P-51B 1/48 Tamiya for D-Day GB

Post by **Navcom** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 1:46 am

I'm a bit late getting started with the D-Day GB....but I'm here! Seems the list here is full of Mustangs...and I really want to build a Mustang...so I'll be a bit different. I'll do a "B" model instead of the dime-a-dozen, albeit sexier "D" model. I'm going to use the Tamiya 1/48 version...

...and configure it in the olive drab 352nd FG D-Day livery (image credit to imodeler.com)...

Kit parts and bling...

The P-51B/C style aircraft hold a special place for me. The Commemorative Air Force nearby maintains one of the last P-51C models still flying. It is done up as a memorial to the Tuskegee Airman and is a "Red Tail" version...one of the most beautiful aircraft you have ever seen. I've had the pleasure of witnessing it's rebirth. Tragically I've witnessed it twice.

In the early 2000's, it's first complete restoration was completed and it began to take to the airshow and "flying museum" circuit. It was a beautiful bird!

On Memorial Day weekend, 2004, I was working airshow security at the CAF's annual airshow when the aircraft's Allyson engine blew the crankshaft at 500 feet AGL while circling back to the airport for another pass. The pilot had almost zero time to make a decision of what to do. His choice was to try and make the field but he fell way short and ended up plowing through the tops of a line of pine trees, only to see an entire housing development right in front of him. He slammed the stick forward and drove the aircraft into the ground in the back yard of one of the houses, saving the residents, but unfortunately dooming himself. I was one of the first responders at the scene.

The pilot was airlifted to the trauma center but unfortunately he passed away later in the evening. The airshow went on the next day but it was the most somber airshow I've ever attended. To compound the tragedy even more, the pilot's son, an F-18 Marine Corps aviator, was killed in a night-time mid-air collision with another F-18 over Iraq only a couple months later. The family lost both men in a single year.

I know this story doesn't have anything to do with D-Day but whenever I see the razorback versions of the P-51, this is all I can think about. Unfortunately it's also coupled with images of a broken pilot and the twisted fuselage and separated wings and curled-tip prop of his aircraft in that back yard. The pilot, a wonderful man named Don Hinz, was completely dedicated to honoring the Tuskegee heroes. It had pretty much become his life in retirement.

Here is a picture of Don in the P-51C the day before his fateful accident (photo credit to Gary Chambers, a fellow photographer friend of mine)...

The moment the airshow was over, the CAF swore the Red Tail would fly again, and they went right to work to make it happen. And they did...almost exactly 5 years to the day after the crash, she's back and better than ever!

If the Tuskegee heroes had participated in D-Day, this would be a red tail Mustang in honor of not only them, but of Don and his 110% dedication to the vets and heroes of that war. So I will do a rendition of the 352nd FG, one of the most dedicated fighter units of the war. I'm sure they wouldn't mind sharing some of the glory.

Post by **Nige201980** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:21 am

Nice to see a earlier mustang good luck mate.

Post by **AchtungPanzer** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:24 am

The parts looks great. Good luck in work

Post by **Paul** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:38 am

Great entry

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 12:38 pm

Wow, Jeff. What a bittersweet story.

This build is a great way to honour both sets of aircrew.

Post by **Willem** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 3:25 pm

A very moving story.

Best wishes for your build.

Post by **Navcom** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 5:30 pm

Thanks all. Really looking forward to this build. I got a jump start on it this weekend with a bit of free time. The cockpit and support parts are assembled, painted, the beginnings of some dry-brushing, and a quick coat of Klear before I do some washing...

The cockpit turned out fairly nice. While not wildly detailed like some of you all here, I'm pretty happy considering my current skill set...

I can definitely see some improvement in my detail brushing skills. A little practice makes all the difference...

And apparently there is some internet scuttle about the interior of the Tamiya P-51B molds. If I'm correct, this interior is actually the wheel well of a P-51D...the "B" model didn't have rear well walls. I haven't 100% concluded this but it seems that's the case...

Next up, some washing, some belts, and some more dry brushing, then it's on to assembly and priming.

One thing I learned today? USE THE ORIGINAL KLEAR!!! I have been using a knock-off that says "compare to Pledge" on the bottle (left bottle in this picture)...

Having never used the original Klear before, I just assumed this was fine and went about my modeling like an ignoramus. I ran into trouble with a canopy where it dried spotty and didn't self level...thought it was my technique. Then I did a second one...same thing. I even had issues spraying it on parts...just never seems to build up properly. Took a dozen coats or more to even notice much. This is evident by the amount of the bottle I've already used...ON ONLY 3 MODELS!

Then I happened across a bottle of the real stuff (bottle on the right in picture above) and bought it. WOW! Night and day folks! This stuff is awesome!

