Hi there, i just started working on a monogram P-51B in 1/48, i must say i am amazed, i thought this model was gonna be a piece of junk… is not that great but at least is a little better… here´s my story, i bought this model just to do a “fast and careless build” but since it is not that bad and it is not that ugly i got the VERLINDEN Cockpit, now my question is does anyone has a word of advise regarding this cockpit? i dont know if i should go ahead and put this verlinden thing on this monogram thing or rather save it for the Tamiya P-51B i have standing along with the Eduard PE [:I] please let me know what would you do…
Would this be guilding the lilly? No, wait – making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear? No. That kit is fine. And it served us well for what seems like a long, long time. Until 1/48 got so popular over the last 10 or so years, it’s amazing none of the big Japanese makers didn’t give us a decent Mustang sooner. But personally, if I spent three times the cost of the kit itself for a Verlinden “Update”, I would find a more modern kit to put it in. Like Tamiya’s. I doubt the Verlinden stuff was designed to fit the old Monogram B. But who’s to say it can’t be done. When you say this to modelers, they go and make a fool of you.
If the AM sets are designed for the Tamiya kit, it will take a lot of work to fit it to the Monogram kit. The Monogram kit is pretty good OOB, considering it’s age, so IMHO build the Monogam OOB & save the goodies for the Tamiya.
And what would you say about combining the Eduard PE along with the Verlinden cockpit and putting them in the Tamiya P-51B?? [}:)] you see what i dont like about the PE is that is so “flat” and it looks somewhat real only if you look at it from a straight plane, but with the resin parts i would have a more 3d cockpit and a busy one, what do you say fellas?? any comments?
Not sure how that would work out. The Eduard PE set is designed to enhance the Tamiya kit interior & requires some surgery on the kit parts. I don’t have a Verlinden set to compare, but I did consider using Eduard PE with an Aires interior. After consideration, I decided that using one or the other, but not combining them was the better option.
'zactly what Rick says…
i’ve built a coupla Mono’s “B’s”…even backdated one to an “A” & it’s a nice build for the old technology…imo
i think a company called ART Models now has an interior & detail set for the “B” but, i can’t confirm it.
good luck to ya Hector…
The flatness of PE parts has always been a problem, which is why I look for PE kits with lots of folding parts. If you’ve ever seen Eduard’s three sets for the Monogram A-26, you’ll know what I mean. It’s Eduard at its finest. One set is bombay, other two are cockpit and exterior, and there is very little flatness. I still get annoyed trying to make realistic nobs on levers, and I don’t use 2D blade antennae. Good PE consoles are made to have good homemade switches and nobs added to them. PE is what you make of it, just like the plastic parts in the kit itself.
Yes, i also have those 3 sets along with a promodeler A-26, i will be giving them a try soon, and as far as my P-51B is going i need some motivation so may take a little longer, and regarding those words you said Sharkskin you are absolutely right, i will do my best out of this kit… just need to be focused, thanks for your words fellas! really appreciate them [:)]