North American P-51D Mustang - 1:72 Airfix

[Paul A H]

North American P-51D Mustang

1:72 Airfix

The North American P-51 Mustang is one of the most famous and easily-recognisable of Allied types to have served during the Second World War. It was originally designed to a British requirement for a low-altitude fighter, and because it was designed around the Alison V-1710 engine, it had limited performance at higher altitudes. This shortcoming was famously addressed by the marriage of North Americans airframe to the Rolls Royce Merlin aero engine.

Once so equipped, the Mustang was able to take on Luftwaffe fighters on equal or better terms up to 15,000 feet. In common with later Spitfires, the D model of the Mustang employed a cut-down rear fuselage and a bubble canopy, giving pilots superb all-round vision. The outstanding feature of the aircraft was is range, which enabled Mustangs to escort bombers all the way to Berlin and back. This prompted the famous quote from Reichmarshal Herman Göring: "When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up."

Airfixs Mustang has only been around for a few months, but in that time it has garnered a good reputation in terms of fit and accuracy. The kit is part of Airfixs series one range and as such as a fairly simple kit, made up of just fifty three parts spread across two sprues of grey plastic and a single small clear sprue. The mouldings are clean and crisp and moulded detail looks good. The panel lines look pretty fine to me, but some will no doubt find them a little too deep. In my opinion they arent too broad though, so treatment with primer would seem to be the way to go here.

The cockpit is assembled on top of a large floor piece which also acts as the roof of the radiator tunnel. Onto this are added an instrument panel (with a decal for detail), a gun sight, control column and seat. Sidewalls and radio kit is moulded in place. The inner sides of the fuselage have some nice raised/recessed detail which helps to add a sense of realism to the cockpit. Overall impressions are very favourable, particularly for a kit in this scale and at this price point.

If you want the airscrew to be moveable, you will have to assemble it before the fuselage halves have been joined. This will make it a bit of a nuisance to paint though, so I would recommend adding it later and fixing it in place. Whichever route you choose, once the fuselage halves are joined then you can add the wing. The lower wing is moulded as a single span, which will help you achieve the correct dihedral. The main gear bays are boxed in and feature some convincing structural details. The tail planes are moulded as solid pieces, but the rudder is a separate part, so you can finish it in a deflected position if you so desire. There are separate flaps too, which is a bonus.

The Finishing details show that Airfix has put some care and attention into the design of this kit. The mouth of the radiator inlet is moulded as a separate part, saving you the trouble of cleaning up a visible seam. The cooling air exhaust is also a separate part and can be posed in either open or closed position. The undercarriage doors are detailed on the inside and the landing gear itself is also very nice. The tyres have a cross-cut tread and subtle flat spots moulded in place. Two drop tanks are provided to hang under the wings. Two canopies are provided, but only the bulged version is used for the decal option supplied with this kit. The frame of the rear canopy is a separate part too, and of course the canopy can be posed in open or closed position.

As this is a series 1 kit, just one scheme is provided on the decal sheet - the aircraft flown by First Lieutenant Spurgeon Ellington, Tuskegee Airmen, 100th Fighter Squadron, Ramitelli, Italy, December 1944. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograf and includes a full range of stencils.

Conclusion

Whilst the subject is one that has hardly been ignored by model manufacturers, this is a neat little kit and Im very glad that Airfix took the decision to release it. The level of detail is surprisingly good for the scale and price, and it looks as though this should build up into an excellent model. Recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[woody37]

I seen a few of these built at the Huddersfield show and I was very impressed with how well they build up.

[Radleigh]

I've got the F-51 kit nearly done at the moment (inspired by a few builds on here I just had to get one!), which is pretty much the same kit + different schemes. So I assume the wing dihedral is flat like the F-51, for the perfectionist a little sand off the top wing where it meets the fuselage, will correct this.

I've got to say though, building this and the old Airfix Ju-88 together they really are miles apart, good job Airfix! Look forward to more releases!

[Paramedic]

It´s a great little (cheap!) kit that looks fabolous! Though I haven´t built Tamiyas - I chose a second Airfix Mustang since you can actually build the flaps (?) dow. Which you cannot with Tamiya.

And the fit is almost as Tamiya generally is..

Airfix really managed to compete highly here! Cheap, looks good, great fit, good decals etc.

[Snaphappy52]

I have just bought a then and now Airfix kit of a P51d Mustang and a F15 Eagle. The Mustang is a different version (different pilot and squadron) and has nowhere the level of detail in your review. Am I to assume that mine is a much older kit?

[PLC1966]

I have just bought a then and now Airfix kit of a P51d Mustang and a F15 Eagle. The Mustang is a different version (different pilot and squadron) and has nowhere the level of detail in your review. Am I to assume that mine is a much older kit?

Sorry chap, but yes it is....

