Jking207

I found a Dremel razor saw handy. They come packaged like PE would.

Thanks Kevin. Mid fuselage finished. Still needs cleaned and maybe some washes. Detailing you can really fall down a rabbit hole... Main goal now is to get the other two sub assembles finished.

Thanks for replacing your photos Chris. I tried the same fabric seat you did, but failed miserably. I used some Eduard USN USAF late style seat belts I had laying around instead. Corrected the visual aid as it was not positioned right after it was reattached. Eduard Belts Seat installed.

Metal primer then Tamiya Spray Laquer sprayed through the holes for decal placement. Front panel painted Instu black with Crystal Clear and some detail added from Eduards PE set. And mounted.

Great to see you started back up Chris. Looks great.

Engineering Hobbies is, I think, is their main site. I got the radiator and oil cool cooler plumbing in. There are two main return lines and two aux returns from the radiator. The oil cooler has another two lines. I used a smaller diameter solder than was in included in the kit for the oil cooler lines and another size for the aux returns as the kits did not fit through the firewall. The return lines on the bottom of the radiator are hard to get to and once glued they are easy to pull off routing the solder. I am debating whether to get some black solder paint and dying them black.

Thanks Guys ​I took a chance and bought one off Ebay used and no returns excepted. Still hoping all the parts are there. ​Excuse the gluey finger prints and cat hair. There is still a lot of handling to do yet and I'll clean up when the sub assemble is finished. Steps 34 and 35 are reversed in the instructions, but it's easy enough figure out that one can not proceed without the other. Again fit is just amazing except I had a gap between radiator and air exhaust. I used JB Weld (metal epoxy) for any part the would show a seam and polished it on a Dremel to remove any excess epoxy. A polisher would be a very nice tool to have as the Dremel isn't very fine and will remove detail is you got nuts with it.

Got a start on the radiator with the two major pieces in place. The radiator is 6 white metal pieces that go together nicely and don't show any seams. The air outtake (?) is a single casting polished a bit with a Dremel then sanded and finally clear metal coat primer.

Not a bunch of progress: center floor, seat bracket, pedals, stick, and couple of bits. Eager to get to the radiator below.

Many thanks John, it was first seeing your build that made me want to try the IMTCH P51, I use yours and Chris's as reference, at least till photobucket stopped hosting. The side panels and oil tank mounted. Used some of the Eduard set for Tamiya. Will probably stop here and start the belly scoop, then return to the cockpit.

Hi Chris, I took a little bit of a break, but thanks for the heads up on the engine mount. it wouldn't have been on my radar as a problem area. On vacation this week and hope to get back on track. Small update: Working on the cockpit sides. Still need some more painting, maybe on decals and wires.

Thanks guys, most of my pain has been self inflicted. This is the back 40 of the fuselage. I know the bottom tanks are oxygen, but I don't know what the larger tanks are for. Has some white metal pieces with an aluminum rod on the back bulkhead. Dropped a wire from the antenna to what I assume is an amp or radio gear.

Floor build out with the formers. I am finding the fuselage is more challenging than wing to build. Plus dropping it on the floor and loosing the antenna outside during a quick spray of primer has hindered some progress. The two frame sides fitted to the floor. Tricky to assemble at first, but once fitted and a few points glued it was easier to manage.

Beginning the fuselage with the first bulkhead filled with the fuel tank, radio, and battery. Got Eduard Tamiya Interior set and the 12 piece battery parts fit fine. Also, from the Eduard kit the cap for the fuel neck and dial face for the fuel level (?). Still need to do some painting, wiring, and clean up, but built up without any issues. Starting to covert the page away from Photobucket.

Outer skin glued down. Might do a wash and some detailing later, but want to move on to the engine or the fuselage. Fit was generally good, a little effort is needed for it to lay down on all the formers.

The wings are joined by two pieces each with 4 tabs that connect the wings. I had glued them in enough so they wouldn't pop out, but there was a lot of play in the wings. I wanted to test fit the outer skin before I made the final bound and set the dihedral. There is also a lot of weight with the fuel tanks then there will be rest of the kit on top of that. Crappy picture, but removed the fuel tanks and put JB Weld (metal epoxy) on both spars, between the center formers, pretty much what everywhere that couldn't be seen. This shows along the back spar and at center rear on the connection piece tabs. The front spar was done in a similar fashion.

Hi Joel, I am probabably not going to do anything after looking at them. As my Grandpa used to say: "good enough for government work." He grew up during in the Great Depression and am guessing a reference to FDR's WPA program. Should have asked. I test fitted the outer lattice and it looks to line up with everything. Wing is finally close to completion.

Fuel tanks were paint flat black then the surface detail was sanded to bare metal. I sanded the flat black with 1200 grit trying to make it look more like rubber. Not sure if I am going to revisit the tanks; will look at them again in the morning.

Thanks, yea in a light infantry unit it is one of the big boys. Putting the gear cover on which was 3 hours ordeal not realizing complexity of the fit. Managed to get it close, but I was really manhandling the wing for further adjustment and disaster was looming. I found removing the front lip from the wing and gluing it to the cover made it much easier to install. Build it gear down and you are golden with the gear covers. The basic detail parts from the kit are all installed. Might add brake lines and call it a day. Just the fuel tanks and out lattice to install.

Thanks Joel. The kit is so well engineered it is really a pleasure to build.

Wings joined. Added some color to the landing gear. Ready for fuel tanks then the outer frame.

Part of the landing gear assembled, the last of the wing assemblies before the wings are joined. Think I already mentioned the kit includes 2 sets of struts for landing gear. The stowed set is longer to simulate the uncompressed strut without the load of the aircraft on it. Everything is just tacked in at this point. Front formers will be straighten once every is fitted. Gear was polished then a clear coat of Mr. Primer was applied. Main gear retract motor, gear cover, and door motor still have to be added, but that will after the wings are joined.

Thanks Dukie, I removed the casting marks and tried Alclad Steel and a light mist of Dura on the barrels. Put a gloss coat on the .50 rounds and added the feed chutes which are nice castings.

Thanks guys hope I can pull it off. .50s primed with Tamiya White Primmer then Alclad Gun Metal and Dura. Primer not good enough for any masking work, but keeps the paint on for light handling. Not super thrilled with the results, missed some casting lines on top and the guns are kind of dark without the work light blasting on them.

Quick test fit of the Ma Deuces with the Aber barrels installed. Drilled a 1mm hole in each .50 to accept barrels. Guns can be fitted with the barrels installed. A Sgt told me once that the difference between an M60 and M2 was the 60 (mmg) goes: going to get you, going to get you, going to get you while the .50 goes: got you, got you, got you. Part of the reference was the cadence of fire between the two.