I also have to say I'm a bit humbled by all the work presented in this GB...some really incredible work here folks! A lot of inspiration!

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 8:19 pm

Navcom wrote:I also have to say I'm a bit humbled by all the work presented in this GB...some really incredible work here folks! A lot of inspiration!

And you're adding to the inspiration, Jeff. Lovely work with the weathering and picking out the details

Post by **gaz45** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 8:48 pm

great start to your build mate

Post by **Paul** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 8:51 pm

Great Progress

Post by **Navcom** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:29 pm

Thanks folks! Two more pictures to post today. Got the fuselage buttoned up...

As usual, Tamiya comes through. Great kit and goes together so well, it's almost effortless.

Post by **Navcom** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 2:50 am

Had some extra time this evening to work on the bird a little more. Got some seam sanding done and also assembled and attached the wings. Did a little re-scribing but will finish it next sitting...

Post by **Nige201980** » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:19 pm

Great work mate.

Post by **Navcom** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:40 am

Well, the 'Stang will be put on hold for a few days while I wait for a bottle of AK primer. Per my thread in the model chat area, I had a Vellajo primer meltdown incident and swore off the stuff for good...just too many headaches that I couldn't work through. I got some pretty serious streaking from the primer clogging the airbrush on a regular basis. Nothing I can't fix, but a frustration none-the-less that will waste a lot of precious time.

While not even in the same ballpark as what the D-day folks had to deal with, it's kind of ironic that my build gets put on hold right when I was ready to sink head first into the major bits. Can't help thinking what the paratroopers and the soldiers on the ships were thinking when their mission was delayed due to weather in the Channel. Makes my problem (or just about any problem) seem totally silly.

So I'll patiently wait for Mr. Mailman to deliver my new weapon.

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:42 pm

Navcom wrote:Can't help thinking what the paratroopers and the soldiers on the ships were thinking when their mission was delayed due to weather in the Channel. Makes my problem (or just about any problem) seem totally silly.

I wasn't going to participate in this GB because the only relevant kit I have is a plane, and I thought "I'm not ready to tackle a plane." I then started wondering how many of the troops that participated on D-Day were "ready" for what they were about to undertake and felt utterly stupid. I won't get sea or air sick, scared or shot at. I won't have to hide in a muddy ditch or watch my buddies fall around me. The worst that will happen is that I'll have some fun and learn for next time.

A moment of clarity

Post by **Navcom** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 3:23 pm

FishBowlMan wrote:
Navcom wrote:Can't help thinking what the paratroopers and the soldiers on the ships were thinking when their mission was delayed due to weather in the Channel. Makes my problem (or just about any problem) seem totally silly.
I wasn't going to participate in this GB because the only relevant kit I have is a plane, and I thought "I'm not ready to tackle a plane." I then started wondering how many of the troops that participated on D-Day were "ready" for what they were about to undertake and felt utterly stupid. I won't get sea or air sick, scared or shot at. I won't have to hide in a muddy ditch or watch my buddies fall around me. The worst that will happen is that I'll have some fun and learn for next time.

A moment of clarity

Amen! Sometimes perspective shift is all you need to accomplish a goal.
I've learned this many times from relatives/friends who fought in combat.

Post by **jbellos1** » Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:37 pm

That's looking fabulous Jeff! Really well done.

Post by **Navcom** » Sun Jun 22, 2014 1:28 am

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the AK Interactive primed version...

...so in the immortal words of Monty Python, "...and there was much rejoicing...".

Post by **Willem** » Sun Jun 22, 2014 1:34 am

Post by **Navcom** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:28 am

Now that the priming is done, it's time for a little pre-shading...

Nothing fancy here...just some Tamiya flat black. It isn't the prettiest shading job that's for sure! But it will suffice.

Post by **fly1ngdutchm4n** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:21 pm

Looking good so far!

Post by **Navcom** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:45 pm

Now that the Corsair is complete, I can focus all my attention on the D-day build.

All the extra parts ready for priming and painting...

Installed the canopy and got it masked in prep for painting. Then realized the masking sucked.

.....

Pre-made masks on order...will be here on Wednesday. I'll focus on the small parts till then.

Post by **Navcom** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:09 am

Masking arrived and I have them installed. Went on really well and so far they look like they're holding well. I sprayed on the white for the D-Day stripes and will wait till tomorrow to finish the striping. Then a bit of fill around the canopy and let the painting party begin!

Post by **UKguyInUSA** » Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:29 am

Sad story at the beginning of this thread, Jeff, but besides that....your building is looking great so far. Look forward to seeing her completed.

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:16 am

UKguyInUSA wrote:Sad story at the beginning of this thread, Jeff, but besides that....your building is looking great so far. Look forward to seeing her completed.

