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P-51B/Mustang III in 1/72 - suggsetions?


John

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If you are planing a P-51B/Mustang III in 1/72, what's currently available and which would be the kit of choice? I think my LMS has Academy and Revell, and I remember an Airfix kit, but are there any others?

John

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Academy - this kit also had an RAF option, and Malcolm hood.

Academy_P51B_Mustang.jpg

Hasegawa - this kit is available in RAF options (don't know about Malcolm hood though).

Hasegawa_P51B_Mustang.jpg

Revell.

Revell_P51B_Mustang.jpg

Revell. RAF boxing with Malcolm hood.

Revell_P51_MustangIII.jpg

I've also got an Airfix model - but no photos.

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The problem when trying to recommend a 1/72 scale P-51B is that all available kits have accuracy issues. The leading edge of the wing root,in most kits appear to be based on the P-51D wing which had a pronounced forward crank this is not present on the P-51B, it's very apparent fault I can't understand why the error has been made by manufacturers it can easily be seen if you view the aircraft/model in plan,correcting this would require major surgery to the wing leading edge,undercarriage bay and wing root.. There are other issues but I consider the leading edge/wing root to be the major problem.

If I had to make a choice between the two you mention I would go for the Academy,which is arguably the best anyway along with the Hasegawa.(the Hasegawa scores due to ease of build) hope this helps.

Some of the releases of the Hasegawa kit contain a Malcolm hood

Malcolm

Edited by Mal
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The Academy kit is a pretty easy build, the rear fuselage is a trifle short, but its less noticeable than the straight lower edge to the windscreen on the Hasegawa kit. The Revell kit is a near build but there is something about the nose that throws it for me.

There's also the Hobbyboss one which I keep meaning to bag.

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Don't forget the old Monogram kit, which is still regarded as the most accurate P51B in 1/72 scale...

DSC00223.jpg

DSC00222.jpg

And then there's the Airfix...

MustangIIINo2.jpg

MustangIIINo4.jpg

The Airfix kit suffers the same problem with the angled wing leading edge and has been rectified on the model above. The angle SHOULD be there on a P51B...just not quite so pronounced as on the D. Not a single one of the currently available P51B/C kits is accurate, although the Revell would seem to be the pick of the bunch. The Hasegawa has the P51D leading edge plus a ridiculously shallow wheel well. The Academy COULD have been good, but its windscreen extends too far forward and creates the impression that the model's nose is too short...very difficult to fix, but not impossible. The Hobby Boss is unashamedly a simplified copy of the Academy (as so many of their kits are) and naturally duplicates the windscreen error.

The old Monogram kit may be a little difficult to find nowadays, so of those generally available now, I'd strongly recommend the Revell. It has some minor shape problems around the nose, but nothing that will stand out and be really noticeable.

Cheers,

Tim.

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Don't forget the old Monogram kit, which is still regarded as the most accurate P51B in 1/72 scale...

DSC00223.jpg

DSC00222.jpg

And then there's the Airfix...

MustangIIINo2.jpg

MustangIIINo4.jpg

The Airfix kit suffers the same problem with the angled wing leading edge and has been rectified on the model above. The angle SHOULD be there on a P51B...just not quite so pronounced as on the D. Not a single one of the currently available P51B/C kits is accurate, although the Revell would seem to be the pick of the bunch. The Hasegawa has the P51D leading edge plus a ridiculously shallow wheel well. The Academy COULD have been good, but its windscreen extends too far forward and creates the impression that the model's nose is too short...very difficult to fix, but not impossible. The Hobby Boss is unashamedly a simplified copy of the Academy (as so many of their kits are) and naturally duplicates the windscreen error.

The old Monogram kit may be a little difficult to find nowadays, so of those generally available now, I'd strongly recommend the Revell. It has some minor shape problems around the nose, but nothing that will stand out and be really noticeable.

Cheers,

Tim.

