mumbles Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 (edited) The RNZAF operated the Mustang postwar after ordering them to replace the Corsair from 1945. The end of the war saw most of the order cancelled and those received to be placed in storage, before being activated in 1950 to fly with the Territorial (reserve) arm of the RNZAF. The Airfix F-51 boxing is basically perfect for doing an RNZAF machine, as it includes all the parts necessary, namely the uncuffed prop and rocket rails. With that in mind I'm using up the remaining decals on my Ventura RNZAF Mustang sheet, and doing the first option, which is a Mustang fresh out of the shipping crate and still with the US serial on the fin. I also decided to customise this one a little bit by adding an exposed engine from the Verlinden P-51D Update set. The rest of the set I'll use on other builds.Colour scheme is the first option here:First thing to do is start carefully cutting up the fuselage: Considering it was intended for the Hasegawa kit the Verlinden engine fits pretty well. That's a good start so far: Edited October 1, 2014 by mumbles 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Oh, a little resin engine in 1/72! That's nice, I look forward to see this develop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Is that engine a single resin casting ? Looks like an easy way to add a lot of detail ! May not be the easiest to paint though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Is that engine a single resin casting ? Looks like an easy way to add a lot of detail ! May not be the easiest to paint though Yes the unit in the picture is a single casting, which I'm genuinely looking forward to painting as the detail shold come up nicely. There are more engine bearers and mounts for the cowlings to add. Verlinden also supplied a bunch of wire presumably to use as pipework but the most obvious piping is already moulded in. I'm curious as to where it is supposed to go as the instructions are less than forthcoming. I'm also suspecting the casting might be slightly warped, although I haven't finished fettling it yet. Here is the moulding from above and lining up on the firewall it may be hooking to the right: Here is the first how goes it to see how the main parts are going to go together. I had big fit problems with the wing to fuselage on my previous Airfix Mustangs but it doesn't seem to be an issue with this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I like the subject! The engine looks interesting, lots of work to paint but it should look awesome once done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 I like the subject! The engine looks interesting, lots of work to paint but it should look awesome once done. I'm looking forward to painting it, the tricky part is figuring out what if any detail needs adding - I expect this will become clearer once it is primered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) Right next update. Not much to see here other than to illustrate how I have cut away bits of the wing root that are superfluous in order to get a better fit and actually have a Mustang with a semblance of dihedral, and cutting away the parts of the engine moulding that won't be visible for a better fit. This also shows the wing puttying to lessen/remove the panel lines for a relatively factory fresh machine.Next I thought I'd get clever and saw the control column gates off the main sprue to make it easier to remove without breaking it.I then promptly broke it anyway when the part sprung/rebounded off the cutting mat rebounded when I cut the first gate. Here is the cockpit (sans upper control column) ready to go in. Maybe we could institute an "Honorary Order of the Broken Column" to bestow on Airfix Mustang builders . I've also removed the foremost part of the cockpit insert so as to not foul the engine when it's attached. And the fuselage interior - not going nuts with this as it's 1/72 and the canopy will be closed.Cockpit fitted with column restored. And the fuselage assembled with the wing test fitted ready for the real fettling (namely an engine that fits better on one side than the other) to begin. It's compatriots eagerly watch in the background Edited September 1, 2014 by mumbles 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Always good to see the RNZAF in model form. Nice work on the Mustang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Thats looking nice so far, good job One tip, as an experienced Airfix P-51D pilot sticks breaker... i m using my modellers saw (that one which looks like razor blade) and slowly cut off the stick with it. Yea, i know i m always comming with tips when you dont need them anymore... :/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 (edited) Back with an update after a break in proceedings."Fits pretty well"What loon said that?The engine was warped in more than one way, and fit pretty well on either side, but not both at the same time. Cue lots and lots, and a few more lots of sanding and shimming. Still at the end the engine is now attached and after all that the alignment is very slightly off, but I won't tell if you won't - when the prop is mounted it will mask it. I don't normally do that, but it's either do that or abandon it, because positioning the engine was sucking the joy right out of things.All it needs now is a bit of a tidy up and it's ready for paint. In the interim the fuselage and wings have been filled and sanded, and only needs the radiator lip and pylons attached. Spot the shim: Engine mounted (more shims) and with a bit of primer on the detail really starts to show up. I still don't know where the extra wiring/tubing supplied by Verlinden is supposed to go, as every time I find a pipe on references I find it on the piece, apart from the stuff you won't really see in 1/72: Edited September 13, 2014 by mumbles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 she's taking shape now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 That looks very good to me. Often we see fault in our own work that others won't see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 ooo thats lovely!!! it's coming along very nicely. I bet Airfix was really worried that the control column was going to come loose somehow!