I want to make diorama based on the Tuskegee airmen and am just starting my research.
First question is, which kit to build? I want to build in 1/48, and the Tamiya 61047 North American RAF Mustang III seems to get excellent reviews, but of course it’s got the wrong decals. From what I have found out so far, the RAF Mustang III equated to both P51-B and P51-C models.
The build I want is based on a picture of Captain ‘Jug’ Turner’s P51-C ‘Skippers Darlin’ III’ out of Ramitelli in Sept 1944, from Tuskegee Airmen by Barry M. Stentiford.
The canopy looks as though it may present a problem, although I’ve read, somewhere, that this kit offers a variety of canopy options.
So, is this a good route to go? Are there any other issues that I am unaware of? Where to source decals for the Tuskegee plane?
Tamiya has a Mustang release out now (I’ve seen at Hobby Lobby) that includes the proper decals for the 332nd FG. It’s for the bubble top. If you can find it, Accurate Miniatures had a razorback Mustang with several options for their a/c. I don’t know if the particular a/c you’re looking for is in there, but since interest in their exploits increased from the release of the movie a little while back, there may be some aftermarket decals out there for it.
A decal company just released a set of 332’nd FG decals for Bunny, a P-51 D. Not sure of the pilot’s name (Johnson(?) but he was credited with the first ME 262 kill.
Unless you get a specific Tuskegee kit, Tamiya D or Accurate Miniatures B/C, You will have to go after market. Actually if you go the Tamiya route you will need after market decals anyway because the Tamiya decals are not very good.
I have just completed the Tamiya kit as Bunnie. It was a good kit except for the thick decals. Previous to that I completed P-51B hacked with the D style canopy, 43-12102. I am now working on P-51B Hun Hunter, the Accurate Miniatures B/C Tuskegee kit.
Both B and D kits that I used for 43-12102 were Revell kits. I found the Revel kits to be just as good as the Tamiya and AM kits. There is some accuracy problems with the AM wings.
I am trying to post a photo of the D and B/D in flight???
If this image will post correctly, it relates to my previous post of 4/17 in order to compare the Revell and Tamiya 1/48 P-51s. One has raised panel lines and two have engraved panel lines. You see two planes, not three. One is 43-12102 which was hacked to test the bubble canopy!
Not sure off the bat, it was something I got linked to from somewhere else, and I looked at their offerings and saw that they had Bunny in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 . After seeing the special on 332 FG on Military/ Hero’s channel, a Red Tail is on my build list somewhere.
I’ll poke around, and if I can find it I’ll post up a link.
I did some googling and found that Warbird Decals do some in the right scale for Skippers Darlin. It says they are for the Tamiya model and I ended up with a Revell but ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’ as they say.
You are welcome. And I’m not sure that I’d be to concerned, unless either the Tamiya or Revel are way out of scale, nose art should work fine. Full wrap invasion stripes might be a bit more problematic, but I wouldn’t sweat it.