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I'd recommend the Academy followed by the Revell. The Monogram is the most accurate but would be very difficult to find. The Airfix suffers from having the wrong wing, and the weakest u'c I have struck. This is my Academy one

P51C11.jpg

Actually, the Monogram kit is in current production, part of Accurate Miniature's P-51B/P-41N duo kit. (the P-41N kit is also the old Monogram offering) Very nice P-51, BTW!

Byron

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Actually, I have my doubts about the much vaunted Monogram kit - accurate in ooutline perhaps, but some of the actual shapes are a little off. The Academy fuselage is a virtual clone of the Hasegawa one.

I was complimenting MilneBay's P-51 build, not the Monogram kit. Other than that, I was simply offering up a piece of factual information that nobody else seemed to be aware of.

On a personal note, I disitinctly remember remember being frustrated trying to glue on some long tubes (which I very much later discovered were rocket launchers) onto a Lindberg P-51 (the old one, not the later 60's version) when this man came on the TV and announced that the Russians had launched something into space that they called a Sputnik. I was four at the time, which means that I have been building models for at least 52 years, now. In all that time, I have yet to come across a 'perfect' kit, from any manufacturer, in any country. Because of that, I sort of don't play the 'if it's made in my country, it's gotta be better than anybody else's kit.' game. I can level factual, dispassionate criticisms over any kit, and probably so can you. When it was initially released, the Monogram P-51B was simply the best and most accurate version available in 1/72, not to mention the only -B/C version in that scale, IIRC. Period. There was no competition. That doesn't mean that it was perfect, then or now. The truly remarkable thing, that many of the other commentators have noted, is the fact that it has fared as well as it has over the years. I would say exactly the same thing had the kit been made by Airfix, rather than Monogram. I still plan to build at least one more of my Airfix Superfortress, even though I have more than enough Academy B-29s to occupy my time for the rest of my life. Both have their strengths, and both have their weaknesses. There is no perfect kit - that's part of the fun, at least for me.

BTW, I don't disagree with you about the Academy clones. They've done that with a lot of kits, including the Airfix U2 and the Hasegawa Bf109E (first version).

Have a good one!

Byron

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Actually, the Monogram kit is in current production, part of Accurate Miniature's P-51B/P-41N duo kit. (the P-41N kit is also the old Monogram offering) Very nice P-51, BTW!

Byron

Thanks, actually IIRC the Monogram P41N is supposed to be off scale - something like 1/67 or something, but I could be wrong. I built one many many many years ago.

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Thanks, actually IIRC the Monogram P41N is supposed to be off scale - something like 1/67 or something, but I could be wrong. I built one many many many years ago.

I also believe that to be correct, which is why I specified the P-40N (oops! my mistake!) as being the Monogram kit, as opposed to the Hasegawa or Academy offerings, which really are 1/72.

Byron

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Basically, they are all WRONG.

I "really" did this a few years back. Academy's new Alison mustang is certainly the way to go for the shallow fuselage a/c, but after that, then you are dancing wit hthe devil.

The Monogram, although wrong, is sweet. The academy is an easy build, but has errors, as does the Revell kit, which is typical "Eastern Bloc cheapy Revell"

I would strongly advise you to sit back and wait for Tamiya to scale down their 1/48 kit.

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Would cross-kitting the Academy P51A wing with Academy P51B/C fuselage not do the trick? Okay, it'll cost a few pennies but probably still less than Tamiya's hypothetical 72nd P51B/C...

There's not too much wrong with the Academy wing - the errors in that kit are the fuselage (too short and funny shaped windows)

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The Academy “A” wing is missing the fairings that were on the majority of “B/C” 's they can be seen on the above models,as Dave says the Academy “B”wing is not that bad.

Should Tamiya scale down there 1/48 P-51B they need to correct the wing ejectors holes and the cockpit floor.

All the 1/72 scale kits have faults making the choice subjective.

Malcolm

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  • 4 weeks later...

