LOL! LOL! Thank you for the laugh today! As for the kit itself, I highly recommend this kit from Academy.
Toshi
This is where I’m at on this overcast Thursday. Today is supposed to be the last day of the RNC. I hope so as Mrs. Toshi and I want to go and get some authentic dim sum this Sunday at a Chinese restaurant called Li Wah on the corner of 30th and Payne in East Cleveland. Yes, they are so authentic that they have roasted ducks, chickens, and piggy hung upside down. These are so yummy! That’s if the RNC finishes up today as downtown Cleveland is a mad house!
My favorite is the roasted duck, Mrs. Toshi loves the steamed bun stuffed with char siu piggy. Actually, that is also my favorite. After our Sunday brunch, I normally take Mrs. Toshi grocery shopping in and around Li Wah. Unfortunately, the authentic Japanese restaurants and grocery stores are in Columbus, Ohio on Old Henderson Road. If you like fresh fish, the Japanese market in Columbus called Tensuke Market is the place to go. That’s the only sushi I will eat in Ohio.
As for my Academy 1/72 P-51B Mustang, I decided to go ahead and hand paint the entire kit. I will later add invasion stripes (For the first time I’ve ever done that) for the “Old Crow” representation. I hope you like what you forum members see for now. Thank you for visiting!
Toshi
Very ambitious. 1/72 is just too small for me. You’re doing a fine job there.
Thank you for the support. Mrs. Toshi decided this was a kit she wanted to see assembled by me. This happens to be her most favorite build out of all the kits that I’ve built! Thanks for the visit!
Toshi
I like it, Toshi!
Looking good so far !
Chris
Thank you sir!
Toshi
Thanks!!
Toshi
Here is the completed P-51B. No issues with the build. I just had a hard time with the decals. I used Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. That helped lay down the decals.
Toshi
Okay, yeah, I’ve got to pick this kit up for the stash later. That’s cool looking.
So the stripes are provided as decals? Those decals are thick aren’t they? lol. I had some trouble with them on the SPaD too. But the Tamiya Extra Thin helped me out there.
I think you’ll want to run a sharp blade through the panel lines of the flaps and get them settled in a little better with decal set. …or Tam Ex Thin.
If this were 1/48 I know you would’ve painted those stripes on, buddy.
I liek this one, but I don’t love it. You rushed this one a little too fast I think.
Your observations are correct in that the stripes were decals. I’ll never do that again. The next invasion stripes will be on a 1/48 or more likely a 1/32 and I’ll definately paint those up!
I’ll try the sharp blade technique and take it from my there. Yah, after my destroyed F-4 and P-51 I was not focused nor cared. In essence, I gave up and had a negative attitude! Sorry about that!
Toshi
Toshi,
Nice work on the B! Never thought of using liquid cement to attach decals, will keep that in mind next time. I haven’t built the Academy A/A-36, but I’ve heard good things about it. I’d stay away from their D model, the new Airfix is much nicer for the same price. Their Wildcat has some problems, but it can be a decent build. Now that Airfix has come out with their F4F, it’s probably a moot point. I tried building their P-40B, just get the Airfix kit, you’ll be a lot happier. Disclaimer, I have no financial agreement with Airfix, their new stuff is just that good.
I’ve never had made a kit from Airfix before. I hear nothing but good things about Airfix. I need to invest in one!
Toshi
Nice job Toshi. The Academy P-47D I built had the checkerboard nose and invasion stripes for decals, but they were too thin. I’ll never use decals for stripes again, they will be painted next time. To back up what others have said about the 1/72 Wildcat, I built it last year and the cockpit left me disappointed, I will try to build the Airfix version instead.
Toshi,
You’ll need to be careful with the Airfix kits, unless you know what you’re buying is a new tool, their older kits are boxed in the same manner. However, sometimes their kit (especially in 1/72) is the only game in town. Their old kits though are generally accurate in shape and dimension, the only real problems are the heavy rivets and lack of cockpit detail. But then in 1/72, there really isn’t much to see in the pit, especially if the canopy is closed. The best thing about the new tools is the bang for the buck. For instance, imho, their new 1/72 P-51D is just about as easy to assemble, and fits almost as good as the Tamiya P-51D, and has the option to drop the flaps (without surgery), and you can do a wheels up version without a bunch of problems, at roughly half of what the Tamiya kit costs. However, I would not use it a the basis for a contest kit because it’s not as good a base as the Tamiya.
Thank you 7474 for your support and read and replies are greatly appreciated. Thanks for the tips and review of the 1/72 Wildcat. I too will look into a Airfix version.
Toshi
Sir, thank you once again for this valuable information. I definately will be diligent in my next purchase if it is a Airfix kit. As for Tamiya, they are pricey but I do enjoy the fit and finish. Thanks for the read and replies!
Toshi
Nice to see this done Toshi. White decals are always a pain and always better painted.
In regards to Airfix, i used to avoid them like the plauge, but i have bought a few of their new ones in the last couple of years and have herad a lot of good things. As mentioned, it can be difficult to know if its a old or new kit, you can’t go by the kit number as you can with other brands. You might want to check out the hannants site as it does indicate if the kit is a new one.
And i will definatly pick up one of the 51B’s.
Well, now I really need to look into a Airfix kit. I’ll check out the Hannants site right now. As always, thank you for the tip!
Toshi
Fine looking Crow Toshi. Anderson is one of my favorite pilots.