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Tamiya F-51D Mustang 1/72 "FAG 315" Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca, Part 2


RidgeRunner

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Hi all, 

 

This is my first ever Group Build. I was encouraged to do so by fellow BMers and naturally it follows a current build programme of Mustangs. For this build I will, again, be using the Tamiya kit. I know, it has some errors but these are few and the build is great. For me this is a bonus as I intersperse other less-perfect builds amongst them. It will be Out-of-the-Box except I will use Airfix flaps to get the dropped stance and aftermarket decals. The latter will be from Aztec. However, using the decals will be as far as I go as the colour profiles in the set are inaccurate.

 

GB315 1

 

For those who dont know the machine or the scheme, this is her when she arrived back in the USA:

 

FAG 315

Photo: public domain

 

However, more recently she was shown as below, claiming to be in the original condition. Clearly not! I reckon she was repainted in FAG colours:

 

https://www.facebook.com/108256604668/posts/we-recently-pulled-p-51d-n38227-out-of-the-hangar-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/10155485854369669/

 

Here is another photo of her from the same "Barn Find" period:

 

FAG 315 barn find

 

Very different from the first image.

 

My build will not have the "badge" which, I undertand, is not Guatemalan. I will attempt to get the colours faded as best as my old hands will do so. ;) I chose this machine because I have a parallel non-GB build nearly finished of FAG 315 earlier in her career. FAG 315 "N38227" is the last of the FAG machines to get sold within the US. For many years she languished in a hangar in Texas while her stable mates were sold off. 

 

See you on the GB soon.

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by RidgeRunner
added "Barn Find" link
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2 minutes ago, Courageous said:

That looks like a rather interesting scheme Martin, away you go then. :poke:

 

Stuart

He he! I'll await the launch of the STGB at the weekend, Stuart. In the meantime I have to get a couple more done if I can. Possibly will RFI a Mustang tomorrow. I'm just wrestling with a windscreen that has had some airbrush ingress :( and a broken Uschi aerial :(.... The FAG camo machines are a challenge because of the degree of weathering and fading of the paint. I'm in two minds what to do. I think I'll tone the standard paints (US SEA) down a little and later apply a very thin 5-10% sand overcoat... Alternatively I might search the paint charts for matches! ;)

 

Martin

 

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Yes, mate. I can apply that fairly easily. It is really the colours that will be the challenge. I'm also needing a little guidance on the radio aerial options. These Latin Mustangs had a few variations. I'll get there..... :)

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I thought I should "prepare the ground" and illustrate the sprues:

 

Sprues

 

I realise that many of you will have seen these before, but some wont (I guess!?).

 

The first job will be to get the cockpit built and primed. A job for Monday, I reckon. The only thing missing from the image above is the pair of Airfix flaps, which I am kindly getting from a fellow BMer :).

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Patrice @TEMPESTMK5

 

I think I'm brave enough now to also throw another in the ring.... It will be a P-51B on the Fuerza Aerea Dominicana. I just need the kit (I have the decals) to arrive and I'll be under way sometime before March! ;)

 

Martin

 

 

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2 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

I'm in for this one Martin having just built a couple myself as you know! Don't screw the sliding canopy up like I did! (fixing that on both now).

 

Terry

Thanks Terry. I took your advice and checked for my latest (now RFI) and for the next few..... ;). This one is probably going to going slow across the Christmas period and then I'll get my foot back on the accelaerator!

 

Martin

 

PS . i loved your Mustang builds, particularly the Italian stallion :)

Edited by RidgeRunner
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So, amid everything else this morning - anothe RFI, more paint on the MiG and glosscote on the next FAG Mustang, I got some paint on this baby too .....

 

Cockpit painted (Int Green)

 

Right or wrong, I use Interior Green (Colourcoats in this case) for the cockpit. Later, or tomorrow, I'll get the black done and the detail. Then it'll be closing up the fuselage :)

 

Martin

 

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48 minutes ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Good evening Martin

 Welcome aboard it is good to see another exotic Mustang in this GB ..

Nice start have fun with your build

All the best

Patrice

Thanks Patrice. It'll be slow because of the Christmas period, sadly. Maybe I'll get some done tomorrow and on Friday. I - of course - have my work to do and, as you've seen, I am catching up with earlier Mustang builds like the one I RFI'd today.Time, time, time ... so little of it ;)

 

Martin

 

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11 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Thanks Patrice. It'll be slow because of the Christmas period, sadly. Maybe I'll get some done tomorrow and on Friday. I - of course - have my work to do and, as you've seen, I am catching up with earlier Mustang builds like the one I RFI'd today.Time, time, time ... so little of it ;)

 

Martin

 

Good morning Martin

I guess that most of us face the same problem : ''Time spent on modelling ''   ..but I hope that you will be able to do some work during the week .

All the best

Patrice

 

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With the build of a Tamiya Mustang being relatively simple, I'm applying more energy to working out and deciding the paint scheme. Photos of these machines freshly painted are un-published, as far as I know. The closest are two shots taken when in service showing colours that are close, if not exact, to the US SEA colours with the exception of sand replacing tan. All other images that I have found show these aircraft post-service, having come out of storage in country, and having been exposed to the burning and fading sun. The colours shown of this machine at Connie Edwards' ranch shows, to me, that the aircraft had a repaint while in Texas, albeit in FAG-type colours. This is borne out by matching the photos of the aircraft on arrival back in the US in 1974 with these more recent photos. The patterns are different. 

 

So, I'm going with an "In service" look, tempered by the addition of a little grey and with oversprays of 10% sand in a very very weak final overall upper coat. I'll practice on an old SEA camo F-84 that I have on the side. Fingers crossed!

 

If anyone out there has anything to the contrary please let me know :). Thanks. 

 

Martin

Edited by RidgeRunner
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Well, I hada bit of time today and so I got the cockpit detailing done, or at least to my levels of competence. There will be Mustang experts out there who will slate my colours, etc but I'm happy. My fingers and eyes dont handle detail too well. After the painting I have got as far as getting the fuselage halves mated, as follows:

 

IMG_1321

 

IMG_1322

 

 

IMG_1324

 

 

IMG_1327

 

I've painted one of the "boxes" atop the tank in NMF as the FAG aircraft seemed to have this like that. Next will be to add the intake surrounds, remove the tail wheel doors as they weren't fitted (as the tailwheel was fixed in position), and then on to the wings. That'll mean chopping the flap area. 

 

Martin

 

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