RidgeRunner Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) 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. For those who dont know the machine or the scheme, this is her when she arrived back in the USA: 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: 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 December 16, 2019 by RidgeRunner added "Barn Find" link 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 That looks like a rather interesting scheme Martin, away you go then. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, Courageous said: That looks like a rather interesting scheme Martin, away you go then. 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 Feathered demarcation too by the looks of it . (Still no sign of my fixer ) Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 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..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 24 minutes ago, Courageous said: (Still no sign of my fixer ) Where did you buy it from? The big "A"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 It's the courier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 Ah ha..... my jolly postman delivered my Neptune today and the flap set for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 I thought I should "prepare the ground" and illustrate the 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 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 13, 2019 Author Share Posted December 13, 2019 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 14, 2019 Author Share Posted December 14, 2019 (edited) 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 December 14, 2019 by RidgeRunner 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted December 14, 2019 Share Posted December 14, 2019 Looking forward to seeing this one come together 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 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 ..... 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted December 17, 2019 Share Posted December 17, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 17, 2019 Author Share Posted December 17, 2019 I hope so! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 18, 2019 Author Share Posted December 18, 2019 (edited) 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 December 18, 2019 by RidgeRunner 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Fascinating subject Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Looks like an interesting colour scheme. Looking forward to seein it come together. Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 22 minutes ago, Bedders said: Looks like an interesting colour scheme. Looking forward to seein it come together. Justin Mmm.... Fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 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: 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 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Now't wrong with that Martin. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Looks very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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