Tamiya 1/48 P51D Mustang
Discussion
A quick build (with a gap in the middle, standard practise for me) of the ubiquitous Tamiya Mustang.
It's OOB except for some seatbelts knicked from a Great Wall Hobby TBD Devastator which came with PE (but I got an Eduard set to replace it) and decals from EagleCals for Big Beautiful Doll. I had a Big Beautiful Doll many years ago using Monogram decals on a Tamiya kit albeit brush painted in my teenage years before getting my first airbrush. That model is long dead but as it happened, I had an accident with the canopy of this new one and pending getting a replacement vac form, the old canopy was in my spares box and serves for the time being despite being a little grubby.
The fuselage is Alclad II Polished Aluminium over their cellulose based black lacquer (which I love, by the way). It's my first time using these and they mix the wonderful spraying characteristics of enamels with the rapid drying of acrylics. Some hate it, but I happen to love the smell of cellulose too although obviously like all painting, good ventilation is required. Everything that isn't Alclad is my own Colourcoats enamels.
I omitted to take some photos of the initial assembly as I was doing this one with my eldest daughter at the time.
It's not perfect but mine never are. Once I've got some light weathering on I think I'll be happy enough to display it in the house though
It's OOB except for some seatbelts knicked from a Great Wall Hobby TBD Devastator which came with PE (but I got an Eduard set to replace it) and decals from EagleCals for Big Beautiful Doll. I had a Big Beautiful Doll many years ago using Monogram decals on a Tamiya kit albeit brush painted in my teenage years before getting my first airbrush. That model is long dead but as it happened, I had an accident with the canopy of this new one and pending getting a replacement vac form, the old canopy was in my spares box and serves for the time being despite being a little grubby.
The fuselage is Alclad II Polished Aluminium over their cellulose based black lacquer (which I love, by the way). It's my first time using these and they mix the wonderful spraying characteristics of enamels with the rapid drying of acrylics. Some hate it, but I happen to love the smell of cellulose too although obviously like all painting, good ventilation is required. Everything that isn't Alclad is my own Colourcoats enamels.
I omitted to take some photos of the initial assembly as I was doing this one with my eldest daughter at the time.
It's not perfect but mine never are. Once I've got some light weathering on I think I'll be happy enough to display it in the house though
Thanks! I'll restrict weathering to some light washing and exhaust dirt.
I used Alclad's own black lacquer for the base coat. It sprays straight from the bottle. Beinf cellulose based I dusted on the first coat but it dries so fast that by the time I had turned it around the first bits were touch dry so I got the whole lot done in a single sitting! Wonderful stuff!
I've built a few of these before and in line with the others the wings fit very well and need no filler. Making the most of that I didn't glue the wings on until applying the red stripes around the nose chequers!
As you'll know I'm sure, Mustangs had their rivets filled on the wings and then painted silver for laminar flow improvement. Only the fuselage, ailerons and flaps were natural metal.
Keeping the wings off made everything quite convenient on this one.
I used Alclad's own black lacquer for the base coat. It sprays straight from the bottle. Beinf cellulose based I dusted on the first coat but it dries so fast that by the time I had turned it around the first bits were touch dry so I got the whole lot done in a single sitting! Wonderful stuff!
I've built a few of these before and in line with the others the wings fit very well and need no filler. Making the most of that I didn't glue the wings on until applying the red stripes around the nose chequers!
As you'll know I'm sure, Mustangs had their rivets filled on the wings and then painted silver for laminar flow improvement. Only the fuselage, ailerons and flaps were natural metal.
Keeping the wings off made everything quite convenient on this one.
Hi and thank you.
They're decals. The wing tips are black & clear squares. The red stripes are separate. The nose was in 4 parts printed in black and white, although as you'll see I sprayed the nose white first as I didn't trust the white and expected some imperfections at the seams. They needed a very small amount of touching in with black and a fine brush but nothing that's bothering me.
All credit to EagleCal for those... I'm not sure whether they really needed it, but they certainly got a lot of MicroSol applied.
They're decals. The wing tips are black & clear squares. The red stripes are separate. The nose was in 4 parts printed in black and white, although as you'll see I sprayed the nose white first as I didn't trust the white and expected some imperfections at the seams. They needed a very small amount of touching in with black and a fine brush but nothing that's bothering me.
All credit to EagleCal for those... I'm not sure whether they really needed it, but they certainly got a lot of MicroSol applied.
jamieduff1981 said:
Hi and thank you.
They're decals. The wing tips are black & clear squares. The red stripes are separate. The nose was in 4 parts printed in black and white, although as you'll see I sprayed the nose white first as I didn't trust the white and expected some imperfections at the seams. They needed a very small amount of touching in with black and a fine brush but nothing that's bothering me.
All credit to EagleCal for those... I'm not sure whether they really needed it, but they certainly got a lot of MicroSol applied.
The result is spot-on with the checkers. I asked because having tried decals and ended up masking them individually on "Old Crow" I believe both methods are potentially just as difficult. IMO not being able to tell which method you've used requires considerable skill (and as you say excellent quality decals). I didn't realise the subtleties of geometry required to get consistent looking squares on compound surfaces until I tried it.They're decals. The wing tips are black & clear squares. The red stripes are separate. The nose was in 4 parts printed in black and white, although as you'll see I sprayed the nose white first as I didn't trust the white and expected some imperfections at the seams. They needed a very small amount of touching in with black and a fine brush but nothing that's bothering me.
All credit to EagleCal for those... I'm not sure whether they really needed it, but they certainly got a lot of MicroSol applied.
I think they're these ones? https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/EAG48142
I was thinking the other day what it must have been/be like to pilot one of these with over 1000hp at your fingertips. Not even a Veyron would come close.
I was thinking the other day what it must have been/be like to pilot one of these with over 1000hp at your fingertips. Not even a Veyron would come close.
sad61t said:
I think they're these ones? https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/EAG48142
I was thinking the other day what it must have been/be like to pilot one of these with over 1000hp at your fingertips. Not even a Veyron would come close.
Yes that's the exact set. I've built a number of Bodney / 352nd FG Mustangs before but have almost concluded my research in to the blues used on the noses. I had been thinking of manufacturing it and the 352nd FG Association members have been extremely helpful. It turns out there were 2 colours used consistently on later Mustangs, one being an RAF blue I don't currently have and the late war ones (the darkest blue) was a special called Nunemacher Blue. I've got access to good references to match those. The early P51Bs had noses painted by the squadron painters who had a spec the different squadrons were variable in how seriously they took the formula. One squadron tried hard to get it right, another just threw in whatever each time! I am close to concluding that it would be unlikely I could sell a full batch of each of the more consistently made later colours on the Ds, so i probably won't bother.I was thinking the other day what it must have been/be like to pilot one of these with over 1000hp at your fingertips. Not even a Veyron would come close.
At any rate, I'd like to build another couple of Bodney Mustangs for myself soon.
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