This is the project I started some 15 years ago before I got married, funny how some things take a back burner. While cleaning out some storage I came across this monster and thought of the $85us I spent on it then. Figured I’d start back. If you guys don’t mind I’d like to post the project here if nothing more than a note pad for my self. When I stopped before there was no internet to speak of so I missed out on some of the technique sharing. I’ve seen a lot of great tips here and my mind is buzzing with ideas.
I’ve posted before my setup, I have a detached garage I use to store everything. Previous owners used it for a Framing Shop and when they left I bargained for the salvaged 50Gal electric air compressor. He took all the fittings but that’s no big deal. I’ve installed several quick releases and near my painting station I’ve installed a regulator and water trap. High pressure side I have about 150psi to run anything I want and low pressure is 20psi for the Badger 200 nh I got when in the USAF some 25 years ago! (oh god has it been that long!)
I’ve inventoried what was in the box. All parts are there. The engine was built and painted, I’ve only added gloss black to the value covers after seeing that on TV show about rebuilding a p-38. I’m totally satisfied with the way it looks so no problem there. Some other sub assemblies, firewall, cockpit floor/seat, were put together and painted, not satisfied with of them. Disassembled, stripped and repainted the cockpit floor. The firewall is one of the places I’ve got some ideas. I’ve started grinding down the molded tubing and plan on installing hoses and wires to the engine from the firewall for that added realism. Anyone have any idea what that tank is that is resting on the firewall? The right side panel in the cockpit is going to get a make over. I’ve grinded off that hokey looking oxygen tube and regular, figured a kit this big needs a bit more detail than a “half round tube”. I’m going to use a nice gauge black wire and stretch a spring down the length. Just have to figure out the regulator.
Checked out the instrument panel and dang, I can’t believe I painted those dails and gauges like that back then, can’t hardly see them now. The kit came with a clear plastic insert into the panel so they gave us a great potential. What I did way back then was to paint the back of the clear plastic black and the face of the dials drybrushed with white. Once inserted into the panel part it really gave the dials a 3d appearance. All I’ve done is to repaint the panel flat black and detail some of the safety switches and details.
So that’s where I’m at right now. If you’ve read this far congratulations.
Oh yeah my plan is to display the plane in a maintenance mode on tarmac. The 500lb bombs had slots to install the wing mount pylon, i’ve filled them in with putty and slipped a couple of looped wire to simulate the suspension lugs, they supplied separate parts for the fuses (which is cool), both front and rear which begs to have a arming lanyard installed. guessing i’m going to scratch build some sort of dolly to display them on the tarmac.
Oh yeah, I’m using enamel for the base right now and I slapped together a fa/18 1/72 scale to test wash and weathering i’ve been reading here. I use to drybrush all the time. Don’t recall where I picked that up at but I’m familar with that, the Wash and FUTURE trick I never heard of so I’ll give it a shot on the f18 before I put it on the P51.
Still not sure rather it will be “Big Beautiful Doll” or something else. The checkerboard decail intemidates me. I’d rather paint something that big and I’m not sure how to even approch a checkerboard layout.
We’d love to see some pics of your shop and your work, please post 'em if ya got 'em! And [#welcome] to the Forum! You will find lots of great modelers (and a curmudgeon or two) here - hope we see lots of you and your work!
Picture of the shop, it’s ugly! But I will post some pictures of my old compressor just for laughs. It was savlaged from an old gas station before it was demoed. I’ll take some shots of what I got going on, trust me, it ain’t pretty…YET!
Well I tooks some shot for ya Brian but I find that my cell phone camera really blows. I’ll dig out my ol’ digital camera from where my Wife had hidden it and get your hookup.
No one can find the stupid camera, will check glove boxes in vehicles soon.
Progress on the model? Well all past painting has now been stripped and redone. I’ve ground off the raised lines representing gas lines or wiring harnesses. I can’t seem to find a STANDARD routing of hydrolic, gas and other lines on the firewall to engine so I’m just going to do it, same goes for cockpit colors so i’m just going with what I feel good about. Right now I"m going to use some bailing wire to replace the plastic stuff. It’s heavy gauge stuff but once bent correctly it’s not going anywhere.
Oxygen hose has been fun. I got a couple of experiments working. All are based on springs or rapped fine wire. One of my experiments is using one of these products that you dip the handle of a tool in some latex stuff and let dry for a nonslip. Just trying to get the right thickness and twist in the wire to make it look good.
HA I haven’t used the ol’ dremal this much in years!
funny thing, my Wife came down tothe garage to see what I’ve done, all I had to show her was the engine that was painted 15 years ago and insturment panel, cockpit floor and side panels…her eyes rolled… [8-]
OK been tooling around with this kit for the last several weeks on and off. When I started this kit 15 years ago I followed the instructions a bit to closely and installed the Prop early on. That was a mistake. I’ve now broken all but one prop and have scratched repaired them repeatedly. Question. Airfix is gone right? Any way I can get a compete replacement aftermarket or from someone who has bashed their kit for something else? Where would I post the bash part request? I’ve searched aftermarket sources for the 1:24 scale prop but no dice.
