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Tamiya P-51 B Mustang


neilfgr2

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Hi Guys

just started the Tamiya P-51B Mustang... Doing it in the markings of the 355th FG Steeple Morden. always wanted to do one from the old base as its only 15 mins from my house.. Going for The Hun Hunter 'Texas...

found an old black & white pic of the mustang plus a pic of the memorial . Not much left now as its back as farmland..

Cheers,

Neil

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Hey Neil,

You are modelling that P-51 because the 355th FG Steeple Morden base was near your home, and I'd like to model The Hun Hunter 'Texas because I'm a Texan. Do you perchance have any source material and or links that outline the color scheme, additional markings/serial numbers etc. of that particular plane?

Cheers.

Edited by Mike S.
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Hi mike,

I found this on the web,, all the details you asked for are there.... not much else ive found on the web... The decals im using come from a super scale sheet... Number 48-554, P-51B Mustang Aces

Cheers,

Neil

pic-p-51b-2.jpg

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Wow- Neil- Steeple Morden was just down the road from where I lived until recently in Letchworth.

I am uber-keen on 355th stuff, and have quite a lot of reference material, but it's all in storage for the next month or so. Hunhunter had three or four incarnations, and one was even the subject of a US Nationals decal sheet a few years back.

A couple of years ago I literally fell over a pair of O.D. P-51B cockpit side window panels at a Ken Wells book signing at Steeple Morden, somebody had been using them as a cloche in their garden for 50 years!

They were eventually bought by a very happy "The Fighter Collection," after total disbelief at my original comments that they were WW original, still in original paint inside and out, and still totally serviceable in every way!

Rich

REALLY looking forward to this one!

DO NOT BIN IT- HAMMERS ARE NOT ALLOWED

p.s. purists might say a wooden raised cockpit floor would be a little more accurate in the Tamiya cockpit- but it certainly is looking stunning

psps- interesting to see the first and third 'Stangs in line have wavy demarkation between upper and lower colours- while the second is more "plain vanilla."

Also- just in case you aren't aware- the Olive Drab should be smart and polished DARK olive drab, and the not the later style grot

Edited by Mentalguru
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Wow- Neil- Steeple Morden was just down the road from where I lived until recently in Letchworth.

I am uber-keen on 355th stuff, and have quite a lot of reference material, but it's all in storage for the next month or so. Hunhunter had three or four incarnations, and one was even the subject of a US Nationals decal sheet a few years back.

A couple of years ago I literally fell over a pair of O.D. P-51B cockpit side window panels at a Ken Wells book signing at Steeple Morden, somebody had been using them as a cloche in their garden for 50 years!

They were eventually bought by a very happy "The Fighter Collection," after total disbelief at my original comments that they were WW original, still in original paint inside and out, and still totally serviceable in every way!

Rich

REALLY looking forward to this one!

DO NOT BIN IT- HAMMERS ARE NOT ALLOWED

p.s. purists might say a wooden raised cockpit floor would be a little more accurate in the Tamiya cockpit- but it certainly is looking stunning

psps- interesting to see the first and third 'Stangs in line have wavy demarkation between upper and lower colours- while the second is more "plain vanilla."

Also- just in case you aren't aware- the Olive Drab should be smart and polished DARK olive drab, and the not the later style grot

Hi rich,

Well the mustang will be the third one on the go that ive built...(Im i tempting fate!!!!!)

When you say it had the polished Olive Drab what do you mean by that ?????

Cheers,

Neil

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Also- just in case you aren't aware- the Olive Drab should be smart and polished DARK olive drab, and the not the later style grot
When you say it had the polished Olive Drab what do you mean by that ?????

If you are happy spraying enamels, can i suggest White Ensign 1943 USAAF Olive Drab as a 100% ringer for the correct mid-war USAAF colour?

No pics to hand but it looks absolutely spot on.

Al

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Hi rich,

Well the mustang will be the third one on the go that ive built...(Im i tempting fate!!!!!)

When you say it had the polished Olive Drab what do you mean by that ?????

Cheers,

Neil

Hi Neil

Well early P-51's ( and P-47's) were delivered in Dark Olive Drab- a slightly different shade to the later more generalised colour as sprayed on later war aircraft (ok 1943 WAS mid war to us) but it was early stuff for the 8th in the ETO.

As I said- most/all of my stuff is in storage so I can't pop it round (I'm only 5 miles away!) but have a look on scroll down til lyou find it

THis photo shows the waxed finish and the "dark" smooth finish. I wouldsay colour is pretty good in this shot, and also it's a good indicator of the dull dark green in the cockpit

wr-w4.jpg

Also- these aircraft tended to be highly waxed and so tend to appear much darker in photo's, with a "stronger" colour as "appears" in both senses of the word here

loads look darker like this

PM me if you feel like it

Edited by Mentalguru
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Cheers Neil,

That is exactly what I needed, many thanks. I will now plagiarize your idea and build one of my own. Hey, you know what they say about "imitation being the sincerest form of flattery". :)

Edited by Mike S.
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You may wish to check out this rather remarkable story:

http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_eto_aces2.html#Brown

I did this model a while ago from the old Monogram kit and the aforementioned US Nationals decal sheet. Around 1944, ready for the forthcoming invasion, some aircraft that had been delivered in natural metal had their topsides camouflaged in whatever was handy. There's evidence that points to the use of RAF dark green in several cases, and I came down on the side of finishing "Hun Hunter" in that scheme (NMF/dk green). It's an interesting contract with OD, whether new or faded.

(Edit for typos)

Edited by MikeC
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Did you note the "wrinkly" surface on the aircraft's panels. The stresses of flight and handling leave them hardly neat, as is found in the kits. I wonder how to replicate that....

Your 'Stang looks nice...

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