Mustang - P-51D - Revell 1/32

[cor]

This kit looks very good.
Made a bit of a start. Will make it in a simpler scheme, lots of bare aluminium, and on a stand with wheels half way up and cockpit open.

[cor]

Does anyone know if they ever took off with the cockpit open?

[Stokesy44]

Does anyone know if they ever took off with the cockpit open?

It looks like no. I had a quick trawl on the internet and all the take off pics had the canopy closed. Open for taxiing but shut once starting the takeoff roll.

IP and cockpit are looking good. Off to a nice start

[digger303]

Nice dash.
Does it come with a seated pilot ?

[cor]

Does anyone know if they ever took off with the cockpit open?

It looks like no. I had a quick trawl on the internet and all the take off pics had the canopy closed. Open for taxiing but shut once starting the takeoff roll.

IP and cockpit are looking good. Off to a nice start

Thanks, maybe this one will be the first one ever.... there is so much detail in the cockpit for a revell kit that it would be a shame not to be able to see it easily. Something to think about.

Nice dash.
Does it come with a seated pilot ?

The kit doesnt, which is surprising given all the detail revell included in the cockpit, and the options for wheels up build. However I got a pretty nice one from online that wasnt too pricey. He's getting painted at the moment.

[DRUMS01]

According to Scalemates, this is a much newer mold than the original Revel kits; the tooling dates to 2017. I think that explains the added detail in the Revell kit. Regardless, your doing great work, the cockpit looks really nice

[cor]

According to Scalemates, this is a much newer mold than the original Revel kits; the tooling dates to 2017. I think that explains the added detail in the Revell kit. Regardless, your doing great work, the cockpit looks really nice

Thanks Ben.

The cockpit is very well detailed, but as usual , once the pilot is in, you cant see much of it... I am impressed with the tiny decals for the cockpit. Revell did well.

Im also considering popping an electric motor into the front end to spin the prop, as it would add to the wheels half way up take off attitude Im planning. Put some batteries in the stand with a switch.
I have some thick black perspex for the base and am working out how to attach a clear strut to the aircraft.

[digger303]

Superb work

[Twokidsnosleep]

Mustang always a good choice
Excellent cockpit and figure

[Stokesy44]

Yep, that's coming along nicely

[cor]

Thanks chaps

Im up to putting aluminium foil - sticky tape - onto the fuselage.

Its looking really good so far.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oh now I like that foil technique
Keep at it and show lots of process!

[Stokesy44]

Beautiful work!

[cor]

Beautiful work!

Thanks

Oh now I like that foil technique
Keep at it and show lots of process!

Here is the process.



First indent all the rivets, they dont show under the foil very well



Cut an oversize bit of foil. Wet foil with salive.... ew... can be soapy water but i use my finger and body fluids.
If the foil is not wet, it will stick to the first thing it touches. By wetting it, it can slide around a bit and the wrinkles are easier to deal with.



Use an ear bud to smooth it down



Use a tiny toothpick bud to get it nice and flush and take out the tiny wrinkles



Use a knife, dragging it along the panel lines



Job done





and some pics of the stand

[cor]

So the fuselage is mostly done, and looking pretty good so far.

Got all the foil on, decals on, clear coat over the lot because nothing sticks to that foil. You have to rough it up with some grit for even primer to stick to it.

The E2 M was painted on by hand with some masking as the decals had too much carrier film that didnt go well with the foil.

BeBop IV was hand painted too. Im aiming for an average kind of plane, not a famous one, just one of the guys up there doing the work.

These pics are at sunset, but when the sunlight hits it the foil puts on a lightshow.

[Stokesy44]

Beautiful work. The skin looks superb. Are you going to do the wings in NMF or have the puttied and painted?

[cor]

Beautiful work. The skin looks superb. Are you going to do the wings in NMF or have the puttied and painted?

I was going to pant them light grey, puttied up, with the control surfaces in foil, but you've got me thinking...

Did they not putty up the wings on all of them and have them painted? I've seen pics of modern ones with bare metal wings, but I've no idea of historical accuracy with these things. All silver would look pretty interesting. The paint chart for this model has the tops painted green, and the bottoms silver, probably bare metal.

Not sure what to do now...

[Stokesy44]

Beautiful work. The skin looks superb. Are you going to do the wings in NMF or have the puttied and painted?

I was going to pant them light grey, puttied up, with the control surfaces in foil, but you've got me thinking...