Thanks! Yeah it was a tragic day. Never want to repeat that one.

Had the day off so in-between rewiring my basement for the remodel, I got some painting in. First was the masking for the black stripes...

...followed by painting of said stripes...

Finally, I did the rest of the painting and was able to get the masking off to reveal the results!....

A little masking damage under the left wing along with a bit of overspray in a couple spots, but overall a great painting experience! I did lose the top canopy mask (ripped off with the mask for the front painting) so I had to replace with an old fashioned version.

Also, those silly side canopies were a bit damaged from my man-handling. I can't seem to get a model completed without some canopy damage.

I can see already...this one is going to be a blast to weather! Up next, touch-up, Klear coat, and some decals!

Post by **UKguyInUSA** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:33 am

That's looking fabulous so far, I love it!

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 7:28 am

That looks fantastic, Jeff

If you golf as well as you paint, I'm guessing you play off a very low handicap.

Post by **wally** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 11:47 am

Very nice clean work on your P-51. The paint and invasion stripes looks awesome. Looking forward to see more. Keep up good work.

Cheers

Post by **Nige201980** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 12:51 pm

looks brill mate

Post by **jbellos1** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:02 pm

Fantastic looking build!

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:37 pm

Thanks much everyone!

A big "Duh!" this morning. I forgot the white stripes on the horizontal stabs! Guess I'm in for a little more masking today.

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:59 pm

Back and forth between the remodel project and the P-51B project. Managed to get the silly tail stripes on...

...and the assorted pieces, parts, and bobbles painted...

Klear coat is also on the fuselage. Hopefully will have some time tomorrow or over the weekend to get some decals on.

Post by **Navcom** » Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:18 pm

She's coming along nicely! I have the decals attached and the post-Klear coat sprayed....

Next step, some weathering!

Post by **Navcom** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 3:10 am

Had lots of time to work on the D-day build last week...not so much this week. I finally got her washed with the first couple coats. Now just need to touch up the wash effect and get on with some assembly and final detail work. Getting down to the final wire and getting excited as well!

Post by **jbellos1** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:07 am

Really looking great!

Post by **Navcom** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:32 am

I had a great evening and managed to finish up my D-Day Group Build! This is my first GB final reveal (hopefully I'm posting the final reveal correctly...if not, someone please yell at me!)

And without further fanfare, here she is, a D-day P-51B Mustang...

Had GREAT fun building this bird! As always, lots of flaws, but lots of learning and lots of new things tried. I don't have any string to use for the antenna so that is AWOL but I managed to get that antenna mast attached for once without losing it!

I thought a lot about the folks who flew these machines into harms way while I was building it. Considering what we have today, these are basic machines...nothing fancy...but at the same time cutting edge for their time. It still amazes me they fought with birdcage canopies. Having been on the inside of one, it's better than it looks but by no means a 51D experience.

Now I'm looking forward to spending a little time looking at all the other builds with a bit more detail. A lot of great memorials to a great generation in this GB!

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:30 am

She looks fantastic, Jeff. Love the chipped paint and general weathering. Very subtle, but adds a lot of visual interest, and the details really stand out.

What method did you use for the paint chipping?

http://m.youtube.com/user/MrBobsBuilds · Post by **Rob** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:51 am

Lovely model Jeff. Great build and super finish.

You asked about posting the final shots - there is a separate section here...

http://intscalemodeller.com/viewforum.php?f=262

Post by **Willem** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 1:06 pm

I second what the other guys have said, great effect overall and nice to see an earlier mark of Mustang too.

Post by **Navcom** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:03 pm

Thanks everyone! And thanks for the link! I'll post a full reveal there.

FishBowlMan wrote:What method did you use for the paint chipping?

Just a small piece of sponge and a little Model Master steel dabbed till almost dry...in other words, dry brushing with a sponge.

Post by **fly1ngdutchm4n** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:31 pm

Wow... that bird is looking awesome.
Brilliant paintwork and weathering

Post by **martin57** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 8:21 pm

great job like it a lot , got that one in my stache now i feel inspired could end up digen it out

Post by **FishBowlMan** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:14 pm

Navcom wrote:Thanks everyone! And thanks for the link! I'll post a full reveal there.

FishBowlMan wrote:What method did you use for the paint chipping?
Just a small piece of sponge and a little Model Master steel dabbed till almost dry...in other words, dry brushing with a sponge.

Cheers, Jeff. Another tip stored, noted and waiting to be forgotten

https://www.youtube.com/user/ThudWeasel · Post by **HistoryRider** » Fri Aug 08, 2014 4:06 am

Amazing looking bird there Jeff! Great job on the paint and weathering!!