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1/24 Airfix RCAF Mustang IV…finally done


R Palimaka

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  • 3 weeks later...

Although I've been making progress I'm clearly not going to make the deadline tomorrow. I've invested too much effort and having too much fun to rush now, but I am going to complete this. If this could be moved to the WIP section that would be appreciated.

 

I can post photos of where I'm at tonight.

 

Thanks.

 

Richard

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Here are a few little things I've been working on to keep things moving ahead. Amazing how much time these things take.First of all the radios have now been wired and are ready to be installed into the fuselage once the fuel tank is finished:

 

t21zyLDl.jpg

 

Rudder pedals. I took the advice of Shawn M and used the 1/32 photo etch from Baracudacals for the North American logo and embossed instructions. It may be a bit small but I think it works, and likely won't be seen down in the cockpit anyway. :-)

 

8ZXer2il.jpg

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Next was the tyres, I wanted to change the tread pattern to what the RCAF used. I started with the 1/24 Grey Matter oval pattern tyres, filled the tread in with Milliput and Tamiya putty and sanded and primed them. To scribe in the circumferential tread pattern, after a bit of head scratching to figure out how to do it, I created what I will call the "Polish lathe". I put a scribing tool on its side on a layer of card stock, and added another layer for each width of tread. I held the scribing tool firm and carefully rotated the tyre (lying flat on its side) against the scribing tool hook, cautiously and slowly scribing the new tread. It was essential to keep everything steady so that the tread didn't change direction or double up in the same groove.  It took a whole evening but I think it turned out fine. This photo shows the original tyre, the interim stage of filled/sanded/primed tyre, and the final product with a small flat filed on the bottom.

 

BE5M64kl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Last night was spent installing some not very interesting final structural bits in the wings before closing them up. I decide to add a small wing spar/support at the rear of the wing, just in front of the opening for the flaps. With the flaps cut out there was a need for some sort of support to keep the top and bottom of the wings more solid and prevent them from flexing. I also added back-stops for the machine guns and blast tubes. I decided the barrels and blast tubes will be inserted from the front once it is assembled, and the back-stops will keep them from getting pushed too far into the wing. Holes for the bomb pylons and the rocket stubs were also drilled out. Troughs were glued in place above the cartridge shell ejections slots to prevent them from being see-through.  

 

I also spent time confirming measurements and cleaning up the drawings for the templates for the improvements made to the wheel wells and landing gear, because believe it or not, I will be doing another one of these kits soon (unless Airfix surprises us and announces a new-tool 1/24 P-51D/K :)). I would like to digitally scan these too so that I could share the files if anyone is interested. They will include:

 

-wing spar

-roof panel for the wheel wells with a map of stringers, ribs and cut-outs

-rib templates (they might require some sanding and fiddling to fit)

-landing gear covers

-inner clam shell doors

-tail wheel enclosure

-map of piping and wiring in wheel well - won't include everything seen in photos, but will be more of a fair representation of what's in there to busy it up.

 

I have a couple of people interested, but if anyone else wants them let me know. Hoping to have that done this week.

 

Richard

Edited by R Palimaka
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  • 4 months later...

Finally regained my mojo and got back at it on the weekend. Got involved in too many other after-work projects and didn't have the time for building...although sailing season is coming soon and will have to get the boat ready...anyway, first world problems.

 

So here is the progress on the landing gear. I had originally intended to just shorten and correct the kit gear, but was worried that it wouldn't be strong enough to support the weight of all the additions I made. It's amazing how heavy all the extra bits are. I had ordered the SAC gear for the Trumpeter kit, hoping I could use that but it really was not much of an improvement. In the end I used the lower SAC part with the axle, and replaced the main leg with aluminum tubing. The sliding oleo portion is plastic tubing reinforced with thick brass rod. I kept the top part which fits into the kit gear receptacle. All of it is glued with superglue and epoxy, and detailed with some photoetch, and the brake line is brass wire. The retaining strap for the brake line on the main leg is thick furnace tape. The result is very solid, and is not going to break or bend...I hope.

 

I tried to build the scissor links from different shaped plastic strips and metal, failed miserably, and in the end just drilled and filed out the plastic kit parts and am happy with that. Once the model is finished and painted, I will add the flexible hose that runs through the scissor torque links, and the brake line that runs to the brakes at the bottom.

 

Here are the gear legs...the original kit part on the left, the mostly finished port leg in the middle and the started starboard leg

 

7EWPwrOl.jpg

 

81XoaJ8l.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Next, here is the port wheel well roof, which will be mated with the bottom of the wing. Once the two are together there is some more piping and wiring that will be done to finish things up. The starboard wing is almost done too, I'll post that when it is finished.

 

The colour of the wells was a bit of a hard decision. There is photo evidence that some of the post-war USAF and National Guard Mustangs had their wheel wells painted Interior Green, including the clamshell doors. The photos I've seen of RCAF wheel wells also shows a darker colour that can't be attributed to shadows or darkness in there. So I went with a green. A couple of the photos of this aircraft, RCAF 9253, also suggest that the clamshell doors were green, but I can't make myself do it lol.

 

7E70Imwl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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