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1/24 Airfix RCAF Mustang IV…finally done


R Palimaka

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One curious thing I came across was the decals for the Hamilton Standard props. The Hamilton Standard logos in the 1/24 Airfix kit are exactly the same size as the 1/32 ones in the Tamiya kit and those on the Fundekals sheet of stencils. I trust Jennings' research to be correct, so Airfix must have printed them too small. I found a 1/32 Microscale sheet for a Mustang of the 356th Fighter Group, and its logos are a bit larger, so I may just use those in case I can't find the correct size. 

 

I promised myself I wouldn't do the AMS thing to myself...but really enjoying this.

Edited by R Palimaka
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I had company last night, which prevented me from doing much. I did get the rudder and elevator to where I was happy. I also got the cooling slots and instrument shroud roughed in, and the nose panels on. Looking at photos of the aircraft I am doing, I found that it had the ribbed instrument shroud, so those were added with some appropriately sized plastic rod which I sanded flat on one side and rounded off the ends.

The rudder is nearly there, just have to sand the edge to get rid of the bit of flash, cut the trim tab out and add the fairing and the light at the rear.

image_zpsje7z5pba.jpeg

The elevators look much better. I filled in the fictional panel lines/troughs, and rescribed and riveted new ones. Again, just have to saw out the trim tab and add the actuator rod to the trim tab. The rivets look a little harsh under the light but will look better with a light sanding and under a coat of primer.

image_zpsfhwyqc2c.jpeg

Edited by R Palimaka
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The cooling slots are roughed in, just need some light sanding and primer to refine them a bit. There are slots carved into the plastic underneath the louvres, have to try to make them slightly more visible.

 

 

Finally the ribs on the instrument shroud were added. I had a close up photo of the area on the actual aircraft. All this will be blended in and cleaned up.

 

 

EBzj08Bl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Thank you! I think I underestimated how much work was needed to bring the Airfix kit into the 21st Century. :-) Lots of correcting and refining is needed before I can start the fun part of assembling anything, plus there were all the little differences for the Canadian Mustangs.

 

Of course, once I finish this, Airfix will announce that their next 1/24 scale superkit is a P-51D/K, lol!

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Richard, you have a BIG project in hand but an even bigger dilemma with all those Airfix Titanic rivets.  The majority of these were Flush type rivets including those on the fuselage and once set left very little, if any, gap around the head and most would be no more than 5/32" in 1:1 scale.  On a Bare Metal finish they would appear as small round dots of aluminum.  I've done quite a bit of this type of riveting on my own aircraft and the head, under a coat of primer and paint is barely discernible.

 

Keep up the good work..I'm lurking!

Barney

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I know Barney, it looks like it was built in a shipyard! I hope that some sanding will take them down a bit, at least they are flat and not rounded, and there are none on the wings. Kinda worried about what the sanding will do to a natural metal finish though...oh well, one step at a time. :-)

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Richard:  Sand should not pose a problem.  Start with 600 grit wet with a few drops of liquid soap then work down to 1500 or finer, again wet with soap..  I did this procedure with a 1:48 scale CC-139H and it worked out great.  My last Big Mustang received some sanding with no ill effects

 

Barney.

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Short answer...they would have been filled and painted. That's how I'm doing my wings. 

 

Long answer...apart from the first 30 we received in 1947 which came from storage, Canadian Mustangs went through an overhaul before they came up here, some of them complete down to the wing spars. In fact many were taken from stocks intended for Air National Guard units, and arrived absolutely like new in fresh USAF markings. Once received, the RCAF Mustangs were well maintained and kept in clean condition. Later in their service they were actually painted in aluminum lacquer. So for the most part, you should fill and paint the wings. That being said, in photos you can sometimes faintly see where rivets and panel lines were starting to come through. So you wouldn't be wrong if some rivets and panel lines showed a bit.

 

Something like this, the wing is obviously puttied and painted, but with a few rivets visible:

 

7Y9cy9ul.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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