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 ooo thats lovely!!! it's coming along very nicely. I bet Airfix was really worried that the control column was going to come loose somehow!!! Or the moulds were designed by people who wouldn't have to build it. I know Wingnut Wings had issues in the beginning with that kind of thing - people awesome at CAD but not too familiar with how the end product functioned. Anyway, thanks all Further progress - all the underside bits have now been added (yes I did cut all the little pylons from the rockets and add them separately) and it's ready for priming. I'm not building it with the gear up, it's just that the fit is so good they can mask the bays while being undercoated themselves. I'm also leaving the tailplanes off as it makes painting the tail easier, and the fit of those is good enough that they won't need any filler. It was at about this point I realised that not only have I not consulted the instructions once so far on this build, I haven't even taken them out of the box! First coat of primer is on and only a few bits need fixing, so painting will be underway in the next couple of days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 19, 2014 Author Share Posted September 19, 2014 (edited) Painting in progress. Results after the first bout of primer: Engine detail really starting to appear under primer as expected. Hope I do it justice Undercoated with gloss black to give the aluminium and panel lines a bit of depth, then sanded back to make the surface smoother. I've wrapped up the engine because I didn't want various layers of spray interfering with the texture on it when it comes to painting: And the first coats of gloss aluminium going down:With only a few more panel line fill flaws to correct. . . Edited September 19, 2014 by mumbles 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 nice work cant wait to see the engine painted later! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Okay, sorry for the slow progress here but lately I've not been getting a lot of time to work on things.Gloss aluminium basecoat all done and polished, and anti-glare panel added: Masking out the areas that are going to be natural metal via rub n buff: You can see the difference with the ailerons and underwing panel here: And finally started work on painting the engine components: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Thats going very nice, lovely work so far But do not wait too long, you have like 10 days! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 Looking better and better with each post. Keep it up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Nice work just looked at this one very good build well done Les 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 (edited) Thats going very nice, lovely work so far But do not wait too long, you have like 10 days! Noted, but I'm only planning to need a couple of them - all going to plan this will be finished tomorrow night or the next day. Thanks for the compliments all. Test fitting the etched brass cowling frame to go on top: Empennage (fancy term, but I like using it ) and flaps given the rub n buff treatment, while the engine painting is nearly complete. The model is resting on a paper towel to protect the finish until the undercarriage is installed. You can see where airfix got the elevator hinge wrong, but since I didn't fix it on the other four of these I've built I'm not fixing it on this one. Engine painting basically done bar touch ups and a wash. There are still a couple of engine bearer pieces to fit and paint and that end will be done. It's also more obvious from this angle that the engine piece wasn't designed for this kit, as the gap at the bottom shouldn't be there, but there isn't much that can be done about that beyond trying to make it look like it is supposed to be there as I have - either Airfix got it wrong, Hasegawa got it wrong, or Verlinden got it wrong And tailplanes attached and test fitting the flaps: Edited September 27, 2014 by mumbles 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Next update One bearer installed, and the other ready to go. I've also just noticed Verlinden made an error here, as the bearer should run behind the cowling frame rather than in front of it. Too late and too much effort to try and change it now. There is also a cowling frame that runs from behind the exhaust stack to the firewall that Verlinden didn't include, but this is often seen removed on the real thing I have found. An airframe is no good without accessories: And on it's feet looking a bit like a warbird restoration: The undercarriage legs are even straight-ish. The bendy one is the one on the right. They look straighter in real life and the model sits perfectly level in any case: Decalling underway and briefly evoking a Royal Navy Mustang: Decalling done: I've also fabricated a new aerial mast. Do I need to explain why? Edited September 29, 2014 by mumbles 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolwe82 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Very nice progress! The bent U/C are real pain.. it can be fixed but to me somehow it looks like the legs are taking back their wrong shape slowly (well, they do not end THAT much bent, but still not narrow..).. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Great progress Mumbles, looking good, Sean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Looking so good with that exposed engine when she came up on her legs. Will be even better with the propeller added. Lovely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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