John1

I have to say, it’s truly a relief that you guys didn’t see any planes that weren’t there while you were there. Unless you weren’t officially “there” in the first place. However, I’m wondering if you didn’t see any planes that didn’t exist while you were there? There is a difference you know...

I'm going to be starting the Tamiya 32nd scale Mossie shortly (will be a later war Coastal Command aircraft). Have a question on the radio configuration. In reading the Aviaology instructions for one of their decal sheets ( https://www.ultracast.ca/AOD32033-The-Coastal-Strike-Wings-p/aod32033.htm page 10), they mention that to accommodate the Gee unit (which is included in the Tamiya kit) and it's associated R-1355 receiver (which is not), the original radios (R1155 receiver and T1154 transmitter) were both removed from behind the pilot's seat. This is a bit disappointing since I just purchased the exquisite Barracuda resin radio set for the Mosquito and was looking forward to using them. So questions - Does anyone have detailed pics of the Gee installation on the FB.VI? The info in the Aviaology sheet above, also mentions a control panel for the Gee system affixed to the port aft canopy frame work. Does anyone offer the complete Gee system in resin or PE? I've read that some Coastal Command Mossies also had a tail warning radar. Any info on the antenna and/or cockpit display would be much appreciated. John

Works for me, I think it’s an awesome choice. I love slightly off- beat subjects.

Question on the real thing - how common was this aircraft? Was it just a one-off mod or did these re-engined P-40's see service in significant numbers?

Just a few pics of (hopefully) better quality:

Great examples since you can compare fresh paint to the original on the same airframe.

Thanks very much guys! Next up is the MG access door. The Tamiya part is a bit simplified and doesn't include the exterior locking levers (which should be extended when the door is open) and interior latches. Here's a pic that shows how the real thing looked. In addition to the door latches, there is a large handle next to the aft ammo feed. Also note the thin support rod on the right hand side of the door. I started off by carefully removing the recesses for the two exterior locking levers. When these are opened, you can see through this straight into the MG bay. I drilled a few holes with my pin vice and then used an X-acto knife to carefully remove the remaining material. I then used thin strips of PE to replicate the levers. As shown above, in the open position, they actually protrude through the opening into the inside of the door. One thing Tamiya does include is a nice decal that closely replicates the large loading instruction placard on the interior of the door. Here is how it looks from the frontal aspect. Sorry for the less than clear picture, I really need a better camera! Note that you can (barely) see all the way through the lever recesses. Also note the locking (I'm guessing) lever in the vertical position by the ammo feed tray. I replicated this from a piece of plastic card, carved, sanded and bent per the original. Also added some tiny bits of scrap PE and plastic for the mounting bracket. Here is how it looks on the backside. Note that the door is just press-fitted in place so the support rod is out of position. This will be in the proper spot once I glue it in permanently. Also note that I haven't done final touch-up painting and weathering. Sorry for the crappy pics but you can (barely) see the door's latching mechanisms. Also, one thing I neglected to mention before, later Mustangs (not sure if they came from the factory like this or were mod'ed later in life), had the fuel drain accumulator vent intake housing removed. In it's place was just the recess for the scoop and the drain opening. The Tamiya kit has the scoop molded to the fuselage (it will be interesting to see if they addressed this with their F-51D kit, the way the part is designed, I'm guessing they didn't). I carefully carved the scoops away (it's present on both sides) and drilled the drain openings. On some F-51D's, the recessed area was painted red, I'm not sure if my subject had this or not, still researching. Here is a nice reference for some late Mustang exterior mods. I'll be adding the g-suit opening and battery drain at the end of the build. And a final crappy picture. I'll try to post better pics later. As always, thanks for looking!

I love your approach to these builds - including details about the pilot really elevates this and adds a human touch to what is otherwise just some plastic. Years ago I built a kit of a US Navy Tracker that crashed in a nearby town when I was a kid. It culminated with meeting the widow and sons of one of the deceased pilots. By far the most satisfying build I’ve ever done. Keep up the good work, I’ll be following closely.

Thanks much guys! Just a small bit of progress, I completed the propeller. The blades are Quickboost "uncuffed" Hamilton Standard units, which seemed to be the most common ones used over there, although there are examples of the earlier cuffed blades and even a few Aeroproducts ones. Nothing particularly special about this assembly, given the poor conditions of the airfields, the blades would have been beaten up pretty good so I went heavy on the chipping and, (as is seen on many dirt airfields), I replicated most of the finish being worn off the back sides from the rocks and sand. That's it for today, as always, thanks for looking!

Can’t forget the Janes series of flight sims. That and the original Su-27. Great stuff, highly immersive.

For those that are interested, I've made a few tweaks to the weathering. Painted over some streaks that were too heavy, further worked on the upper wing USAF (additional chipping and then faded the markings a bit), and added some mud / dirt to the wing roots and areas around the MG bays. I also completed the bottom. A bit of additional weathering, removed some too heavy mud splatters on the aft tailplanes and added the underwing ID lights and pitot tube. I think I'm done on that portion of the model. Next up, I removed the masking. This is always a "hold your breath and hope for the best" type of event. More than once, I found some pretty bad paint spray that got onto the clear parts. This time around, it wasn't too bad. I had some light overspray, nothing that a very sharp toothpick couldn't remove. I'll hit the clear parts one last time with some polish at the end of the build. So here is where we are at: Still have some work to do on the upper surfaces. Next tasks that are up will be adding the latching mechanism to the canopy interior (strangely enough, Tamiya left this completely bare), adding details to the MG access door and completing the propellers (I just received Quickboost's cuffless Hamilton Standard props). As always, thanks for looking!

No offense meant!! Sorry guys!

Don’t know whether it’s cause for celebration or for crying. Those jets are already obsolete.

I can’t say anything that will help except to please stay positive and know that you will be in my thoughts.

As my kids would say, you have mad skilz!!