The conversion begins with cutting off the head armour and headrest from the seat, then where the radio gear would have been in the cockpit floor, the two lugs are removed and the rear seat is inserted from a part on the kit sprues, with a small resin headrest attached to the top. The tip of the rudder and fin get the chop, and are replaced by the new fin-tip, with a pair of large swept blade antennae inserted into holes in the fin on both sides. The lower wing will need a set of holes drilling if you are fitting the combination of kit and resin pylons for decal option 4. The innermost pair of holes are pre-thinned from the inside, but you will need to mark out the other four using the measurements provided on the instructions, spacing them 13.5mm apart from the inside. Again, for markings option 4, you will need to remove the original wingtips from the finished wings and use the resin tip-tanks, which have separate nose cones and a tiny resin vent on the top, with the kit tip lights slipped into a hole in the outer sides, which may need drilling out. The instructions then guide you through choosing the correct circular exhausts and the cuffed props, followed by the appropriate blown canopy and a tiny resin insert in the very rear frame of it. You also shouldn’t include the stiffening hoop inside the canopy, as you’ll slice off the passenger’s head when you open the canopy! As you’re not under threat of attack, the rear-view mirror can stay in the spares box too. The light grey sprue of styrene parts comes into play here, utilising just the two tanks to fit on the kit pylons for markings 1 and 2 only. Each one builds up from two halves and will need a little sanding to get rid of the join lines before you fit them. For markings option 4, the three pylons are inserted into the holes drilled earlier and it’s up to you what you load them with, if anything. Markings As already mentioned, there are four decal options, three of which are F-51D Mustangs, the last an F-51D Mustang 2 with the tip tanks, which happens to be my favourite option, other than the Enforcer. From the box you can build one of the following: Cavalier Mustang F-51D US Air Force Sarasota, Florida, 1968 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1971 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Bolivian Air Force, 1972 Cavalier Mustang F-51D Mk.2, Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, El Salvador, 1969/70 The decals are printed anonymously with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I’ve been wishing for a good Cavalier Mustang for years now, and this set/kit ticks all of the boxes, and includes a generous four decal options into the bargain. Based upon the excellent Eduard kit, it doesn’t get much better. Very highly recommended. Halberd are currently marketing their products via eBay, so the links below lead to their site. Full Kit & Conversion Conversion Parts only Review sample courtesy of