P-51D Mustang 'Rose Marie', 'The Kelly Kid 2'

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

Hello fellow BM's. Here she is, my latest attempt at the hobby we all cannot get enough of! May I present one North American P-51D Mustang, by Airfix and in 1/72 scale.

 

Flown by Lt. Eugene W James. 328th Fighter Squadron.

 

I enjoyed the plastic on this one, but I was plagued by the demons of painting NMF, whom kept me on my toes throughout the entire process. She's built out of the box with some scratch built cockpit detail around the radio equipment and wine bottle foil used for harnesses. For paint, I reached for the trusty Tamiya and my stash of AK Extreme Metals. I managed to drop her after completing most of the painting and decals which cracked the fuselage down the joins and required careful filling, sandfing, masking and repainting! Nightmare. I also managed to drop some green top Tamiya glue just aft of the radiator vent whilst securing the exhaust scoop... more repairs!! Anyway, painting process;

 

• Undercoated with Humbrol rattle can primer and buffed to as smooth a finished as I could get
• AK black base, then coated with AK polished aluminium 
• Tamiya XF-16 for the wings in an attempt to replicate the painting of the real thing
• Tamiya XF-4 for the blue and XF-7 for the red
• Sealed using AK Gauzy Agent
• Weathered using a mixture of oils and chalk dust

 

Hope you enjoy and critique welcome as per usual.

 

Cheers, JB

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Epeeman]

Great model and finish - I actually thought it larger scale, well done!

 

Regards

 

Dave

[Vinnie]

Very nicely finished. I enjoyed building this one as well.

[Bedders]

Very nice indeed. That AK interactive paint has come up a treat. And the blue nose looks good too. 

 

Justin

[kapam]

Wonderful!

I especially love the foil harness - it really looks the part.

If you hadn't mentioned the scale it could be mistaken for something bigger.

[ArmouredSprue]

What a beauty!

Spectacular model mate1

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Very nice 352nd Blue nose 

[Winenut]

Gotta be happy with that one!

[danntheman]

Spectacular is all I can add to this, really well done.

[Dermo245]

23 hours ago, Epeeman said:

Great model and finish - I actually thought it larger scale, well done!

 

Regards

 

Dave

Me too....I'm thinking at least 1/48 there.

 

Great work.

 

Dermot

[Hairtrigger]

That really is outstanding.  It really looks like it's a larger scale model.  Nice photography as well.

[TonyW]

You have certainly done that one justice! A lovely model.

 

Airfix seem to be riding the crest of a wave at the moment.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Well done for avoiding the trap of following the instructions for the colour of the Blue Nose! I keep telling people the 352nd changed to a Darker Blue after getting the D models but not many seem to believe me! The only thing I would say, is replace the drop tanks if you can be bothered as the kit ones are pretty terrible. I found out after building many Mustangs, that the wheel wells shouldn't be Green, they should be NMF with the Beam thingy across the rear of the bay being Yellow, so I got caught out many times by that! You live and learn I guess but you've still managed a great looking model!

 

thanks

Mike

[Knight_Flyer]

Very nice model and the nmf looks great

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

Thanks everyone for all the very kind and helpful comments; you've really given that old modelling ego a boost  and to think at one stage, when I dropped it, it nearly went in the bin! I am glad now I persevered.

 

@Mikemx Complete fluke with the blue I must admit, but now I look at some more reference photos, I can see what you mean. Airfix would have you paint it a lighter 'French Blue'. I debated on the wheel well colour, but after painting them green on my P-38 and liking the contrast, I thought I'd continue the trend. Thanks though - historical accuracy is of course important and my OCD is now niggling at me... must resist the urge to get the model out of the cabinet!!

[Buzby061]

Fabulous job despite the trials & tribulations. 

 

Pete

[F-32]

Great work, looks really good

[russ c]

Great looking Mustang there, thought it was the `48th at first

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

2 hours ago, Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen said:

Thanks everyone for all the very kind and helpful comments; you've really given that old modelling ego a boost  and to think at one stage, when I dropped it, it nearly went in the bin! I am glad now I persevered.

 

@Mikemx Complete fluke with the blue I must admit, but now I look at some more reference photos, I can see what you mean. Airfix would have you paint it a lighter 'French Blue'. I debated on the wheel well colour, but after painting them green on my P-38 and liking the contrast, I thought I'd continue the trend. Thanks though - historical accuracy is of course important and my OCD is now niggling at me... must resist the urge to get the model out of the cabinet!!

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the colour of the wheel wells, it's something to remember for future builds. The colour contrast is shown quite well in Whisner's 'Moonbeam McSwine', whereby there is a small panel of the earlier Blue, under the name but the rest of the nose is Dark Blue. I recently did the same model but I think my Blue came out slightly dark, I also did the same model as Moonbeam McSwine as well.

 

thanks

Mike

[stevej60]

You'd be hard pressed to find even the 1/48 kit looking as good as that,beautiful.

[IanC]

Very good indeed.

 

I find the AK Extreme Metals paint is quite forgiving and it's now my 'go to' NMF. 

[Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen]

Thanks All! Really appreciate the positive comments

@IanC I agree, AK EM are forgiving when you've sealed them with the Gauzy agent that is!!

[hurricane39]

Wow.  Blows me away to think this is 1/72.  

[Terry1954]

Now that is nice ................ in fact nice nice nice nice!

 

I love it. The finish is fantastic.

 

Well done!

 

Cheers

 

Terry

[PattheCat]

You made your nightmare end as a dream. Beautiful. I guessed for 1/48 not 1/72!