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Hi all, As the title suggests, this is a follow-on build of Bolivian F-51D Mustang “FAB-511”. My previous write-up as part of the earlier RFI tells her story. Now she is depicted later in life and in the colour scheme adopted up to the time of her retirement and eventual sale to Canada, to become C-GXUP. She went on to be a racer in the USA and eventually her sad demise came in 1996. I believe (if you believe some reports) that some of her parts went on to other machines. In these colours, albeit a bit ragged by this time, she returned to the North and looked as follows: Photo: public domain I think this was taken at Great Falls, Montana. These Bolivians arrived back in North America en masse at that time. All (I think) were initially Canadian registered and since then have gone on to be warbirds in many parts of North America. You'll see that I've gone for a more "in service" look. I had a few issues with her, not least of which was my shock when I removed the canopy mask yesterday and found a mass of green spray inside the windscreen! It meant disturbing my fairly neat settling of the windscreen (with Krital Klear) and polishing out the offending paint with Tamiya Polishing Compound. I also lost the ventral cover for the cooling system and had to rob one from a donor Airfix kit. I also wrestled for a fair while with the Uschi line. A word of warning - the DrawDecal decals are not fit for purpose really. They are way too pixelated. What did I do/use? It should be noted that ArmyCast recently included this machine in a recent decal release. The sheet contains a wide range of Mustangs but care should be taken. Not all the decals and/or colour profiles are correct. See my next Guatemalan Mustang RFI. Kit – Tamiya F-51D Mustang 1/72 (54). The dropped flaps are from an Airfix F-51D. Decals – ArmyCast flag (ACD 72 034) and serial, the kit stencils and warning markings, sharksmouth from the DrawDecal sheet for Cavalier F-51D C-GMUS (72s-P51-82). The Unit badge is home printed. Paint – Colourcoats Dark Green (ACUS20 ), Vietnam Mid Green FS24102 (ACUS19), Vietnam Tan (ACUS18 ) and Vietnam Gray FS36622 (ACUS17). Humbrol Scarlet (60), Black (33). Additionally, I used a variety of paints for the interior, lights, prop etc. Final coat of Humbrol Satincote. Uschi line for the aerial Weathering/Panel lines – Flory Dirt, Tamiya Weathering powders, Prismacolor Silver pencil and stippled Humbrol Silver (11) for some chipping/wear I hope you like her. On to the next one ...... Martin

Hi all, Another rollout for me and this time I have returned to an area of interest that I exploited a while back with my F-80, T-33s, F-86Fs, TB-26B and others. That is Latin America. This time I have returned to a machine that caught my eye a number of years ago as she was unusual to me and reasonably colourful. The model – the first of a two-part RFI – shows F-51D “FAB-511” of the Fuerza Aerea Boliviana around the time of her delivery to South American. The photos I have (below) – and they are easily sourced on the web – are stated to be of her upon delivery. I question that given the USAF C-54 and a Herc that sit in the background of at least one image. I therefore prefer to think that she was pre-delivery. I could be wrong! Having said that, there is at least one available image of her in these colours while in service. I built her before using an Airfix kit. this time I've gone for the Tamiya. I know it lacks the dropped flaps and has an incorrect spar but many Mustangs sat with flaps up and you cant see the spar ;). The plus side is the finish of the Tamiya kit, whch is superior in many ways. This was my first effort a few years ago and when I had just got back to modelling: She is ex-45-11453 and prior to going to Bolivia she was, post US military, registered as N5479V and was ultimately sold by Sanford Aviation to the FAB. She was delivered to Bolivia on 10th June 1966. Her Bolivian career ended in December 1977 when she was returned to North America as C-GXUP. Thereafter she became a racer and was finally trashed – poor her – on 12th February 1996 at Palm City, FL after being starved of fuel ☹. I’ll describe more of that in the next RFI – Part 2! In building her I have chosen to vary the panels a little to give a break from a sea of same-tone NMF. It seems that by this time the putties and painted upper side of the wings was a thing of the past. Being a Tamiya kit, and as I said earlier, she did not have the dropped flaps and sadly (and wrongly) my impatience got the better of me and so I chose not to cut them and drop as I should have. Next time! 😊. So, what did I use? Well, here goes …. And it’s not a lot!: Kit – Tamiya F-51D Mustang 1/72 (54) Decals – Blue Rider “Chaco War”, home printed serial, and the kit stencils etc. The rudder was painted. Paints – Humbrol Interior Green (226), Insignia Red (155), Insignia Yellow (153), Gloss Green (??), Metalcote 27002 and 27003 mixes, Humbrol washes. Colourcoats Olive Drab, Matt black, and Humbrol Clearcote varnishes. Washes – Flory dirt plus some swipes of Tamiya Weathering powders A simple build. Here she is: I hope you like her. Now I need to finish my Sabre and get on with the next two Mustangs Martin