Arma Hobby 3SQN Mustang Mk III

[Jay Gee]

G'day Team,

 

Arma Hobby, WOW! If all their kits are like this I'll definitely be getting a few more. Maybe a Hurricane down the track. 

 

This is the Red Roo Models boxing of the 1/72 Mustang Mk III finished as 3SQN RAAF aircraft CV-Y. The Red Roo box is the Arma Hobby kit but with a few 3SQN decals thrown in which are pretty good. Built out of the box except for the Eduard 3D printed 500lb bombs, painted with SMS paints and weathered with Abteilung oils. The real aircraft had a dark 'stucco' coating painted onto the leading edges for protection, so I went a bit heavier to re-create that and am happy with how it turned out. 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

J.G.

 

 

 

 

 

[AdrianMF]

Very nice and gently weathered too.

 

(You would think that a rough leading edge coating would mess with the laminar flow of the wings, given the efforts made elsewhere to keep them smooth by filling all the panel lines...)

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Graham Boak]

It certainly would.  Generally leading edges were kept very smooth and polished regularly, at least when possible.  The first 10% of the chord was and is very important, where any laminarity occurred.  Any rough finish would be downright ignorant and even stupid.  Protection from what?  "Stucco" of course can come in different styles, and may be a mistaken term. 

 

The actual drag benefit from the P-51's "laminar" wing was largely wishful thinking (perhaps influenced by misleading wind tunnel results) and publicity propaganda, though moving the point of maximum thickness would have provided some additional space in the wing.  The real drag improvements with the Mustang were the ducted radiator and the close attention to a smooth outer surface.   Laminar flow was something of a "Holy Grail" with attempts to achieve true laminarity failing.

[FinnAndersen]

Nice model indeed. And yes, the ARMA kit is very, very good.

 

One thing: What was that with the  "dark 'stucco' leading edge coating". Is there photographic evidence of that?

 

/Finn

[Jay Gee]

34 minutes ago, FinnAndersen said:

Nice model indeed. And yes, the ARMA kit is very, very good.

 

One thing: What was that with the  "dark 'stucco' leading edge coating". Is there photographic evidence of that?

 

/Finn

Thanks Finn and Adrian.

 

There's a few photos in the book Southern Cross Mustangs, one of which is also detailed in this link to the 3SQN Association. Scroll down to the picture at the bottom of LAC Knight sitting on a wheel. 

 

https://www.3sqnraafasn.net/subpages/Knight.htm

 

Also a few more here too:

https://3sqnraafasn.net/subpages/Mustangs/3 Sqn P-51K P1.htm

 

And also here in ADF Serials:

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/index.php?/category/album-3-mustang#&ui-state=dialog

 

I remember reading somewhere else that it was to protect against the rough volcanic dust in Italy. I've never visited a volcanic place, but it sounds reasonable to me. 

[georgeusa]

Excellent job on the Mustang. Thanks for sharing.

[kapam]

Really love your work there!

The weathered finish looks excellent, especially underneath. 👍👍

Must get my hands an Arma Hobby kit one day.