453rd BG Museum build: P-51D Mustang Petie 2nd. COMPLETED p.12

[giemme]

First of the two kits Jim sent me for the 453rd Museum build it's the well known Tamiya 1/48 P-51D 

 

I wasn't part of the group that visited the Museum but I'm friend with many of them, and I hope I'll be able to join them soon for a proper visit   

 

Jim asked me to build the boxart aircraft, which by coincidence is my favourite Mustang scheme  Let's see what's in the box:

 

a total of four sprues, including the transparents 

 

 

 

 

 

So a relatively low parts number, and the kit isn't like the most recent Tamaiya issues. Still it's a Tamiya, with some great detail all over

 

Jim also included an Eduard PE set for the cockpit

 

I started with a quick dryfit of the fuselage halves an the cockpit tub

 

bottom view

 

Typical good Tamiya fit, but it will need some work along the seam line, because of the metallic finish of this aircraft.

 

The sidewall detail is amazing:

 

I don't think I'll entirely replace it with the provided PE parts; I'll probably go with an integration, and some scratch building too  

 

Surface detail is also great:

 

 

Alright, this should be fun!

 

All comments welcome

Ciao

[corsaircorp]

Waow, first at the bar !!

I'm doing that same kit at the moment...

But of course not this paint scheme...

So, if you get any problem with the... Huh.... Errr ... decals;  

I can send you mine....

Let's have a visit all together to this museum, I'll bring some .... refreshments ???

Well I take a stool, Triple Karmeliet at the ready 

Let's go on Maestro !! 

Sincerely.

CC

[CedB]

Looks like a nice kit Giorgio with some fine detail - as well as PE!

 

Can't wait to see you use your Giorgio magic on this one  

[72modeler]

@giemme,

 

Not sure if it matters to you, but Petie 2nd was a P-51D-10-NA. and the Tamiya kit has panel lines for a P-51D-20 and later. What that means is you need to fill the small square inspection panel on both sides of the fin, as that is where the AN/APS-13 tail warning radar antennas were fitted, and Petie did not have the radar. In fact, the radar was removed or deactivated on most of the aircraft so fitted, due to the numerous false alarms caused by friendly aircraft flying in loose trail formation. I have posted links to the early and late radio fit as well as the radar, if that will be useful in your build. (Hard to beat a blue-nosed 352nd FG Mustang!)

Mike

 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/help-needed-p-51d-radio-set-t240302.html

 

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/tail-warning-radar-on-p-51.39448/#lg=post-1084092&slide=0

 

There was also a discussion with photos and diagrams on rear fuselage and fin panel lines that needed correction on the 1/48 kit here on BM a while back, but since it was for a 1/48 kit, I didn't save it- you could look for it, Giorgio, If it also matters, I also remember reading  that the Tamiya kit cuffed HS prop is not shaped correctly and should be replaced by an Ultracast or Barracuda Studios one.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

WooHoo first page yet ! 

[72modeler]

3 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

WooHoo first page yet ! 

You ARE feeling better, Dennis!

Mike

[Stew Dapple]

Ah, good choice Giorgio  

 

Hope you have a good build  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[rob85]

Love the build choice! This looks a great kit G, you will more than do it justice.

 

I'm really looking forward to this one!

 

Rob

[Biggles87]

Still a nice kit and with the benefit of the usual excellent Tamiya engineering.

Will you be filling in the panel lines and rivets on the wings.

 

John

[Hamden]

 

Mind if I sit in on this one?

Really enjoying all the 453rd builds this is such a great project

 

  Stay safe          Roger

[giemme]

10 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Waow, first at the bar !!

I'm doing that same kit at the moment...

But of course not this paint scheme...

So, if you get any problem with the... Huh.... Errr ... decals;  

I can send you mine....

Let's have a visit all together to this museum, I'll bring some .... refreshments ???

Well I take a stool, Triple Karmeliet at the ready 

Let's go on Maestro !! 

Sincerely.

CC

Welcome on board, CC  I sure hope we'll be able to share a visit to the Museum (and some "refreshments", as you call them  ) 

 

9 hours ago, CedB said:

Looks like a nice kit Giorgio with some fine detail - as well as PE!