Airfix is now owned by Hornby; recently someone found a message, from them, that they’ll be reopening their spares department, in about two months. If you register on their website http://www.airfix.com, you’ll be added to their list, and will be informed when they’re up and running. Oh, and that tank, on the firewall, will be for the hydraulic header tank.
Fitted the fuselage together today, sort of a pain getting all these movable parts lined up. I’ve come to the conclusion that either this kit has suffered some heat damage or it was poorly engineered to start with. After test fitting the cowlings I found that it will be impossible to fit the engine installed and cowlings removable. So i’m fixing the cowlings inplace and removed the engine. Some parts were included in the kit to allow such installation. Had to mod the elevator design, Airfix had a plastic rod that overlapped the opposing rod from the other elevator, I guess it is suppose to make both elevators move in tandem. it broke, I drilled out that rod to make room for some strong wire to linkup the two elevators and get the same result they intended.
Started to attempt to test fit the wings with ammo belts and machineguns in place, they didn’t line up…attempted to install the main gear struts, tabs on the inside bottom wing that is supposed to be a hinge broke. Next large kit I do I hope there are no moving parts and everything is rigged fixed.
this has no turned into an exercise in painting and detailing techniques. Kit is damaged from storage and the plastic is extremely brittle for some reason. Several peices have broken for casual handling and fitting with the smallest of pressure applied. We have a Tax Free Weekend in SC so I’m going to pick up a new digital camera on the cheap side to take some shots of what I have done. don’t expect much.
Puppy- mind you I am not worthy to rain on that parade- but- the Airfix 1/24 'stang is a piece of dog dung. Not Labrador dung, not Corgi dung, but just dung.
A customer gave me an open wallet to build Yeager’s P-51 in 1/24. I bought the Trumpeter, Heller and Airfix kits and threw them all into one kettle. A lot about the Trumpeter kit is good, except a bunch of basic airframe geometry issues which you can easily read about on Goo… searches. The Airfix / Heller Merlin is bad to ok and responds well to AM parts, if you want one for display. But the Airfix/ Heller airframe is caca.
Your compressor setup looks good. Mind the exhaust side of the paint booth, and be vigilant abt the bad things that are sold, like laquer thinner, MEK (shudder) and Alclad II which you can and should deal with successfully, but which will HARM you otherwise.
Thanks for the info Bondo, yeah like I said before this kit has turned into an exercise in techniques. I’m finding major fix issues mating the wing. The canopy is going to be an issue also. But after discovery the trigrit sanding stick from squadron I don’t think it will hold me up long.
So what you are saying is there’s really no REAL good 1/24 p51 out there. I"m thinking to go to 1/32 for future projects. But I do like the big ones…
Funny you mention vents in the paint booth. I have a small closet off the back of the shop that I plan on using. What I’ve been doing is cracking the garage door and putting a squirrel cage fan blowing positive air into the booth circulating the bad air out. I will be rigging something more permanent in the future.
Thanks, but i think I got the prop taken care of. Superglue to the rescue and putting out of reach and not installing it till the last thing will solve the problem.
I’ve got it on the paint bench but today but i’m waiting for the air conditioner to cool off the garage, highs in the uper 90s today. Windscreen is masked off. I’m ready to put this one to bed, I’ll be suprised if the gear can support the wieght, the way all this plastic is breaking…hot storage must have weaken it or something.
But i’m ready to move on from this one, I have a 1/24 Jeep I was going to use in a diorama with this kit, and I may yet do that, 1/48 ME162 and last that cottage industry Hunley. I’ve never worked with resin but I’m looking forward to giving this a shot. stocking up on dust mask…
Mostpainting done now. Got some red trim to do around the nose and spinner. Major decailing is done. Waiting for dry transfers to show up for the stincel stuff. Going to redo the spinner once again, white didn’t mask well.
Leasons learned on this build.
Puddy is your friend, use it, use it alot.
Squadron Trigrit is my friend.
Future is the stuff, you guys weren’t kidding.
I hate airfix
Best not to build a kit that has not been stored properly
I"m not sure about this metalizer from Modelmasters. Might try either BMF next time.
If you think you got the hole filled, fill it again.
I have a 1/24 jeep I was thinking about displying with this plane but I may not. You eagle eyes might see the major problem I have, I don’t know how long my fix will last.
I have a picture of my Dad in Korea washing the Willy he drove in a creek, I was thinking it would be neat to do that in a diaroma if I"m up to it. I"m not sure, I couldn’t make the egine work the way I wanted on this thing, how in the world would I do a babbling creek over rocks?
Anyhows. Next up is a spray of future to level up the finish and then some weathering, light weathering…
