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1/24 Airfix RCAF Mustang IV…finally done


R Palimaka

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Guest Clunkmeister

I built one of the Tamiya kits as a City of Winnipeg Sqn Mustang a few years ago. It turned out great, but I used Leading Edge decals. Never seen these, but I'm looking forward to it.

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Barney had his decals custom-made after doing a lot of his own research. I helped Dave at Leading Edge with some of the schemes on his Mustang sheets, but we didn't have Barney's confirmation of the early 443 Squadron markings before they went to print so we didn't include them. Too bad, I like the blue-grey stripe.

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Well, I got started on her last night, altering and refining some sub-assembles. 1/24 is big! It felt good, it's been a while. For this one I'm closing up the nose panels. I'm not going to install the Merlin engine, my plan is to build and detail it separately to present to my Dad (he was an engine fitter with a couple of the Polish Mustang squadrons). I also sorted out the decal problem by using another colour printer. The crest looks great now at 1/24 scale, I printed a couple of samples to make sure they work. I'll try one tonight.

 

I'll post some photos tonight or tomorrow to prove it. :-)

 

Richard

Edited by R Palimaka
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The decals turned out well, I tried one on a discarded guinea-pig model and it worked. I haven't tried a decal softener on it, so I'm not sure how it would react. I floated it on with Future so perhaps it won't need it. 

 

I printed a half dozen more, just in case something goes wrong.

 

GasRfcTl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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I also added some ribbing on the rudder, as it was completely featureless as provided in the kit. It looked like a wedge of cheese. I glued some very thin Evergreen strips and sprayed it with Mr. Surfacer 500. It will need a couple more coats and some careful sanding to soften and smooth things a bit, and correct a couple of little boo-boos. There is also a metal cap with rivets on the bottom of the rudder that has to be added, not yet sure how I'll do that. It's not perfect but it's looking better to me.

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I've also drilled out the filtered air intake vents on the both sides of the nose, and glued the nose panels in place. It required a fair bit of sanding and filing to get the panel to sit flush to the rest of the surface. It will still need a bit of filler to blend it in. The next addition is the small vent scoop for the battery, which was relocated to just in front of the firewall in very late and post-war Mustangs. This little scoop is located in the panel that includes the fillet for the leading edge of the wing. 

 

Cs7ufKU.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Although I was very happy to find out that a Hamilton Standard cuffless prop was included in the latest version of the kit, the blades are a bit thick. I had to spend a bit of time to thin them down, and there will be a couple more sessions of sanding yet to smooth them out and eliminate some seams. That being said they have incorporated the proper twist to the blades.

 

The elevators, just above the prop, will also need some work. There are some fictional panel lines that have to be eliminated on them, and the new panel lines and rivets added. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the amount of prep work involved, but I'm having fun. Ask me again when I get to the wheel wells. :-) 

 

image_zpsa5zdvmux.jpeg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Nice looking decals Richard!  I've made a few on my Epson 680 Ink Jet and after drying for 24 hours, I brushed on a coat of Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film.  I trimmed the pieces quite close and after they dried on the model the edge od the decal was very hard to spot.

 

I have that very old Airfix kit and if my eyes were better I would love to build it as BA*U, Dennis Bradley's private Mustang.

 

Barney

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Thanks Barney. I tried to print them on my HP ink-jet at home but the dark colours seemed to shrink and crack as they dried. Took them to work and ran them on one of our Xerox colour printers and they came out exactly like the original artwork, no shrinking or cracking with nice brilliant colours. It gave me ideas for all kinds of other things I've been wanting to try.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your eyes. I'm finding after my detached retina that I can't work as long as I used to before the vision starts to double up. I guess I'll have to work fast to finish all the projects I have in mind. :-)

Edited by R Palimaka
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After promising myself I wouldn't get bogged down with too many improvements for this one, I'm finding there are too many things I'm not happy leaving alone. So at the moment I'm improving the elevators and the rudder, the propellor and the landing gear legs/gear doors, and the seat. I was also going to leave the instrument panel as is, but it's just not right. 95% of the people looking at it wouldn't know the difference, but I will. The cockpit floor is also curved, like the roof of the wing, when it should be dead flat. That will also have to be replaced. Again, I will know. :-) 

 

The big project will be the gear wells, and the doors. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I've made a spar and will be securing that in the lower wing half. I will be making notes and drawings I can use for the next one, because I am going to do another.  Despite it's problems it's starting to look good, and unless Airfix decide to release a new one in 1/24 to match the detail of the Typhoons, this kit is still a better choice than the Trumpeter. 

 

I'll have more pictures tomorrow once I make a bit more progress.

Edited by R Palimaka
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The other issue is the tires/wheels. The kit has the correct circumferential tread tires that were fitted to RCAF Mustangs, but they are vinyl and look a bit thin. The aftermarket replacement resin tires that are available only have either the cross-threaded or oval block tread. I'll have to think about that issue too, either go with what I have or maybe make my own? 

 

A photo of the style of tire fitted to post-war RCAF Mustangs. All the photos of Canadian Mustangs I have, or have ever seen, show this pattern:

 

iBWtMfLl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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