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Me 262A-1A and P-51D Mustang Dogfight Double Gift Set 1:72 Airfix A50183


Julien

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Me 262A-1A and P-51D Mustang Dogfight Double Gift Set

1:72 Airfix A50183

 

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This dogfight double from Airfx brings us their newer tool P-51D and Me262 kits. As well as the two kits there is a display stand to hold both models and a set of paints with glue and brushes.

 

The Mustang

The Mustang was a new kit from Airfix in 2012  The kit is part of their series one range. The kit is part of their series one range. The painting instructions for the single example provided for on the decal sheet are printed in colour in the instructions. The kit’s 53 parts are nicely moulded and the panel lines are engraved.

 

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The Me262

This 262 was a new kit from Airfix  2017. Inside are three sprues of grey plastic and one small clear sprue as well as decals and instructions. The painting instructions for the single example provided for on the decal sheet are printed in colour on in the instructions. The kit’s parts are nicely moulded and the panel lines are engraved.

 

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Markings

The decal sheet from Cartograf (so no issues there) gives us one option for each aircraft. These are P-51D flown by Lt Urban Leonard Drew from 375th FS, 361st FG "Yellow Jackets" RAF Bottisham, England 1944, and Wk Nr 11711 flown by Test Pilot Hans Frey, surrendered to allied forces at Rhein-Main, Franfurt 1945.

 
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Conclusion

This looks like another winner from Airfix. The kits are well moulded, nicely detailed and if it builds up well As a keen modeller of 1:72 subjects I have to say I’m very happy with Airfix’s recent output and I look forward to more of the same.

 

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Review sample courtesy of logo.gif

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Was about to have a go for not including the series 2 sprue but Drew’s did have the cuffed prop, just warbird restorations have gone with the uncuffed, either by design or accident least Airfix got that right and least the underline D is easily rectified

Edited by PhantomBigStu
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There is dispute over Ben Drew's aircraft markings.

Popular illustrations show the wingtip, fin tip and canopy rail in red, whereas the 375th squadron colour was blue. At some point the a/c rudder was painted in the squadron colour.

The aircraft name was on a red background, but as for the rest...............  

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Nothing in a lot of books. Wish I had asked him when I met him, but the squadron colour was defo blue. 374th was red.

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/usaaf-codes/

Scroll down to 361st FW.

If you look at contemporary photos, you can see a tonal difference from the kill markings to the canopy rail base colour too.

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.. not terribly obvious here, if that is the case. Looking around for an illustration of Drew’s machine with blue trim I only came across one example, from Lifelike decals

 

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Check photo 5. John Landers BBD when transferred to the 361st. Assuming he kept his name unchanged on the canopy rail in red, the remainder of the rail is not red.

Somewhere I have seen a photo of Detroit Miss showing the kill markings, and the canopy rail in a different shade. I will keep looking

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  • 1 month later...

I'm a volunteer at Bottisham Airfield Museum, amongst our highly knowledgeable staff we've got several than met Ben Drew, I'll attempt to find answers. It's a shame Airfix couldn't identify either of the two Me262's he shot down and mark it accordingly. However we are selling quite few of the kits at the museum shop, despite that! 

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  • 1 year later...
On 6/14/2021 at 8:14 PM, bentwaters81tfw said:

Check photo 5. John Landers BBD when transferred to the 361st. Assuming he kept his name unchanged on the canopy rail in red, the remainder of the rail is not red.

Somewhere I have seen a photo of Detroit Miss showing the kill markings, and the canopy rail in a different shade. I will keep looking

 

 This film still popped up recently uncredited on a social media site. Not sure what it shows - aside from Landers E2 -I in the foreground. But the machine behind it seems to have both red and blue trim.  Blue canopy rail but top of the fin and wingtips in red...

 

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