Academy 72nd P-51B "Old Crow"

[Mark Joyce]

I've built oodles of P-40s over the years but this is my first P-51...ever.  So be gentle.  And, yes, I do know the Malcolm hood isn't completely on.  Unfortunately I didn't discover that it wouldn't quite fit until the photos were taken; an issue caused when I attached the windscreen prior to painting a wee bit to far aft.  I thought about trying to force it in place, but with my luck the cure would be worse than the disease.  Also unfortunately, the hood looks ludicrous in the open position since the fit there is even worse.  I'll figure out what to do about it later...

 

This is the 72nd scale Academy kit in all its glory, including the decals that are every bit as horrible as legend says. I don't know about nowadays, but back when I was in the U.S. Army Reserves in the mid 80s to early 90s, we referred to the little squares of toilet paper found in MREs as John Wayne paper, for it was "rough and tough and takes no....poop." Okay, we never actually said "poop" but something a bit more profane.  These decals are similar: rough and touch and take no setting solutions.  Fortunately I found a build article on Modeling Madness by George Oh who detailed his trials and tribulations with Academy decals and, putting his experience to use, I pretty much beat them into submission, although some silvering still occurred.  I'm just thankful I decided to mask and paint the invasion stripes and used some other decals for the national insignia (although they weren't opaque enough to hide the black invasion stripes). I decided to keep the weathering to a minimum, mainly just exhaust staining, based largely on a nice photograph of "Old Crow" taken when the stripes were just slathered on. 

 

And speaking of invasion stripes, these are the  first ones I've painted in 15+ years.  No P-40 had them.  Trust me.  If any P-40s were still flying around England in 1944, they were probably used to ferry cans of black and white paint on June 5th from the supply depot to the front line bases.  And what's this about "puttied wings?"  Again, no P-40s had them.  And if so many P-51s did have them, why do the manufacturers insist on releasing kits with panel lines and rivets.

 

Thanks for looking, and for those who actually read all this, for spending your valuable time doing so.  And as always, comments and constructive criticism is welcome.  But as I said at the beginning; be gentle!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Mig88]

Regardless of everything, it came out nicely. A bit of weathering would improve it but that's up to each one's taste. I like the detail of the white on the tyres.

I've got a couple of these in my stash, but of the other boxings (P-51Cs).

 

Miguel

[GREG DESTEC]

Looks good to me Mark👍

 

Well done using the kit decals. I have never had success with Academy decals at all.

 

A vac form replacement canopy may be the answer to your problem fit for the bubble section. 

 

Cheers Greg 😁o