A horse of a different color. Cavalier Mustang 1/48 Tamiya

[Yankymodeler]

Build a couple years ago, I was unpacking this from the trip back from the Nats, and thought I'd get a couple pics before putting it back in the display case. I have many happy memories of attending airshows with my father and the dancing yellow Mustang of Bob Hoover was always a highly anticipated.
The Cavalier Mustang is a civilian-ized version of the North American P-51 Mustang. In 1957, Trans-Florida Aviation in Sarasota, Florida, (which was renamed Cavalier Aircraft Corporation in 1967) was formed with the objective of transforming the P-51 into a fast and powerful executive business aircraft. Cavalier Mustangs were rebuilt from the ground up, removing all unneeded military equipment and adding features like a second seat, cockpit soundproofing, improved cockpit ventilation, modern avionics, and a luggage storage bay. One of the most recognized is surely the Mustang flown by Robert 'Bob' Hoover. N51RH was purchased in 1971 to replace an earlier Mustang damaged by an exploding oxygen bottle.. Hoover and the yellow Mustang became famous for precision aerobatic displays though out the world. As a working aircraft, N51RH went through many changes and modifications throughout over twenty years of service. This model represents N51RH as it appeared in the mid 1970s.



It all started with a gift from a friend (thereafter known as my project instigator friend) of a very nicely done decal sheet for the 70's era Hoover Mustang. Hoover had become one of my boyhood heroes with his precise and smooth demonstrations of aerobatics and many hours of my youth were spent at dozens of air shows watching Hoover and the famous yellow Mustang perform. I must admit to hording the decals for a number of years until my benefactor convinced me to get off my duff and get started. Oh yes, as long as I was building one kit I could build a copy just as easy since he had obtained a second set of Hoover's markings! What are friends for? The Korean War version of the venerable 1/48 Tamiya P-51D kit was modified into a Cavalier Mustang as it contained the uncuffed Hamilton Standard propeller and longer pointed spinner needed for the conversion.





Changes to the cockpit started by replacing the kit parts with a Blackbox resin cockpit modified to civilian configuration by removing military armament panels and adding civilian instrumentation and radio panels. The fuselage fuel tank and radio were removed and the rear cockpit floor replaced. Pilot and passenger seats and cushions scratch built and seat belts/harnesses fabricated using foil from top of wine bottle. (A Zinfandel I believe). The canopy was replaced by spare part having a more bulged rear profile and green tinting added by airbrushing a mixture of Future with a drop of Tamiya clear green acrylic.





Finish is a custom mix yellow Testers enamel built up in thin coats allowed to thoroughly dry between applications. A light wet sanding with 1200 paper removed small imperfections and the surface polished with fine automotive swirl remover. The decals were applied and after drying two coats of Future airbrushed at about 15 psi. After the future had dried another VERY light wet sanding with 1800 paper to smooth the surface was followed by polishing with the swirl remover.



I remember N51RH having shiny polished paint, but as an aircraft that was flown regularly in aerobatic demonstrations, I also recall exhaust stains and oil on the Mustang's flanks until it was wiped down after the show. Air show aircraft worked for a living and I wanted to depict this so light weathering was applied.





It just so happens my friend has two sets of markings for the Mustang racer 'Miss America' and an extra Mustang kit...........

Oh yeah, we did pretty good at the IPMS Nationals!

Edited November 14, 2015 by Yankymodeler

[Mr B]

Very nice finish.....for yellow and an interesting subject matter......'

Best Regards

Mr B

[Jessica]

I remember seeing that one at many Abbotsford airshows during the 1980s. He also had a routine in a Rockwell Aero Commander where he spent the last half of the performance gliding. Your model brings back happy memories

[JMChladek]

Excellent model and a nice piece of hardware you got for it! That is A LOT of yellow!

Ahhhh, memories. I can recall building a Revell kit of Hoover's Mustang from a series of three model kits that featured a Revell kit with airshow markings and a cardboard backdrop. From what I recall, they did a wing walk biplane with Hoover's plane on the ramp, a P-39 Airacobra with a purple P-51 (the Cobra might have been Tex Johnston's) and a pair of WW1 biplanes in front of a hangar.

This might be the perfect project for me to try in 1/72 using the Airfix F-51D kit once it finishes crossing the pond. It looks like Draw Decal makes markings for the plane in the usual scales from what I can see.

Edited September 15, 2012 by JMChladek

[Plasticbutcher]

I absolutely love this build, well done sir.

[Andrew Jones]

lovely model and what a beautiful finish , well done indeed.

Andrew

[dekenba]

Stunningly well done.

Not seen a twin seated Mustang like that before, I love it.

[colin]

Beutifully built and finished. The panel line detail is spot on they are very subtle and don't jump out at you, which on a all yellow finish is quite something

[woody37]

Absolutely stunning, great to see a civvy build, especially of this quality

[Alan P]

Flawlessly built and finished. What a beauty.

Al

[Shaun]

Very neat!, looks great.

I think this is the first twin seat Mustang I have seen, great idea.

Shaun.

[jimbuna]

Looks fantastic.

[Rocketman1125]

Looks great, planning the same build.   What did you use for the seats as a start point for the fabrication. 

[goggsy]

That’s magnificent. Really nice build, congratulations on your award.

[CJP]

I've always liked the Bob Hoover Mustang in this colour scheme and you have made a beautiful model of it

 

CJP

[janneman36]

And thats how its done 

 

Lovely to see this old post popping up as i haven't seen it before..

[Yankymodeler]

9 hours ago, Rocketman1125 said:

Looks great, planning the same build.   What did you use for the seats as a start point for the fabrication. 

Thank you, this was a long planned build for myself as well!  The seats are completely fabricated from styrene stock.  Build kind of backwards, I formed the cushions first then added bent styrene rod to simulate the tubular seat structure. 

[Yankymodeler]

goggsy, CJP, janneman36, Rocketman1125,

 

 

Gents,

  Thank you for taking the time to post and thanks for the compliments!

 

Eric akaThe Yankymodeler

 

 

[Rocketman1125]

6 minutes ago, Yankymodeler said:

Thank you, this was a long planned build for myself as well!  The seats are completely fabricated from styrene stock.  Build kind of backwards, I formed the cushions first then added bent styrene rod to simulate the tubular seat structure. 

Thank you for the follow up.   Over my lifetime I've been very fortunate to have seen Bob Hoover fly in different aircraft.  I saw Ole Yeller, in Rockwell sponsored trim, at an airshow sometime in the early 70's and had not ever considered i'd be able to build it in scale till I came across your build.  Inspired by your rendition I landed a set of decals from DRAW decals , a Tamiya P-51D and i'm currently in "R&D" planning for  build.   

[Bill.B]

Very well done! 

[72modeler]

I have also had  the pleasure of watching the late Bob Hoover fly his Mustang at airshows, you have built a beautiful model and a wonderful tribute to one of the classiest gentlemen and most gifted stick and rudder men of all time. Well done, sir!

Mike

[WildeSau75]

Great Mustang - like it a lot. Good to see one in a different livery.

 

Cheers,

Michael

 

[bruce bay]

Beautiful! Just seeing that tinted canopy makes me want to try it. Lovely cockpit detailing too! 

[Mark Strasser]

Awesome. I have a framed picture of the real thing that was taken a few years back at Air Venture (EAA) in Oshkosh WI. Be proud of that one, perfect color match.

Mark

[James Wardle]

Hooly Dooly, what a beauty. Awesome build and pics.