AdrianMF Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 I picked this up the other day for a quick build: Sprues seem quite nice: Decals look like they might be just still usable but I have a different scheme in mind. The cockpit is quite well detailed - seat, stick, floor, radio and gunsight. More than enough through the supplied canopy: I will take off the raised lines, which are a bit heavy, fill the sink marks and maybe scribe the gun cover outlines, but otherwise keep my “improvement” instincts in check. Oh, and add a rudimentary wheel well... Thanks for looking, Adrian 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 27, 2019 Author Share Posted July 27, 2019 Cockpit done! A speed record for adult me: Thanks for looking, Adrian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 27, 2019 Author Share Posted July 27, 2019 Prop in, fuselage together: Thanks for looking, Adrian 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 Good choice and a quick start Adrian,looks like a nicely molded kit too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Hi Adrian Great choice, and another one missing from the build list. Do you mind if I ask how you make the seat harness, i know you make them out of wine bottle foil. But how do you do the buckles ? cheers Pat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 30, 2019 Author Share Posted July 30, 2019 43 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said: But how do you do the buckles ? Pat, When I cut off a strip I bend it over at the ends and that’s the buckle. I paint them all Revell acrylic beige before cutting to length or sticking on. Highlight the raised or edge bits with lighter beige or cream after they are stuck down. I then use a 0.1mm black fibre pen (around £2 from an art/craft store) to dot the holes and outline the edge of the buckles. These ones, I think I just drew the buckle on! But it frankly I’ve done everything, including making little buckles out of 5A fuse wire, and it always looks pretty much the same to me. I want something better than two strips of masking tape and I personally don’t need PE precision, so I have a big happy place in the middle... Regards, Adrian 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I've always had a soft spot for these less popular earlier Mustangs and cannot wait to see you ply your skills on this kit. It has inspired me to take another look at this subject, however I might opt for one of the Classic Airframes 1/48 kits which will no doubt be an easier build to get right (for me anyway). All the best and do it proud. Cheers.. Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 Well I have a day off so after photographing the Master I got some Mustang time: Quick and dirty wheel well detail: Wings on. I had to trim down the roots a bit and do some bending to get enough dihedral to keep me happy: I get the feeling this kit has some moderately serious shape (or at least cross-sectional) issues so I’m going for a fun build. I carefully scraped down the fuselage joins to leave the raised panel lines intact. It needs a little filler on the wing and tailplane roots, and on sink marks in quite a few places and then I can paint. Thanks for looking, Adrian 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 4 hours ago, AdrianMF said: I get the feeling this kit has some moderately serious shape (or at least cross-sectional) issues so I’m going for a fun build. I carefully scraped down the fuselage joins to leave the raised panel lines intact. It needs a little filler on the wing and tailplane roots, and on sink marks in quite a few places and then I can paint. Thanks for looking, Adrian Hi Adrian, I love the way the British very casually understate the most outrageous facts: "moderately serious shape issues" is just one of them... Grossly misshapen would come to mind, but then I am just a hairy yeti from the French Alps... Where I wholeheartedly agree, is to make it a fun build when all else is lost. This Mustang will still look great! JR 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 42 minutes ago, jean said: Grossly misshapen It feels just much too thin, but the top of the engine cowling seems much too broad and flat. Although ISTR from reading other threads a while ago that there isn't a decent pre-D Mustang out there in 1/72. So fun it is! That way I can get on with my Master II and I hear a Whitley calling... (Oh and I said I'd dig out my FROG Mosquito) Regards, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 I have a Frog B IV Mossie, and it looks OK to me, but all the reviews say the wing location is far too high up the fuselage and that is a sod to fix. I was intending to build another one, but having read the reviews I managed to pick up a cheap (relatively) Tamiya one instead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 2, 2019 Author Share Posted August 2, 2019 The nacelles are far too shallow too, from memory. So a quick PRU outing will work for me! Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 I found a RAF 613 Squadron green/brown/sky scheme on t’web (IPMS Stockholm) which I think came originally from a Valiant Wings book. So Hu90 underneath (and band): Cockpit frames painted interior green and filled (again) to blend with the fuselage: Looking more closely at the profile I think i’m going to have to add the cheek Brownings. I’ve decided the raised lines are staying. And the propeller fell off! I was wrestling with it to make the spinner fit nicely so I think it’s a blessing in disguise. I have some metal tubing that will allow it to spin freely and still fit into the original hole at the end. That’s the plan, anyway. Thanks for looking, Adrian 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 The Mk.II didn't have cheek guns, nor arrived soon enough for the early scheme, IIRC. Call it a Mk.I and change the wing guns. The Frog kit is better than most of the alternative Allison Mustang kits, despite its age. Mainly because most of them are based on a P-51B fuselage, but also because of the wing root fairing, which should droop more. However the Academy kit is very good indeed, .not least by comparison with the others. In the photo the fuselage in front of the canopy does look too wide and flat, but isn't that what files are for? Much easier to fix than a B fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 Well I've cracked on with this, safe in the knowledge that it isn't going to be very accurate! As Graham says, this is the wrong mark of aircraft for the scheme so it's a three footer at least, but I wanted a quick fun build of something that hasn't been done yet in the GB. I tried to use the kit decals, but one of the roundels broke up on me so I used the C type roundels and stripes from the Airfix Spitfire 22 and the B type roundels from the Revell Blenheim (a FROG repop so on topic!) and Xtradecal codes. It isn't finished yet but I reckon a short evening will get me there. Thanks for looking, Adrian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted August 5, 2019 Share Posted August 5, 2019 That Mustang looks extremely good Adrian and an amazing result for so little time between updates! Do you apply your decals over a Matt coat?, Seems to defy the logic that decals should always be applied over gloss coats. In the end it's the final result that counts and this Mustang build scores high marks indeed. Cheers.. Dave 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 5, 2019 Author Share Posted August 5, 2019 Thanks Dave. I got a solid afternoon and evening in once we had got back home. Acrylic fast-drying paints have sped up my modelling no end! I use Humbrol Decalfix. I put a blob of that straight over matt paint before applying the decals, and the decals don't silver at all. I'm guessing the Decalfix contains some sort of transparent filler that fills the rough surface of the matt paint so there are no air bubbles. I have to wipe off the excess Decalfix when it dries. So I skip the whole future stage, but I do end up giving a coat of acrylic matt varnish at the end to pull everything together and to protect the washes and decals. Regards, Adrian 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Very speedy work - doesn't look like a three-footer, it looks fine from here. I have a bottle of Decalfix somewhere - must crack it open and give it a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 6, 2019 Author Share Posted August 6, 2019 54 minutes ago, Jinxman said: bottle of Decalfix It’s the one that smells of ammonia. Test on a paint mule first. YMMV! Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 That does look great Adrian and as you said a quick build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 All my models are three footers at best, but what's a quick build? I don't recognise the concept... I was really just suggesting a change to the title of the thread, after all it is what you end up with that matters, not what you started from. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Decalfix smells like cat pee but it works really well. Nice Mustang, yet another FROG kit I'm not familiar with. John 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 6, 2019 Author Share Posted August 6, 2019 4 hours ago, Graham Boak said: what you end up with My build durations range from less than 24 hours to 6 years and upwards, so this is definitely towards the quicker end! I think I will add the cheek guns and then call it a Mk I (sort of).... Thanks, Adrian 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 7, 2019 Author Share Posted August 7, 2019 Aaagh the perils of too much reading! I now know I have three guns per wing, so more work there. And after measuring up a picture of SY-K I think I have to swap out my 30" codes for 24" ones. This will mean that the "L" won't overlap the wing root so it will look better and more accurate (less inaccurate?) in the long run. And I was doing so well with my to-do list... Regards, Adrian 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 7, 2019 Author Share Posted August 7, 2019 Nothing like a good spot of anti-progress! What squadron codes? Thanks for looking, Adrian 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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