I’m having a threesome! Now finished

[Farmerboy]

Hi @Retired Bob yes injector pin marks are a pain but will be virtual invisible once the cockpit floor is fitted, Airfix  plastic is soft and soapy so I should think the pin marks show up more, apparently they have changed to a harder plastic recently on there newer releases.

When I get there I won’t be filling the wing panels, not for this exercise, I shall be joining next year’s Mustang group build, so my winner here will be the one I use then and yes the wings will be smooth!!

[Farmerboy]

Cockpit fitted to one side, no problems with any of them just a bit of tidying up to do, then on to closing up the fuselage.

Have now fitted lap belts on the Tamiya.

Airfix.

Eduard.

[Keeff]

Good work ... you seem to be speeding along with these! 

 

The comparison between the three is interesting .... Eduard looks the best for detail, but the Tamiya seat looks the best.  Looks like Airfix struggle with finer detail like the bars on the sides of the seat ... 

 

Keith 😁  

[Farmerboy]

35 minutes ago, Keeff said:

Good work ... you seem to be speeding along with these! 

 

The comparison between the three is interesting .... Eduard looks the best for detail, but the Tamiya seat looks the best.  Looks like Airfix struggle with finer detail like the bars on the sides of the seat ... 

 

Keith 😁  

I’ve had a few days off, so wet out there it’s a perfect opportunity to spend time in the cave. The production line approach seem to speed things up but at the expense of some finesse. 
Airfix parts are certainly chunky, but it’s a nice busy cockpit to look at, surprisingly different sidewall details and layout between the three, we’re do they  do their research?

[Adam Maas]

1 hour ago, Farmerboy said:

I’ve had a few days off, so wet out there it’s a perfect opportunity to spend time in the cave. The production line approach seem to speed things up but at the expense of some finesse. 
Airfix parts are certainly chunky, but it’s a nice busy cockpit to look at, surprisingly different sidewall details and layout between the three, we’re do they  do their research?

The right sidewall changes a lot between aircraft, depending on what gear is currently fitted (radios, oxygen, et al). If you look at cockpit photos of the real thing, there's a LOT of variation on the right hand side.

[Retired Bob]

You are making good progress with your Mustangs, I agree that building three kits on a production line approach does speed up things when painting three cockpits at the same time, but having to clean up three sets of all parts can also make your progress appear to take longer, especially using different kits with all their variations.

[bissyboat]

Good bit of multitasking there. All of the above cockpits bring something different to the table. No doubt Eduards kit is coming out on top. ⚓👍

[Farmerboy]

8 hours ago, bissyboat said:

Good bit of multitasking there. All of the above cockpits bring something different to the table. No doubt Eduards kit is coming out on top. ⚓👍

Definitely a front runner BB, but some negatives coming up in the build in my eyes, simple as it is in comparison, Tamiya’s is a lovely build.

[Andy H]

Neat idea, nicely presented 👍

 

I'll lurk in the shadows and pick up some tips...just in case I kick my armour habit. 😁

[Farmerboy]

Fuselage closed up and showing the left hand side of the cockpit.

 

Tamiya.

Airfix

Eduard

Still have to build and install the Eduard IP which as a PE item comes later in the build sequence, but of course looks superb.

So scores are

Tamiya, 6 points (mainly due to its simplicity)

Airfix,    8 points ( good amount of detail but rather chunky)

Eduard, 9 points ( PE. Placards very fiddly)

 

With the closing of the fuselage the first negative for Eduard is the fact that both Tamiya and Airfix use an insert for the engine top covers, a much better solution in my opinion.

 

Going to deduct points for having to do more sanding on the Eduard!!!! So there!

[Retired Bob]

59 minutes ago, Farmerboy said:

With the closing of the fuselage the first negative for Eduard is the fact that both Tamiya and Airfix use an insert for the engine top covers, a much better solution in my opinion.

The cockpits are all looking very good.  I had a look at some of my Mustang kits and I had a similar thought about the Eduard kit, without slide mould technology like the new Miniart P-47 kit, the rivets and panel lines fade at the edge of the fuselage halves.  Interestingly, the Hasegawa P-51D kit also has the engine covers moulded as part of the fuselage halves, this kit is even more simplified than the Tamyia kit in some respects as the two part wings, upper and lower section have the flaps and main u/c bay all moulded in place. 

[Farmerboy]

I mentioned in an earlier post that the Airfix kit didn’t have the transparent spruce, A quick email exchange with Airfix spares and lo and behold  replacements arrived today!! 
That’s earned some brownie points!!!