Have just aquired several P-51B's, boxed by Mastercraft, the sprue is marked as Intech. All parts look cleanly moulded with engraved detail, although the separate propeller blades have a lot of flash and the air scoup required drilling out. The main selling point, apart from cost (they were really cheap) is the excellent decal sheets each kit contains four options. Malcomb and standard canopies are included, only one in each kit, but the box art clearly shows which you are getting. Main question relates once again to the leading edge wing crank. The Intech moulding has the P-51D profile which I have filed back by about 50% which look better but does anybody have actual 1:72 scale plans this show the detail. From an 'engineering' view why was the leading edge changed in the first place ?

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From an 'engineering' view why was the leading edge changed in the first place ?

I read somewhere that the 'D' wing was relocated slightly aft to allow for C of G variation due to the removal of the upper part of the rear fuselage. The wing root fillet encloses some engine gubbins, so the forward position was retained. Sounds plausible.

peebeep

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The Monogram certainly lead the field for many years, but there are aspects of it that would not be acceptable nowadays - the hole in the nose behind the spinner and the poor canopy for starters.

I still prefer the Hasegawa B, despite its shallow wheel wells. Yes, you do have to modify the root fairing, but that's common to many. The point is not just to trim it shorter in plan, but it must droop down. I''ve got the Hobbyboss one, so I'll have to check what can be done with replacement canopies.

I hadn't heard the story about the wing moving backwards on the D. It seems odd. The change of cg from the different fuselage structure wouldn't be too severe - no one suggest the same happened on Spitfires, Typhoons or P-47s. The effect on the fuselage structure would be severe (the wing spar would have to pick up on a new fuselage frame design) and the radiator/intake position would be affected. However, I haven't heard any better reason - other than something about the wheels which is even less convincing.

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There were changes in the u/c door retraction gear and uplocks. (See:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/...3e7cf5275bd82b6 - interesting comments about differences in engine cowling and firewall height there as well)

As to whether these were because of, or the cause of, the changes to the l/e shape is not clear - my suspicion always was it was for aerodynamic reasos

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There were changes in the u/c door retraction gear and uplocks. (See:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/...3e7cf5275bd82b6 - interesting comments about differences in engine cowling and firewall height there as well)

As to whether these were because of, or the cause of, the changes to the l/e shape is not clear - my suspicion always was it was for aerodynamic reasos

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  • 2 weeks later...
The Monogram certainly lead the field for many years, but there are aspects of it that would not be acceptable nowadays - the hole in the nose behind the spinner and the poor canopy for starters.

I still prefer the Hasegawa B, despite its shallow wheel wells. Yes, you do have to modify the root fairing, but that's common to many. The point is not just to trim it shorter in plan, but it must droop down. I''ve got the Hobbyboss one, so I'll have to check what can be done with replacement canopies.

I hadn't heard the story about the wing moving backwards on the D. It seems odd. The change of cg from the different fuselage structure wouldn't be too severe - no one suggest the same happened on Spitfires, Typhoons or P-47s. The effect on the fuselage structure would be severe (the wing spar would have to pick up on a new fuselage frame design) and the radiator/intake position would be affected. However, I haven't heard any better reason - other than something about the wheels which is even less convincing.

I quite agree with you Graham, the Hasegawa kit is very nice - I particularly like the way they molded the rear canopy windows integrally with a portion of the rear deck. I managed to pick up the Hawkeye wing correction while they were still in production, and it looks promising (I stalled out after painting the wheel wells). I plan to build it up as Lt Nicholas 'Cowboy' Megura's "Ill Wind?" One of these days...

Cheers,

Byron

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Would cross-kitting the Academy P51A wing with Academy P51B/C fuselage not do the trick? Okay, it'll cost a few pennies but probably still less than Tamiya's hypothetical 72nd P51B/C...

Cross-kitting the Hasegawa fuselage with the Academy wing is probably the best way to go short of using the Hawkeye Designs wing. Scour the trade tables at the next show you attend, you can usually find both kits and spend less than $15, still much less than a Tamiya kit that will never be made.

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