 

Can't wait to see you use your Giorgio magic on this one  

Thanks Ced, welcome to you too

 

9 hours ago, 72modeler said:

@giemme,

 

Not sure if it matters to you, but Petie 2nd was a P-51D-10-NA. and the Tamiya kit has panel lines for a P-51D-20 and later. What that means is you need to fill the small square inspection panel on both sides of the fin, as that is where the AN/APS-13 tail warning radar antennas were fitted, and Petie did not have the radar. In fact, the radar was removed or deactivated on most of the aircraft so fitted, due to the numerous false alarms caused by friendly aircraft flying in loose trail formation. I have posted links to the early and late radio fit as well as the radar, if that will be useful in your build. (Hard to beat a blue-nosed 352nd FG Mustang!)

Mike

 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/help-needed-p-51d-radio-set-t240302.html

 

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/tail-warning-radar-on-p-51.39448/#lg=post-1084092&slide=0

 

There was also a discussion with photos and diagrams on rear fuselage and fin panel lines that needed correction on the 1/48 kit here on BM a while back, but since it was for a 1/48 kit, I didn't save it- you could look for it, Giorgio, If it also matters, I also remember reading  that the Tamiya kit cuffed HS prop is not shaped correctly and should be replaced by an Ultracast or Barracuda Studios one.

It does matter, thanks 72modeler!  Didn't know about the propeller, I'll have a look into that, thank you 👍

 

8 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

WooHoo first page yet ! 

Dennis, great to have you here! Hope you are feeling better!

 

4 hours ago, Stew Dapple said:

Ah, good choice Giorgio  

 

Hope you have a good build  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

Cheers Stew, thank you

 

4 hours ago, rob85 said:

Love the build choice! This looks a great kit G, you will more than do it justice.

 

I'm really looking forward to this one!

 

Rob

Thanks Rob, welcome on board

 

2 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Still a nice kit and with the benefit of the usual excellent Tamiya engineering.

Will you be filling in the panel lines and rivets on the wings.

 

John

Thanks John  I will be filling the wings panel lines and rivets, and try my best to replicate the look of that area  

 

1 hour ago, Hamden said:

 

Mind if I sit in on this one?

Really enjoying all the 453rd builds this is such a great project

 

  Stay safe          Roger

Tag along, Roger - the more, the merrier  

 

Ciao

[alt-92]

A chance to learn? I'm in!  The ICM P-51D is....   'inspired' by this one so all tips might serve that one as well.

[giemme]

11 hours ago, 72modeler said:

I also remember reading  that the Tamiya kit cuffed HS prop is not shaped correctly and should be replaced by an Ultracast or Barracuda Studios one.

Would the Quickboost or Eduard ones be good either? It might be easier for me to source them.

Also, anyone else in the know, please feel free to chime in  

 

42 minutes ago, alt-92 said:

A chance to learn? I'm in!  The ICM P-51D is....   'inspired' by this one so all tips might serve that one as well.

Welcome on board, @alt-92 

Ciao

[Fritag]

Excellent.  Looking forward to you swiftly overtaking my desultory progress G 

[giemme]

8 minutes ago, Fritag said:

Excellent.  Looking forward to you swiftly overtaking my desultory progress G 

With three kits on the go at the same time, I very much doubt so, Steve   Welcome on board, anyway

 

Ciao

[Brandy]

Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see this added to the museum builds.

I'm in!

 

Ian

[72modeler]

3 hours ago, giemme said:

Would the Quickboost or Eduard ones be good either? It might be easier for me to source them.

Forgot about them, but I'm not up on 1/48 kits/parts. QB 48934 and the Edward Brassin 648347 look very good, with the Brassin one being more expensive as it includes the hub assembly, which won't be seen with the spinner. I guess the two I mentioned in my original post would be much more expensive for you being on our side of the pond. Somebody who builds 1/48 can probably be of more help than I can- I'd hate to steer you wrong.

Mike

[corsaircorp]

12 hours ago, alt-92 said:

A chance to learn? I'm in!  The ICM P-51D is....   'inspired' by this one so all tips might serve that one as well.

Inspired ???

You're such a nice guy...

Now, it give us Tamiya kits for less than half the price of a Tamiya kit...

Sincerely.

CC

 

[giemme]

20 hours ago, Brandy said:

Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see this added to the museum builds.

I'm in!

