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Triple Mustang build - 1/72


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Hi all.

 

My previous 9 builds has all been some sort of camo scheme, so it's time for a bare metal subject. And since I always have room for another Mustang, that's what I'll do.

However I couldn't decide which Mustang to do for my next build, so I'll just do them all!

 

I have to warn you, this isn't going to be a very fast build as I have few other non-modelling related things on my plate at the moment. 

 

Ok, so here's what I've got

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_130754133-1

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_130912098-1

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_131013877-1

 

I also have some aftermarket and spare decals

 

Microscale

 

20180306_182223.jpg

 

20180306_180954.jpg

 

and spare decals from the Italeri F-51D kit

 

20180306_182751.jpg

 

and of course, the decals that comes with these kits

 

Academy usually has superb quality decals  - just kidding :poop:

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_125347384-1

 

Luckily these looks printed okay. I have academy sheets where the red circle in the RAF roundel isn't anywhere near the centre :gobsmacked:

And the Airfix decals. Looks perfect as usual

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_125718849-1

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_130012866-1

 

So it seems I still have some choices to make. Here's some photographs of the possible subjects

 

The Airfix F-51D. The OOB option looks really great.

 

18th_Fighter-_Bomber_Group_North_America

 

But I also have this F-51 option from the Microscale sheet

 

images.jpg

 

Pretty sure I'll go for the OOB option

 

As for the P-51D's, I haven't built the OOB option yet. I don't think it's the prettiest Mustang scheme ever, but a blue nosed Mustang would bring some diversity to my Mustang collection...

 

But, I have this option from the Microscale sheet

 

3_216.jpg

 

FRE_005329.jpg

 

FRE_005332.jpg

 

I think I'll go for "Jan".

 

I also the the "wildcard" option of going for a RAF Mustang

 

Pearson_6_Sqn2.jpg

 

RAF105-_KH695.jpg

 

Some camo might help break all the silver from the bare metal Mustangs in my production line. Hmmm, choices....

 

Moving to the P-51C Mustang. The Academy kit gives 3 options. I won't go for the Chinese one, so that leaves two viable options

 

P-51_C_Mustang_42-103896_Princess_of_the

 

3_176.jpg

 

FRE_008687.jpg

 

Wow! Isn't she a beaut!? The 530th FS option (top of the 3) doesn't look bad, but the 5th FS (yellow tail) just looks so racy. There's no choice here.

 

To make it a little more interesting, I also have these

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_142605112-9

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_142745253-9

 

Photo_Picture_Resizer_180321_142913882-9

 

Unfortunately not enough for all 3 kits, so yet more decisions. Looks like deciding to build all 3 Mustangs didn't make for any easier choices....

 

Well that's it for now. Next I'll share the mandatory sprue shots.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

 

Edited by JimmyZ
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Hi all.

 

Here's the sprue shots before I wash them.

 

The many times seen Airfix P-51D sprues. All looking good.

20180324_074717.jpg

 

However the canopies have some marks on them. I'm a little disappointed.    

20180324_074835.jpg

 

Here's a better photo to see the marks

20180324_074901.jpg

 

And, DA DA DHUM! Place your bets now. How many control sticks will I break as I remove it from the sprue?

Option 1 - 0

Option 2 - 1

Option 3 - 2

Option 4 - all 3 of them!

 

In my own experience I have a 50% change of breaking them. 

20180324_075006.jpg

 

And the F-51 sprue. Same as the P-51, but with extra bits

20180324_075544.jpg

 

Again I have damage here. I've never seen this with a new Airfix kit before, certainly not with a Mustang

20180324_075754.jpg

 

This is harder to see on a photo, but the panel lines are messy

20180324_075854.jpg

 

Here's the Academy sprues. Very Tamiya-esque. No quality issues here

20180324_080443.jpg

 

Not a big fan of this though. But I do understand why they separated the tailpane. Because of the added fin fillet of this one.

20180324_080518.jpg

 

These side windows wont be much fun, I'm already dreading glueing these.

20180324_080632.jpg

 

Now on to wash the plastic, and start painting the IP's.