[Snaphappy52]

Thought it must have been. Ta for getting back. It's my first kit - so I am still enjoying doing it. In some ways as a first build the lack if detail is probably helping me somewhat!!

Maybe if I get this done I could try the "new" one next. Although the do summat else bug will probably kick in!

[Paul A H]

That's the spirit!

[Test Graham]

As I recall that kit it had a canopy wider than the fuselage, so a little piece of microstrip fore and aft of the cockpit solved that. Other than that it was a good kit if a little disappointing after the Spitfire Mk.I that had preceded it in that phase of replacing Airfix's earlier toolings. It was certainly far better than their first one from the late 50s.

[tempestfan]

As I recall that kit it had a canopy wider than the fuselage, so a little piece of microstrip fore and aft of the cockpit solved that. Other than that it was a good kit if a little disappointing after the Spitfire Mk.I that had preceded it in that phase of replacing Airfix's earlier toolings. It was certainly far better than their first one from the late 50s.

The 2nd mould P-51D (02045) was released in 1974 or thereabouts so precedes the 2nd mould Spit I (01065) by a couple of years. You are probably referring to the B (02066) which must have come out around the same time the Spit I did, and was indeed a bit oversimplified in places (especially as it was clearly designed as a S. 1 kit but released as a S. 2). The 2nd mould D incidentally was one of the very few attempts by Airfix at recessed panel lines (the Do 17 being the other - if we discount the Gladiator, BT-K, 109F and original Albatros), and obviously benefitted in the cockpit from the research for the Super Kit.

[Andre B]

The fit of the Airfix is that good that if you are carefull with dryfitting you need no glue to connect the fuselage and wings toghether. Knewing that can save time and work during assembly, masking, painting and decaling. It makes it easyer to paint as well. There are no need for any filling and sanding (this goes för the Tamiya kit as well). But of course one can fil the panellines on the wings if one want to build an Mustang with filled, sanded and painted wings...

 

The fuel tank inside the cockpit just aft the pilot seat was black and not interior green (step 3). Concerning the canopy it´s easy to paint the frame first, dip the canopy in Johnson Clear and put it on the painted frame and let it dry. Then it´s "glued" to the frame (step 23).

 

Sad thing is that Airfix doesn't provide any uncuffed Aeroproduct's propeller for the RAF Mustang Mk. IV. But the Hasegawa kit has that propeller. Airfix just provide one type of exhaust as well but the Tamiya ones fits almost as good. And with som work you can fit the Hasegawa ones as well. There are also an nice photo etch set from Eduard for the Airfix P-51D...

It is easy to miss the landing headlight that usually was fitted in the left wheelwell. One can clearly see where it was supposed to fit both in the instructions (step 8) and on the inside of the lower wing. The headlight is the clear part nr. 3D and is fitted in step 14.

 

Pictures of the landing light...
http://www.aero-accessories.com/P-51Kit/P51CD.html

 

Other part for your Airfix P-51d Mustang...

 

Other reissues of the Airfix P-51D Mustang...

 

 

I am glad that Airfix made the choise to rebox their fine third edition P-51D Mustang yet another time with new decals. They have an history of colourfull Mustangs and they are continuing their way by reboxing their P-51D with decals for an another aircraft from 8th Air Force with 414207, PE-E Rose Marie / the Kelly Kid 2 from 351 Fighter Group, 328th fighter Squadron.

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=352&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=43&Temp=1056&searchString=

 

Earlyer with the second edition (1974 tool/moulds) they have made two other bluenosed Mustangs. The 414906, PE-P Cripes Al Mighty from 328th Fighter Squadron and 414101, HO-M Petie 2nd from 487th Fighter Squadron (the same aircraft that Tamiya and Hasegawa also made kits with decals for).

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=352&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=91&Temp=1572&searchString=

 

Airfix also made an reboxing with markings from the "greennosed" 359th Fighter Group, 414773, CS-L Daddys Girl from 370th Fighter Squadron (Revell also made an P-51D from 359th Fighter Group, 414762, CV-D Cookie from 368 Fighter Squadron).

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=359&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=102&Temp=3002&searchString=

 

And with their first tool from 1958 they made P-51D 414823 LC-F "Miss Miami" from 77th fighter Squadron.

They also let MPC make another three colourfull Mustangs from 8th Air force with this first edition...

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=20&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=89&Temp=1939&searchString=

 

Cheers / André

Edited May 25, 2017 by Andre B
Wrong spelling. I'm just an swede... ; )

[shatters]

Has anyone had any problem with a miss moulded aerial with the latest release of this kit ?

 

Mines in two pieces with a massive lump of flash too .

 

Phil

[Mick4350]

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 4:06 AM, shatters said:

Has anyone had any problem with a miss moulded aerial with the latest release of this kit ?

 

Mines in two pieces with a massive lump of flash too .

 

Phil

 

Bought this kit today and the flash on this part is quite bad, but seems to be in one piece in my kit.