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Mustang Merlin Prototype


Planebuilder62

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Hi there

 

Is it possible to cross kit a Brengun 1/72  Mustang Mk1 with something else and a Spitfire 4 blade propeller to come up with a Mustang X? I know there is a High Planes complete kit for this but I have built some of their kits and found it best to use the bare minimum from their set.

 

regards Toby

 

 

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I keep asking myself the same basic question, but in 48th.  The first thing I would do would be see how a Spit IX top cowl looked, and take it from there.  A 2-stage Mossie intake might be adapted?  (Edit: neither idea seems particularly good, though there might yet be room for a Spit cowl top...)

 

Hoping to come up with some better answers via this thread!

 

bob

Edited by gingerbob
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Depends whether you want to model a Rolls Royce re-engined example (Mustang X) which had a chin radiator,

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Mustang_Mk.X#/media/File%3AMustang_X.jpg

 

or the North American XP-51B which had a deeper ventral intake.

 

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p-51/xp-51b-ex-mk-ia-raf/

Trevor

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It would be a very distinctive Mustang, that's for sure! See the attached American Air Museum photo of AM121 for details. Looks like a Spitfire Mk  Rotol prop and spinner. The upper cowling contours look to be the same as on the Allison Mustang, and you can use Spitfire fishtail exhaust stacks, from the look of the photo. I'm guessing the deeper chin intake feeds the carburetor and intercooler- you can see the exhaust gills for the hot intercooler air on the fuselage above the wing root. As for that chin intake and lower cowling, maybe a P-40E-N intake reworked and mated to a new wood or plasticard lower cowling. Good luck!

Mike

media-19080.jpeg

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44 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

maybe a P-40E-N intake

or a P-40F intake? This book would definitely help. It explains all Mustang to Merlin iterations. There were several Mustang X with different cowling designs.

http://www.hyperscale.com/2013/reviews/books/valiantwingspreviewbg_10.htm

 

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Hi

   I thought of doing one many years ago, but  i never got around to it 

  but i think i was thinking of using a merlin whitley or merlin wellington engine nacelle as a starting point 

 

p.s.

 

    and seem to recall having to use an allison engine mustang kit 

  as apposed to a merlin engined kit

   something to do with the main wing position ? 

     cheers 

       jerry 

Edited by brewerjerry
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I think besides borrowing the spinner, propeller and fishtail exhausts it would be easier, faster and cheaper just scratchbuilding the firewall forward rather than destroying another kit to steal its front end which still looks nothing like the Mustang's beyond a superficial layout similarity. Just my 2p. I'd be starting with a pair of plasticard side profiles tacked to the kit fuselage halves and a pair of half-bosses for the spinner then build up from there.

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The publication you'll be wanting is the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Historical Series No. 9, "Rolls-Royce and the Mustang". It gives probably the most complete account anywhere of the various Mustang X conversions (of which there were at least five). In chronological order, the serial numbers were: AL975/G, AM208, AM203, AL963 & AM121.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolls-Royce-Mustang-Rolls-Heritage-Historical/dp/0951171003

 

Despite all being called 'Mustang X', there were numerous detail differences both between airframes, and on each airframe over time. Notably, AL963 (eventually) had a much lower profile nose intake achieved by re-positioning the intercooler, and some were fitted with a broader chord fin (as opposed to a fillet). The latter mod is visible on the port side photo of AM121 above, in posts #4 & #6.

 

I also agree with Jamie that the inlets bear only a passing resemblance to anything 'out of the box' from another kit (bar something esoteric), and that the best bet is likely a scratchbuild.

 

regards,

Jason

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1 hour ago, Toryu said:

or a P-40F intake? This book would definitely help. It explains all Mustang to Merlin iterations. There were several Mustang X with different cowling designs.

http://www.hyperscale.com/2013/reviews/books/valiantwingspreviewbg_10.htm

 

I think a P-40F intake would be too big and too deep, as it had to contain the coolant and oil radiator, and carburetor air intake. I was thinking, after I posted, that if the op has a Hasegawa or Hobbyboss P-38J in his spares bin, the cross section of the chin intake should be pretty close to the right size, and would also have that same slab-sided contour. Not one I would want to do- distinctive, yes; attractive, no!

Mike

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I built a MK X with a HighPlane nose and a Hasegawa fuselage. This was clearly wrong as the Allison Mustang had a shallower fuselage than a Merlin engined.

 

I do have some spare X's lying around, so if you want one, please ask.

 

I contemplated doing a brengun/highplane hybrid, but the brengun fuselage is too deep and that has stalled the project for now. 

 

/Finn

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I built the High Planes kit a number of years ago and put it on here, although I am struggling to find it. I know I used the basic kit and then added bits from a Revell kit as they were much better defined than the kit offerings. 

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That's the one, I did not realise it was my first post ever on Britmodeller. The photos must be lost in the bowels of the Photobucket monster. I will put them back up if anyone is interested after nine years

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1 hour ago, Mr T said:

That's the one, I did not realise it was my first post ever on Britmodeller. The photos must be lost in the bowels of the Photobucket monster. I will put them back up if anyone is interested after nine years

Could be interesting. It could prompt me to post pictures of my effort, to compare.

 

Keep us posted.

 

/Finn 

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This is my HighPlane/Hasegawa hybrid. I now realise that it was made a while ago and has suffered some damage as it's missing the arial mast and tailwheel doors.

891bd873-862f-4c25-b2ad-9bce912e30b9.JPG

eb076613-0f22-4e5c-9bd7-f933c9c592b8.JPG

Now I'm very tempted to try again, especially as I now realise that I did not correct the wing kinks.

 

/Finn 

 

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  • 3 years later...

To resurect this this thread, on second thoughts could an Arma Hobby P-51B have its nose cut off and turned into a Merlin Mustang Prototype? Photo´s of the Brengun P-51A seem to skow an exagerated nose up attitude, maybe its undercarriage legs are too long.

 

Regards Toby

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3 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

No. Production Merlin Mustangs had a noticeably deeper fuselage. Others will soon arrive to give measurements!

 

Trevor

This, best telltale is looking at the panel line of the rad intake housing just behind the wing.

p51a_side.gif

 

p51b_cross.gif

Compare the two drawings (and definitely visit the site!)

Basically the wing was dropped 2-3 inches (forget exactly)

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