Did they not putty up the wings on all of them and have them painted? I've seen pics of modern ones with bare metal wings, but I've no idea of historical accuracy with these things. All silver would look pretty interesting. The paint chart for this model has the tops painted green, and the bottoms silver, probably bare metal.

Not sure what to do now...

Sorry about that! Sounds like you're on the right track for a WW2 bird. It depends on what period you're trying to portray. I was looking on the net and it seems the WW2 P51s were puttied and painted at the factory, after the war they stopped the process and from then on, non camo birds had NMF.

It was quite funny seeing the stuff on the net. On one particular forum (not us) some people were getting properly vexed and a little heated. Talk about priorities eh?

Please be assured I'm not trying to trip you up, its such a great aircraft and the skin treatment is fascinating.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure it will be awesome

[cor]

Beautiful work. The skin looks superb. Are you going to do the wings in NMF or have the puttied and painted?

I was going to pant them light grey, puttied up, with the control surfaces in foil, but you've got me thinking...

Did they not putty up the wings on all of them and have them painted? I've seen pics of modern ones with bare metal wings, but I've no idea of historical accuracy with these things. All silver would look pretty interesting. The paint chart for this model has the tops painted green, and the bottoms silver, probably bare metal.

Not sure what to do now...

Sorry about that! Sounds like you're on the right track for a WW2 bird. It depends on what period you're trying to portray. I was looking on the net and it seems the WW2 P51s were puttied and painted at the factory, after the war they stopped the process and from then on, non camo birds had NMF.

It was quite funny seeing the stuff on the net. On one particular forum (not us) some people were getting properly vexed and a little heated. Talk about priorities eh?

Please be assured I'm not trying to trip you up, its such a great aircraft and the skin treatment is fascinating.

Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure it will be awesome

I found this, and am going with it:


A testimony to the quality of Hendon Mustang’s restoration can bee seen in this view. Despite the once widely-spread urban myth, high-performance US aircraft such as P-51 or P-38 were never finished entirely in bare metal. Aerodynamically important elements such as Mustang’s laminar-flow wing were puttied, sanded flush and then coated in aluminium lacquer. What you can see here is the faithful reproduction of this job on the fixed wing area, while flaps, ailerons and the wing root area remain unpainted.


From this website

[Stokesy44]

I found this, and am going with it:


A testimony to the quality of Hendon Mustang’s restoration can bee seen in this view. Despite the once widely-spread urban myth, high-performance US aircraft such as P-51 or P-38 were never finished entirely in bare metal. Aerodynamically important elements such as Mustang’s laminar-flow wing were puttied, sanded flush and then coated in aluminium lacquer. What you can see here is the faithful reproduction of this job on the fixed wing area, while flaps, ailerons and the wing root area remain unpainted.

Looks good to me. Great article.

[Stokesy44]

I've just caught the end of the movie 'Empire of the sun' when the airfield is attacked by P51s and one flies by the camera in ultra slow motion - AND THE CANOPY IS BACK!

Proof you could fly a P51 with the canopy back.

[cor]

I've just caught the end of the movie 'Empire of the sun' when the airfield is attacked by P51s and one flies by the camera in ultra slow motion - AND THE CANOPY IS BACK!

Proof you could fly a P51 with the canopy back.

oooooh, thanks for that.

Just watched it here on youtube

brilliant

[cor]

Been working away on the wing, and have the wheels mostly done. Need to work on the base of the stand next.

[Stokesy44]

More excellent progress. The pose looks so dynamic with the wheels retracting.

[digger303]

what he said.

[cor]

Finally finished this lovely kit.

Made the stand from some scrap perspex.

































On display in the hobby shop window.

[Stokesy44]

Bravo! What a superb finish. Really cool stand too

[Twokidsnosleep]

Excellent!
Full display honours too

[smokeriderdon]

Absolutely beautiful!

[Elve1984]

Nice end result, nicely done.

[RangerNeil]

An amazing build - congratulations!!! To say impressive comes nowhere near justice.

[cor]

Bravo! What a superb finish. Really cool stand too

Thanks for your help in getting it setup with the cockpit open.

Excellent!
Full display honours too

Thanks, it looks good in the window.

Absolutely beautiful!

Thank you very much

Nice end result, nicely done.

Thanks. It was a nice kit to build.

An amazing build - congratulations!!! To say impressive comes nowhere near justice.

Thanks. It looks better in real life too. The foil coating looks really good.

Looks like you nailed it!

Thanks Ben