 

Cheers

Jimmy
 

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On 24/03/2018 at 7:52 PM, JimmyZ said:

 

20180324_075754.jpg

 

This is harder to see on a photo, but the panel lines are messy

20180324_075854.jpg

 

I had similar issues with my Airfix F-51s. I had wonky panel lines on one wing and again on the fuselage under the cockpit. Those burrs on your fuselage are something different again! 

Edited by Magua87
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On 3/24/2018 at 1:52 AM, JimmyZ said:

20180324_075754.jpg

 

This is harder to see on a photo, but the panel lines are messy

20180324_075854.jpg

Looks like somebody took the plastic out of the mold while it was still soft in the first photo. It looks like a gloved fingerprint. The 2nd photo looks as if there was scrap plastic that got pressed into the soft plastic while still in the mold. Some of the panel lines seem to have poor engraving in the mold. 

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I finally have real progress to show, albeit very little.

 

I've been doing the P-51D kit instrument panel alongside the PE one. Goodness, the PE IP took forever, and it is such fine work, I am amazed I've completed it without smashing the thing by accident.

This is still without the gunsight in place. I still have to decide which I want to use. Think I will use the PE IP in my P-51D, and the OOB IP on the F-51D?

 

image.jpg

image.jpg

 

It's really hard to see the instrument dials on the PE IP. The one photo with a bit of glare shows it, but it's hard to see the actual dials without backlighting. I'm considering glueing a white piece of paper behind the film to hopefully bring the dials out a bit.

 

My next step is to do the gunsight. I have to modify the kit piece with PE parts...not really looking forward to it.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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Hi all.

 

Last update for a few days as I'm going away for the easter wekend.

 

This is the gunsight for the F-51, the OOB part

 

20180329_182253.jpg

 

And this is the PE modified one for I'll be using for the P-51D. Looks a great deal more accurate than the OOB piece.

 

20180330_071212.jpg

 

here's the PE IP completed.

 

20180330_072137.jpg

 

And all 3 Mustang IP's side by side. The P-51C gunsight is molded to the fuselage piece 

 

20180330_090932.jpg

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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Good Sunday all.

 

I've started some work on the seats. Here's the Quickboost seat compared to the Airfix seat.

 

20180402_153440.jpg

 

Also, this happened... and this is after carefully sawing the piece off the sprue successfully, then broke it while cleaning it up :angry:

 

20180407_091324.jpg

 

Luckily I've managed to glue it back together

 

20180407_092355.jpg

 

Then I went and worked on the 51C's cockpit. Hmmmm...the control column looks way too long

 

20180407_093305.jpg

 

After confirming on some reference photographs I decided to shorten it. 

 

20180407_093906.jpg

 

After puking, I used some thin paperclip metal cut to size and bent to look the part. I drilled a hole into the base of the control, and squeezed the new stick in.

 

20180407_094756.jpg

 

I think it looks a bit better

 

20180407_114030.jpg

 

Moving on the the other 51D control stick, you can guess what happened

 

20180408_072046.jpg

 

It probably doesn't look like it, but I was very careful, but still managed to break it.

 

This one I couldn't get glued back together, so used a needle cut to size, and glued it to the base and handle of the original piece.

 

20180408_082159.jpg

 

So all in all I broke all three control sticks, albeit the 51C was on purpose.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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And last update for the weekend and for a while.

 

I've completed all three cockpits (sidewalls excluded).

 

20180408_153438.jpg

 

P-51C

 

I've added foil seat-belts, electrical wire on the battery / radio in the back and off course the modified control stick

 

20180408_153524.jpg

 

20180408_153558.jpg

 

P-51D

 

I've used the Quickboost seat, PE IP, modified control stick and electrical wire for battery / radio in the back.

The Quickboost seat is awesome, really looks the part. The PE IP looks OK, but was very finicky to put together. It really tested my "fine" working skills, which proved wanting on a few occasions. I'm not sure if the trouble is worth it. Maybe if the IP is sprayed instead of brush painted it would look really good and be worth the hours to put it together.

