I Agree, think this will be my first Airfix kit for the stash.
Lawdog as always amazing work.
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That is the problem with comparing kits on this thread; no matter which kit Lawdog is building, it will turn out to be tremendous. So Joe, here is a challenge for you. When you do your next round of Mustangs; get yourself a Revell 1/48 P-51D and build it like you did this Airfix kit (maybe different markings). Then compare it to your Airfix and Tamiya Mustangs and let us know if the end products are worth the extra $20 or so.
Great job there yet again Joe! Love the cockpit and the NM finish.
And amazing to find Tamiya trumped, I thought no one would best the Tamiya P-51 for years…
One question though if I may? I’d always read the USAAF puttied, sanded, and then overpainted all the panel lines on the wings except the control surfaces and ammo doors to enhance the streamlining of the wings. It was supposed to give them a good 5-10 extra mph. Is this wrong or was the material never added or removed from his fighter?
Gemera,
Here’s a link that has other links within it. It should help a little in understanding the factory puttying process and how the planes weathered after delivery.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1468346654/Natural+metal+P-51B+Mustang+wing+questions
Your NMF is stunning just like your fantastic work on the Hasegawa P-38 finish.
Your friend, Toshi
Thanks Mike! Great thread there. I’m going to print out those diagrams of what should be covered and not on the wings. I tried this last Tamiya P-51 I built, I hated to cover up all that amazing detail they’d molded into the wings.
Gemara, if you are doing a generic Mustang, you will probably want to putty those wings. But if you are doing a specific plane at a specific point in time you may want to study your resources closely. You may be able to determine that your model should not be puttied over. For one thing that putty could be worn off, or it may be taken off in order to save weight; or so I have read. When in doubt I would putty, but putty is not the final word!
Thanks Shipwreck! Only problem is most of the USAAF aircraft I’ve been building the only photos I’ve seen are of the nose-art. [:S]
I was wondering last night about F-51s used in the Korean War and later National Guard service. I think I’ve heard somewhere the putty was removed on them but I am by no means sure.
Joe,
The eloquent discourses and accompanying images you present us in your works in progress are always pleasurable viewing. This build is no exception … superlatives have already been fittingly used to descibe your work … I second all of them.
Another question … How long does one need to let Alcad dry before masking it … as in your having masked different panels for different shades of NMF? And…do you use Tamiya masking tape? If not, then what?
Yes they are, but I refuse to fill them in. I love the detail. It seems like a crime to fill them in. It’s my understanding the putty wasn’t very durable and eventually fell out.
Thanks Mike,
I dries pretty quickly, if not immediately. I spray it then begin masking for the other shades. Yes, I use Tamiya masking tape for this.
After returning home from the Steelers and Cheatriots game yesterday I was so pissed I went downstairs and finished this up. Isn’t model building theraputic? It almost erased the visual of that hosejob the Steelers got from the refs. Anyways, to recap, here’s my attempt at building the new Airfix P-51 and the pros and cons compared to the Tamiya kit. Here’s a few things that stuck out:
Things I liked:
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The Correct landing gear bay. Nice to see someone get this area right for a change.
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Nice fit of lower radiator area with some creative engineering to boot. I hate the Tamiya kit in this particular area, which always requires alot of sanding and scribing.
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The windscreen and upper fuselage are one piece with no awkward seam where the “glass” meets the “metal”.
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The cockpit is great right out of the box. It even comes with decals for various placards.
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The machine guns are an insert and very nicely detailed with the correct recessed inboard gun. They fit pretty darn well too.
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The canopy is one piece. It came with a few so now I have extras for later Tamiya kits (Tamiya’s two piece example is an abomination…).
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Seprate control surfaces.
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I liked the prop hub detail (eventhough you wont see it). I thought they did a nice job on the props themselves too.
Things I didn’t like:
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Landing gears and wheel attachment. The detail seemed weak to me. Also, this new trend of adding part of the wheel hub to the landing gear is starting to annoy me. It prevents any chance of after market wheels. Please STOP! The aftermarket companies need your help.
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The tires themselves are lousy and missing half the tread in the center. This coincides with my previous gripe as your sort of stuck using them. I bought Eduard replacements but they didn’t seem to fit…??
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The pilot seat has this weird checkered pattern. I don’t think it’s correct. I’ll subtitute Ultracast here in the future.
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They can drill out the guns but not the exhausts? Not a huge deal but worth noting.
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Lacking in detail in certain areas, particularly the flaps.
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I don’t particularly like the white plastic. I guess this is an Airfix thing.
That about covers it. Although it’s better than the Tamiya kit in most areas, I personally don’t think it has made the Tamiya kit obsolete. I still think Tamiya’s version has better overal surface detail (except for the blobs of machine guns and cockpit).
All this said, I certainly will be building several more of these, especially for the price as these are fairly inexpensive at under 30 bones. I already ordered another o get Preddy’s Cripes-A-Mighty markings.
Reference the subject:
It’s in the markings of 357th FG ace Don Bochkay He scored 13.5 victories to include two Me 262 jet kills. The marking were from Eagle Cal.
Thanks for following…
Had to show the prop…I thought it was nicely done…
Beaurtiful work, Joe. This is a great looking kit and we all appreciate your input on its pros and cons. I will definately think of this one on my next -51.
BK
Thanks for all that comparitive description. Your finished build is as I would expect from you…outstanding in every way.
Another (perhaps dumb) question: You mentioned “The tires themselves are lousy and missing half the tread in the center.” Would the tread have worn down that much on aircraft that were taking off and landing more than once a day on average? Or would the tires have been replaced before such obvious wear? Whatever the case, thanks for the tip about the “lousy” tires.
P.S. Sounds like you are still mad about deflategate [:D].
What a beautiful finish. The NMF is gorgeous.
Your friend, Toshi
amazing work here as always, thanks for the comparison with the Tamiya kit.
Great comparison and greater build
That’s really helpful. Very nice build. I’m liking the new Airfix kits I’ve tried so far.
Joe, awesome job and great presentation, both in the build and finished presentation.[Y]
regards,
Jack
Wow! That is an awesome job. Simply beautiful.