M. Scott Borden

Or you could apply the paint and markings of your choice and ignore minor inaccuracies and have a really fine 1/32 CF-104 in your display case... ...Just sayin'

Thanks, Kevin! They are far from perfect, but they aren't publically ugly, either. If you guys want to see more pics of the models, click these links: Peterbilt 379-119 Day Cab Scania 144L Peterbilt 377 Day Cab

I used Krylon primer and color coats--straight out of the cans--on these Italeri 1/24 truck models. The last color coat was a wet coat. No sanding between coats. No polished paint. I did not apply Krylon clear to these models, but I have to others. I agree, use light clear coats to prevent wrinkling. NOTE: (1) I stripped the chrome from the applicable parts on the Peterbilts and applied Duplicolor Chrome--straight out of the can; the finish is easily damaged; I will try Alclad next time. (2) The silver finish on the body, fuel tank, and wheels of the Scania 144L is Duplicolor GM silver under Duplicolor gloss clear coats--straight out of the cans; this finish is durable.

Al, you must be a marketing guy. If not, consider changing careers. I fell for your topic title like a trout falls for a fly. That whining sound you hear is me pulling the line out against the drag on the reel... Scott

Fantastic build! Scott

Rob, You are welcome. My late father used to ask me that question... By the way, here is a link to comments about the 1/32 Trumpeter P-51D. Scroll down to comment number 7 (my input). Bottom line: invest $50 USD in the Tamiya kit. Scott

Rob, How much is your time worth? $119.99 at Scalehobbyist. Add $50 and get the Tamiya kit. Use the unfinished engine to support the prop, spinner, and exhaust stacks. Permanently attach the cowling to the formers. No one will see it because it's going on your desk. Fellow addict, isn't your time worth $50? Scott

Mid-1970s civilian Mustangs were operated with cuffed ("round-tipped") or cuffless ("square-tipped") Hamilton Standard props.

It is a cuffless prop, but not a cuffless Hamilton Standard prop . It's an Aeroproducts prop

Semper Fi, Dave! As for how many '51s, at least two (yellow/white Cavalier and Jimmy Leeward's Cloud Dancer). Scott Proud son of an eternally resting United States Marine

(1) As one of the few lucky folks who got the chance to restore and maintain P-51Ds (has it really been 36 years ago?), I think the only way to beat the Tamiya kit is to own the real airplane. It really is that good. Thank you Tamiya! (2) For those of you who haven't visited their web site, click Midwest Aero Restorations. Then navigate through some of the restoration progress photos. My best to all, Scott

Dave, I built this 1/32 Revell F-14A in 1991. Except for the pitot tube, everything is still attached. Thank goodness for adult kids and a secure display case! The build does not meet today's standard, but at the time it was ok and won several awards. Tamiya's nose and canopy profile are a bit more accurate, and the wing tips tend to rise when they are folded from extended to retracted position. Each landing gear comes in two halfs which makes the detail soft and the seams interesting. But, and it is an unqualified but, I like the kit, would build it again for the fun of it and think it's good value for the price. Here are some pics I snapped this morning. The Testors Dullcote has yellowed, but she still looks pretty good. Enjoy. Scott

This will be my first... Scott

Thanks for the tweak list, Thierry! Regarding the in flight refueling (IFR) probe, the bent version appears on the sprues for the A-4M. In combination with hot water, stout digits, and a properly protruding tongue, I'll bet one can be bent from sprue using the calibrated eyeball (i.e., that looks about right) method. The A-4 is definitely one of my very favorite aircraft. I have looked forward to this kit's release since it was announced. For me, if it's a 90% representation of the airplane, it's good enough! Best, Scott

Is it Trumpeter or is it Hobbyboss? Regards, Scott

The A-4E is coming in March 2011. Here is a link to the official Trumpeter announcement as posted on Cybermodeler. Scott

You are quite welcome, Kevin! I just wanted to share my discovery and good fortune with everyone. Like I stated in my post, the images here, and on Stu's website, don't do justice to the art one receives in the mail. The images are just astonishing! My best and thanks for fixing the link! Scott

I remember bygone days, when a P-51D was adorned in colors and stripes, and was listed for sale in Trade-a-Plane for US $50,000. I have fond memories of those days; I suspect some of you have them, too. I’m married to a fine arts professor, so I started to search for quality P-51 art to own and display in my office. My internet search found www.stushepherdart.com. Stu Shepard is the artist who created box art for many, many Revell-Monogram kits, like the 1/48 scale P-51D “Big Beautiful Doll” and the re-tooled P-51B “Tuskegee Airmen”. I discovered three things during my visit to Stu’s website: (1) He has perfected and enhanced the quality, content, and color of the art he created (2) he sells un-matted and matted digital prints at very reasonable prices and (3) he creates custom work. I ordered and received a matted print of P-51D “Big Beautiful Doll” and P-51B “Tuskegee Airmen”. I cannot begin to adequately describe how crisp, detailed, and color-saturated these wonderful prints are; images on his website are understandably lower resolution to thwart piracy. I asked Stu to create a custom image of the first Mustang I ever saw, rode in, and maintained: N6310T in yellow/white Cavalier Mustang livery. Here is the image Stu created from a single photo I e-mailed to him. I am speechless! Oh, note that the print does not display all the titles and copyright stuff, just Stu’s signature. You can get a copy for yourself at www.stushepherdart.com. You can also ask him to apply a different color and registration number to the N6310T image, or ask him to create a custom image for you as well; his fee is based on the complexity of the image you request. Last, here is a composite of the P-51 images that Stu offers for sale; does the "Big Beautiful Doll" look familiar? Enjoy and Cheers, Scott

Hey, Alan, didn't I read somewhere that your first name is really Richard? Scott

Dekon - I agree with you. If I want to fold the wings (or open the ammo bay doors, etc.) show me where to make the cut. At any rate, I plan to build my bearcat with extended wings and will definitely apply styrene reinforcing strips on the inside. MUCH stronger joint and (since you're likely a better modeler than I am) you'll be done screwing with the appearance of the joint since you'll apply JUST ENOUGH AND NO MORE liquid cement on the inside of the wings panels. Now, if we could get them to rework the molds to remove all them dang rivets... Best, Scott

Looks to be true. It'll make Spitfire fans druel! Scott

Actually, the propeller is the uncuffed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic... Scott

Very, very nicely done, Mark! The Dragon P-51D is a real challenge; you've made it look easy. Hope to see more of your work! Scott

This is the 1/32 Hasegawa P-40N... http://www.dragonusaonline.com/item_detail...emCode=HAS08195 Scott

I think we are looking at this Swallow/Doyusha/Tomy kit... http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/W...ay/p51/p51.html Scott