However, the sdandard gunsight doesn't do it for me after seeing this one. I might actually be tempted to use just the PE gunsight on the standard Airfix IP in future.

 

20180408_153745.jpg

 

20180408_153734.jpg

 

20180408_153657.jpg

 

F-51D

 

All standard except for added foil seatbelts and electrical wire for the battery / radio in the back.

 

20180408_153836.jpg

 

20180408_153841.jpg

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everyone.

 

I finally got to do some modelling again last night and today, and made a bit of progress.

 

P-51C cockpit glued to fuselage

20180427_083726.jpg

20180427_083739.jpg

 

And starboard

20180427_084021.jpg

 

Glued together, taped up and out away to dry.

20180427_084840.jpg

 

The separate tail section also glued together

20180427_084925.jpg

 

The P-51D's interior. These are the only PE pieces I've used. The PE set was meant for a kit with a less detailed interior.

20180427_091849.jpg

 

And sides painted up.

20180427_113316.jpg

 

Cockpit piece glued to the fuselage

20180427_124132.jpg

 

All glued and taped up, and left to dry.

20180427_125212.jpg

 

Here's the F-51D's interior painted.

20180427_142844.jpg

 

Glued and taped.

20180427_144758.jpg

That's all for now.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

Edited by JimmyZ
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Hi all.

 

I've spent another few hours on my Mustangs. See some photos below.

 

Three glued fuselages

20180429_074844.jpg

 

I applied some filler for the seems, and left to dry

20180429_080618.jpg

 

Some time later I glued the P-51B's tail to the forward fuselage

20180429_120532.jpg

 

I moved on to a piece of work I did not look forward to. Removing the flaps so I can have them in the down position

20180429_120954.jpg

 

And done 😰

20180429_124109.jpg

 

Top wing halves glued to bottom

20180501_102525.jpg

 

Still not cleaned after the flapectomy

20180501_102535.jpg

 

And then I started filling the wing panel lines.

20180501_144919.jpg

 

This will again be the last post in a while.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/1/2018 at 6:37 PM, TheRealMrEd said:

Looks like a fun build. I'll be tuning in...

 

Ed

 

Please do!

 

On 5/1/2018 at 7:43 PM, Courageous said:

What are you using to fill your panel lines?

 

Stuart

 

Tamiya Surface Primer. Now, I can't remember why I chose it over Perfect Plastic Putty, since cleaning the latter up is easier 🤔

 

I guess I'll use PPP on the other Mustang's, and make a ruling for once and for all on which works the best for filling panel lines!

 

I have some time to model today, so I should post an update soon.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

 

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I have mostly been filling fuselage seams yesterday, as well as wing panel lines. Unfortunately I didn't take photos.

 

I do however have a success story. Since I was filling and smoothing fuselage seams, I thought I'd better fit the aerial pole to make sure it fits.

 

Then I noticed this

 

20180512_091350.jpg

 

I honestly don't know how anyone is expected to clean that up. I did however attempt to locate my inner zen, and attempt to remove from the sprue.

 

I managed to get it off the sprue without breaking by cutting the section out with a cutter

 

20180512_091558.jpg

 

I then very carefully cut the scrap off with a knife, and sander it smooth while I could still easily do it

 

20180512_091928.jpg

 

It still needed to be removed from the last piece of sprue, and this I did with a razor saw

 

20180512_092145.jpg

 

This last bit was the trickiest to clean up since it's difficult to hold, but I managed to do it to some extent. 

 

20180512_092637.jpg

 

However, success ends there.

 

I glued the wing halves together (all 3 kits), and I even remembered to drill the holes for the wing pylons.

 

20180512_085055.jpg

 

I did however forget to paint the wheel wells.....and as a brush painter, I see tricky painting times ahead 😓

 

Cheers

Jimmy

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I've got a virtually finished Airfix F-51 (just waiting for the rockets to be painted and attached), and the mast was of a similar standard to yours. It didn't clean up well, I admit; I should probably have fashioned my own from scrap. Yours is far superior!

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