[Zephyr91]

1 hour ago, Farmerboy said:

 replacements arrived today!! 

That sounds good.  I'm aware that others have not been so lucky.  However, I had a similarly good experience to you when I wanted to purchase a spare transparency set for my 1/72 Defiant after messing it up.  It arrived cost and post free very quickly.

 

I'm enjoying the comparisons and parallel builds.  Thanks for sharing.

 

cheers

 

Rob

[Farmerboy]

Wheel wells assembled and painted, when l say assembled, only Eduards needed assembly as the formers were individually items which of course added to a scale appearance. Tamiya is a two part affair, the second element is moulded into the top wing, more of which later.

Bit of detail painting, will add weathering later, and added to lower wing.

 

[Karearea]

For the STGB I’m going to do the Airfix kit in the RAAF 3 Sqn. markings, with a camouflage base.

It’s very instructive seeing the differences between the kits- thanks for your time documenting them.

 

I know Eduard has a 3 Sqn. NMF scheme for one of their editions, thinking it could be a good way to show off all that additional fine detailing. I’ll add that to my list for Santa too..

Edited November 18, 2023 by Karearea

[Retired Bob]

Main gear bays are looking very neat, I like the shade of green you are using in the cockpits, may I ask whose paints you are using?

Edited November 18, 2023 by Retired Bob
wrong spelling

[Farmerboy]

9 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

Main gear bays are looking very neat, I like the shade of green you are using in the cockpits, may I ask whose paints you are using?

Morning RB, cockpits were painted with Vallejo model air interior green, 71.010.

hope that helps, wheel wells were xtra colour enamel zinc chromate.

[Alan P]

These look fantastic 👍 nice to see the differences between the three kits as well.

 

(I admit I only came here because of the headline 😂, but l it was well worth looking in 😅)

[Retired Bob]

2 minutes ago, Alan P said:

(I admit I only came here because of the headline 😂, but l it was well worth looking in 😅)

I never had such thoughts, I was just interested to see which 3 kits were being built. 

I did think about a comparison build between 3 Eduard kits, 1. Weekend edition.  2. Profi-pack edition.  3. Royale edition (with full resin replacement parts) I didn't think that would be very interesting.

For the Mustang GB perhaps an Eduard kit with a Tamiya  and Hasegawa kit to show the different kit styles. 

[Farmerboy]

Just a footnote for some who have warned about the fit of the fin fillets.

Airfix needed some fettliing to fit to the fuselage sides and when the fuselage were put together l was left with a small step on one side, not fatal, but annoying, can’t see how l could have got a better fit.

Mind you Eduard had a few problems, a fair bit of scrapping and sanding to get a half decent fit.

 

[Keeff]

These builds are progressing well and the thread is very informative. 

I'm pleasantly suprised at the cockpit detail on the Airfix kit ... not far off the detail of the Eduard one. 

 

It's also interesting to see how the different makers approach the make up and design of the components. 

 

Keith 😁 

[Retired Bob]

On 20/11/2023 at 18:55, Farmerboy said:

Mind you Eduard had a few problems, a fair bit of scrapping and sanding to get a half decent fit.

I'm not sure why they made the fuselage with a separate fin fillet, they make an early -5 fuselage without a fillet so unless there are different types of fillet, why not make it integral to the fuselage halves.  

[Farmerboy]

6 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

I'm not sure why they made the fuselage with a separate fin fillet, they make an early -5 fuselage without a fillet so unless there are different types of fillet, why not make it integral to the fuselage halves.  

I couldn’t agree more, as the builds progress the simplicity of Tamiya’s construction makes more and more sense, just cleaning up some joints now in readiness to join wings to fuselage, more examples of over engineering are apparent!!

Tamiya tail unit with moulded fillet and rudder, surely good enough for anyone!

[Retired Bob]

9 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

I'm not sure why they made the fuselage with a separate fin fillet, they make an early -5 fuselage without a fillet so unless there are different types of fillet, why not make it integral to the fuselage halves.  

I can now answer my own question, I checked some references and there were different fillets, the Eduard P-51 kits give two fillets, part D 5 is the fillet fitted to Mustangs from blocks 10 to 15, part D 4 is the fillet fitted to Mustangs from blocks 20 upwards.  The fillets were fitted to restore the lateral stability that was lost when the sides of the earlier P-51B were cut down to fit the bubble canopy.

[Gary Brantley]

I'm following along with great interest, FB!   This is a great project and one that should shed light on all three kits' foibles and delights.  👍 I look forward to your results as I plan on doing a Latin American Mustang soon!