 

Ian

Cheers Ian, welcome on board

 

19 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Forgot about them, but I'm not up on 1/48 kits/parts. QB 48934 and the Edward Brassin 648347 look very good, with the Brassin one being more expensive as it includes the hub assembly, which won't be seen with the spinner. I guess the two I mentioned in my original post would be much more expensive for you being on our side of the pond. Somebody who builds 1/48 can probably be of more help than I can- I'd hate to steer you wrong.

Mike

Mike, I did some checks on the propeller, and there's something bothering me (well, scale "bothering" down to the hobby side of it, I'm not loosing any sleep over it   ). I happen to have the Hasegawa 1/48 P-51D kit, so I made a quick comparison between the Tamiya blades, Hasegawa's and Quickboost's  (left to right in next pic)

 

The Quickboost pic is off the Internet (and I had to mirror it because it was taken the opposite side), so please excuse the bad quality. Also the Hase and Tamiya aren't rotated the same way; but this should be enough for my purpose, which is to confront them with the real thing: (photo linked only for modelling purposes, will remove it if asked)

 

 

Now, looking at this pic, I can't really see anything wrong with the Tamiya blade (except for the overstated blade tip "panel line", but that's easy to sort); in particular, looking at the top right blade, it looks exactly the same as the Tamiya offering.

 

Thoughts, anyone?

 

Ciao

[hendie]

Almost ready for paint? (That's my thought)

[giemme]

8 minutes ago, hendie said:

Almost ready for paint? (That's my thought)

Someone's got to find you a proper breakfast...    

 

Ciao

[perdu]

Well we know who is going to feed him a proper breakfast don't we G? 

 

As is *my wont with things of what I wot not I will be hovering over there, I understand Al is bringing trappist stuff for sampling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Archaic English provided free of charge to get you going, mind-wise.

[72modeler]

9 hours ago, giemme said:

Now, looking at this pic, I can't really see anything wrong with the Tamiya blade

Giorgio,

 

I went and pulled my 1/48 Tamiya P-51B and P-51D kits, two of the very few 1/48  kits in my stash, as well as my Ultracast P-51D props and spinners- all were the HS cuffed props. I see what you mean- the Tamiya prop blades are pretty decent, with the cuffs being too wide at the base and tapering too much- pretty easy to correct. The cuffed prop shape is very, very elusive- see the attached photo. Note that the trailing edge of the prop is almost a straight line from the cuff to the tip, and follows the trailing edge of the cuff, and the  leading edge of the prop curves out from the cuff and straightens as you go from the cuff to the tip. Note also that the chord of the cuff is actually slightly wider at the top than at the bottom. It's very, very subtle- I hope you can get a good idea of what I'm trying to describe  by looking at the photos of actual props that I have linked below. I think, with a little subtle reshaping of the cuff and eliminating the raised prop tip line, the Tamiya prop can be made into a pretty decent representation of the real thing. The opening in the spinner of the real airplane has a keyhole shape that is hard to see on the real thing and pretty hard to duplicate on a 1/48 spinner, much less in 1/72- guess it depends if you are one of those 'micrometer maniacs' or not- I am NOT one! Hope this helps a little. (Not being my preferred scale, I didn't save the discussion on the Tamiya kit prop, and what I recall might have been criticism of the openings in the kit's spinners being round instead of oblong- I didn't want to lead you or any others who will be building the Tamiya kit astray!)

Mike

 

https://www.arizonaskiesmeteorites.com/WWII-Military-Collectibles/Warbird-Aircraft-Parts-And-Collectibles/P-51-Mustang-Propeller-Sculpture/

 

 

 

[giemme]

Thanks Mike   

 

11 hours ago, 72modeler said:

I think, with a little subtle reshaping of the cuff and eliminating the raised prop tip line, the Tamiya prop can be made into a pretty decent representation of the real thing.

Yes, my point, really. So, you do have 1/48 kits in your stash, don't you?   

 

Just kidding, thanks a lot for your help

 

Ciao

[72modeler]

6 hours ago, giemme said:

So, you do have 1/48 kits in your stash, don't you?

Shhh! Mum's the word! I have the two Tamiya Mustangs, a Tamiya razorback and bubbletop Thunderbolt, a Tamiya Birdcage Corsair, two Revell F-86D's (for their slatted wings), two Hasegawa and one Academy F-86F, and a  Monogram and Trumpeter F-100. Keep it under your hat, lest the GSPD (Gentleman's Scale Police Department) come and carry me off and make me build Mach 1 kits until I repent!) 

Mike