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Airfix 1/72 Mustang IV (P51D)


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HI All!

 

Just finished my latest build and made a timelapse video about it!

 

 

This is the new tool kit from airfix - really thought there was a wealth of detail.

 

I feel the RAF paint scheme makes this look like a different plane, it's not as glamorous as the USAAF version (all shiny). I think I did a good job overall, but had a bit of an issue with those yellow decals taking ages to conform to the wings...

 

Let me know what you think!

 

Thanks in advance :D

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Those yellow leading edges on RAF fighters are one of my pet hates!  Either masking or decals never seems to produce exactly the right results for me.  Airfix decals have taken a bit of a pasting for inflexibility lately; those for the Jet Provost in particular got a bit of a  hammering for not wrapping round the wing leading edges.  Application of heat, either by soaking in very hot water and/or use of a hair dryer to get them to settle onto the surface have both been employed with varying degrees of success.

 

I think you made life a little awkward for yourself by installing the drop tanks before the undercarriage; I usually work from the middle outwards if I can.  You might have been better assembling the tanks on the sprue and painting as much of them before installation as possible but if it's worked for you as you've done then that's splendid.👍

 

RAF Mustangs appeared in both camouflage and bare tin, so you've an ideal excuse to get another, paint it silver (!) and park it next to this one.  Xtradecal do at least one 1/72th sheet featuring RAF Mustangs so give it a go if you fancy.

 

I'm quite pleased that you don't appear to have used panel line washes; they can often look overdone in 1/72th and the width of the Airfix panel lines will only exaggerate this.  The Airfix lines aren't as bad as the infamous Matchbox trenches but still quite prominent and show up very clearly on my bare tin example, even using a matt aluminium finish.

 

I found the main undercarriage legs in my kit to be quite flimsy and, to be honest, the Scale Aircraft Conversions set that I purchased as replacements were nearly as bad.

 

I think you've got a good result there from a simple starter kit, but I can't wait for the RAF boxing of its 1/48th scale stablemate.

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10 hours ago, stever219 said:

Those yellow leading edges on RAF fighters are one of my pet hates!  Either masking or decals never seems to produce exactly the right results for me.  Airfix decals have taken a bit of a pasting for inflexibility lately; those for the Jet Provost in particular got a bit of a  hammering for not wrapping round the wing leading edges.  Application of heat, either by soaking in very hot water and/or use of a hair dryer to get them to settle onto the surface have both been employed with varying degrees of success.

 

I think you made life a little awkward for yourself by installing the drop tanks before the undercarriage; I usually work from the middle outwards if I can.  You might have been better assembling the tanks on the sprue and painting as much of them before installation as possible but if it's worked for you as you've done then that's splendid.👍

 

RAF Mustangs appeared in both camouflage and bare tin, so you've an ideal excuse to get another, paint it silver (!) and park it next to this one.  Xtradecal do at least one 1/72th sheet featuring RAF Mustangs so give it a go if you fancy.

 

I'm quite pleased that you don't appear to have used panel line washes; they can often look overdone in 1/72th and the width of the Airfix panel lines will only exaggerate this.  The Airfix lines aren't as bad as the infamous Matchbox trenches but still quite prominent and show up very clearly on my bare tin example, even using a matt aluminium finish.

 

I found the main undercarriage legs in my kit to be quite flimsy and, to be honest, the Scale Aircraft Conversions set that I purchased as replacements were nearly as bad.

 

I think you've got a good result there from a simple starter kit, but I can't wait for the RAF boxing of its 1/48th scale stablemate.

Thanks for the critique!

 

Those decals really caused some headaches - i'll have to remember your tips next time.

 

I think the instructions said to install the droptanks - if not i'm not entirely sure why I did that - but i'll see about remember the in to out process.

 

I did apply a wash, but it was very light - just to bring out a little detail

 

I think i'd love to have a go at a silver one - so will have to see about that in the future!

 

:D

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 My pleasure: I hope I wasn't too hard on you.  I'm sure that others will have a more balanced different viewpoint and will et you know accordingly; it's usually beneficial to receive more than one opinion.😉

 

Airfix decals have improved of late but there can still be old stock sculling around on retailers' shelves waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting purchaser.

 

Hands up anyone who's bought a kit, followed the instructions and suspected that no-one from the kit company has tried building the kit using them.

 

I must have missed the wash part in your video, sorry.  That said you've been so light-handed that, for me, it's not detracted from your finished model.

 

Airfix have done a couple of boxing of this kit in USAAF markings wearing bare tin colour schemes (I think one of them also includes markings for a Latin American Air Force but I can't remember which one).

 

I'm looking forward to your next RFI.

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