Air Fighting Development Unit Mustang I

[dogsbody]

I would say that those kit-supplied cannons are okay. They have the shroud over the recoil springs and smooth barrels forward of the shroud.

 

 

Chris

[ColFord]

Ratch, the kit supplied barrels are fine.  They have the correct look for the RAF cannon installation.  Other manufacturers have the cannon barrel moulded with the US style external recoil spring forward of the fairing.

 

Troy, the top photo has been colour manipulated from the original.  I have a 1st generation copy of that photo from the original photographer and all that shows under that wingtip is reflected light on the usual MSG underside.  Whoever has played around with the brightness and colour balance of that version of the photo has introduced a yellow cast, very wierd.

 

[Ratch]

That'll save me a bit of work 

[Ratch]

Construction followed the assembly sequence. The canopy was masked and fitted,

 

Then Zinc Chromate was airbrushed to lay down the interior colour. This revealed a small gap thatI filled with Vallejo Plastic Putty.

[Ratch]

The wheel wells and undercarriage doors were brushed over with Vallejo Game Color 73203 Umber Wash. They were then dry brushed with Vallejo Model Color 70833 80 German Camouflage Bright Green to bring out some highlights.

 

I then masked the airframe and primed with grey and pre-shaded with black.

[Ratch]

Today I have airbrushed the under surfaces and undercarriage doors.

[gingerbob]

It's a little late now, but this is the second shot that made me think the cannons aren't aligned.  Is it a trick of the camera, or (if not) is there something non-destructive that you can do to help them?

[Ratch]

I didn't notice until it was too late 😪

In another thread I discovered that the Mk.I did not have the three underwing lights, so I smeared putty over them although this did not fully lose them. There were a couple of seams that required a smear of putty too and I noticed I had not sprayed the undercarriage doors. These areas were over-sprayed with the grey. I then masked the tail wings and airbrushed the upper green. I open sprayed the transition areas on the fuselage to give a slightly soft edge.

[Ratch]

I painted the wingtip navigation lights and then sprayed Klear in readiness for the decals, which were applied using Microset and Microsol. I used the kit supplied tail fin and roundels; serials were from Ventura sheet V7252.

[Cookenbacher]

That's looking great in its OD/NG scheme and British roundels, what Olive Drab did you use? Oh, and excellent progress on your 1/48th Mustangs too by the way.

[Ratch]

Cheers, I used Vallejo Model Air 71016 US Dark Green  - I thought it was meant to be more of an RAF DG rather than a US OD 

[Cookenbacher]

Thanks for the colour call out, my poor brain sees an early Mustang and automatically thinks Olive Drab!

[Courageous]

1 hour ago, Cookenbacher said:

what Olive Drab did you use?

Noo o o o ooo............ to late.

 

1 hour ago, Ratch said:

I thought it was meant to be more of an RAF DG rather than a US OD

You may be right but I remember reading somewhere that due to the urgency, the very early Mustangs were flown with US RAF equivalent colours and later ones were repainted with proper RAF paints. Either way, she is looking rather neat.

 

Stuart

[Ratch]

@ColFord has written about the colour of FD442 a couple of times. I was working to:

Quote

So on balance, I would say it is more likely that Mustang Mk.IA FD442 used by MacLachlan was finished in a non-standard scheme. It was likely to be a dark green on all upper surfaces including prop spinner, no rear Id band, under-surface colour, from the photo in the book, more likely Medium Sea Grey.

But I have just found this post on the subject:

Quote

For those operations it was reportedly repainted in an overall dark olive green shade.

Maybe my choice of colour could have been better 😚

[Courageous]

We live and learn but why is it always 'after the fact'.

 

Stuart

[Ratch]

2 hours ago, Courageous said:

We live and learn but why is it always 'after the fact'.

Isn't that the truth. The number of times I've researched, done my best, then someone pops up with 'it wasn't done like that' when they could have commented earlier 

[Ratch]

I fixed the undercarriage, doors and under-wing aerial. They are now ready for a final coat of varnish, which I'll probably do on Sunday.

[Ratch]

The last few bits

My cockpit framing is a bit furry too.

But I'm calling her done.

[Hewy]

Thats a smashing job ratch👍

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Well done Ratch ! 

[Cookenbacher]

That does look great Ratch!

[Ratch]

Thanks very much gents 🍻