ironman1945

I wouldn't describe myself as a rivet counter. But whenever I do something like this.... conversion, scratch-build....they're always seems to be something that, initially I am okay with. Then, after a while, it bothers me to the point where I reach a stalemate .... " Do I rip it apart and rework it, or can I live with it?" Of course the very fact that I'm even asking the question means I already know the answer. But its always a long process. And so it goes with the windscreen/forward part of the canopy for this build. It sat too high.. and there was a sm

That is Suhhhh-weeeeet! Dave/Ironman1945

Hi George! Hmm. Personal taste I think. If u build fast, perhaps not an issue. But for me, spending upwards of 4-8 months on a build, having a REVELL box is a PIA. Being able to just take the lid off a box to find what I need, rather then constantly opening one end and pulling sprues out one after the other is annoying. Dave/Ironman1945

That looks great! What type of foil did you use... is it various grades of kitchen foil? Cheers Dave/Ironman1945

As others have mentioned, good idea to use metal landing gear as well. I usually replace kit plastic items with ones made of brass tubing. I know Scale Aircraft Conversions makes replacement cast metal landing gear, but I've always been worried wrt the soft metal they use for their items. Dave/Ironman1945

Very much interested. Curious to compare it to my scratch built Whirlwind from 2007.... and hey, may as well have a 2nd one on the display shelf. Dave/Ironman1945

Yessss.... looking forward to this! Dave/Ironman1945

Thanks very much Tom. Hard to believe it was some 14 years ago I finished that beast! Dave/Ironman1945

Annnnd your welcome everyone because had I not done so, you just know the Special Hobby 1/32 kit would never have come into existence! HA! Mind you, I expected an injection molded kit to come out within a month when I completed it...... been awhile! We'll see how long it takes for a new injection molded P-51B to appear after I finish the P-51B conversion. Cheers and stay safe! Dave/Ironman1945

Accurate Minatures, the one kit I didnt think of looking at. Thanks again for your posts Antonio. Cheers and stay safe! Dave/Ironman1945

Hey Antonio. Thanks for your post! Looks to be approx 1 rivet line narrower between the B and D wings. But even then to my eye there still seems to be a slight width discrepancy between the line drawing and the photos you've posted. Seems the Mustang line drawings in the Squadron in action books, in every Osprey publication and even Bert Kinzey's P-51 Mustang Detail and Scale have this detail incorrect. Sadly neither of these books have a good photo showing the gun bay wing panels.... This also seems to point to the gun panels being incorrect for every 1/

Hey Antonio. Thanks very much for that. With respect to the ammo bays for a 51B vice 51D. It's something I have been running around in circles about. One thing I've struggled with scratch building or converting models, is reference material...no two drawings are ever alike, and as much as possible I rely on photos. I've seen numerous drawings with 51B gun bays smaller, others the same size, as 51D gun bays. Similarly, I've seen 3 variations of drawings for the shell ejection ports on the lower wing. For the gun bays, most photos are an oblique angle, making it hard to see panel lines, and o

Filling and sanding has always been the painful part of any build for me, more so when its a conversion... But I finally have it to a point where I think I am okay with it. The leading edge at the wing roots was a PITA ... but I knew it would be going in. Next up, a little bit of re-scribing, attachment of tailplanes, some other small fiddly bits etc. And hopefully in a few weeks it'll be off to the paint shop! Cheers, and hope everyone is staying safe! Dave/Ironman1945

Next up, wing to the fuselage. This means cutting down the wing leading edge at the fuselage. I decided to bash it together by utilizing a combination of the Trumpeter top wing section mated to modified Revell parts. Eventually I'll use Apoxie sculpt to tie it all together. Fill and sand, fill and sand.... You can also see where I've filled/replaced the original P-51D gun locations and drilled out the new positions for the P-51B. Cheers, and stay safe! Dave/Ironman1945

Hey Mark. Thanks very much. For 1/32 canopies I use ,03 inch K & S engineering PETG - Polyethylene Terephthalate Copolymer sheets. I have a stock I bought years ago from a hobby shop. Its the same company that manufactures much of the brass and aluminum rod/tubing you find in hobby shops. I've found clear styrene doesn't work near as well.. or at least, I prefer PETG. PETG doesn't bubble near as easily as styrene when overheated and doesn't scratch as easily. Hope that helps! Thanks. It has to be James Howard's " Ding Hao". First built an exampl