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Hello everyone, This is my first time to post a build on here and I'm a little ways into my build already but I thought why not share my progress and gather some others' input for future builds. I'm making the 1/32 Tamiya P-51D pretty much OOB. I do plan to use some OOP Pyn-up decals I have. I can't decide which one I want to do first though, I'm torn between Passion Wagon and Moon Mullins' P-51D. Both of these birds are early production P-51s with a filletless tail. Before I post pictures of my decals can someone please tell me if it's allowed to post nude pin-ups that were nose art? I'll add pictures as soon as I figure out how that works and I get an answer to my question. Cheers, Brady

After building both the Tamiya A6M Zero and Spitfire, I am eager to sink my teeth into their P-51D Mustang! Adding a few AM bits, Barracuda resin tires, G-Factor brass gear, and HGW seatbelts. Not certain yet which markings I plan to use, so for now will start with building the engine then move onto the wings until I figure out which production block the finished model will be, as the cockpit has numerous differences between them. So for now, a quick photo of the box and AM bits, and on to the build!

G Day folks, Wishing you all a Merry Christmas I would like to launch this new project. Being this a very special time of the year I would like to make a special tribute to Major George Preddy by modelling one of his famous mounts. This is the P-51D Cripes A'Mighty 3rd, HO-P, factory serial number 44-13321. Among a batch of brand new P-51Ds assigned to 352nd FG that month, Major Preddy took command of this ship and flew it for the first time 14th June 1944. This was the 3rd aircraft that “Ratsy†named Cripes A'Mighty. This aircraft was a P-51D early version without fin fillet and no aerial wire. Full D-Day invasion stripes wrapped around fuselage and wings. Single black colour stripes on the Hstab. The leter P of squadron code was painted on the Vstab due to the presence of invasion stripes. As the build will unfold, more details about this aircraft configuration will be displayed. I'll use 1/32 Tamiya P-51D wich includes the option of the fin without fillet. Reference pictures show that tires were with hexagonal threads, then I'll use after Peter's advise the Barracuda tires and hubs. Decals are from EagleCals EC#100 “The P-51 Mustangs of Major George Preddy†which includes a beautiful booklet with excellent reference pictures about Preddy's mounts. Details here above are from this booklet. I'm using as well as a reference the book “Building the P-51 Mustang" of Michael O'Leary about the story of manufacturing North American P-51. This is an excellent source of technical information about all the variants produced by North American. Very well explained here is the fact that wings extrados and intrados were factory puttied in the first 40% of the wing chord length due to aerodynamic constraints. After Mal and Peter excellent and inspiring results, I'll be stepping on new ground with Alclad II and I'll test different shades and shines in different panels. Probably not only with Alclad. So here we go, soon I'll start the cockpit. __________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: 1/32 Revell Bf109 Erich Harmann backup Aircraft http://www.largescaleplanes.com/articles/article.php?aid=1874 1/32 Revell Bf109 Erich Harmann backup Aircraft build http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=47767 Tamiya F4U-1 Foy "Poncho" Garison http://www.network54.com/Forum/47751/thread/1378609391/Tamiya+1-48+F4U-1+Birdcage+1st+Lt+Foy+%26quot%3BPoncho%26quot%3B+Garison

Hi. This is my first buildlog on LSP Forum, so here we go. From This To This I let the pics do the talking, since pictures say more rhan thousand words. /Mal Edited: changed the size of the pictures.

Tamiya P-51D MUSTANG Col. C.E. “Bud†Anderson Old Crow P-51D-10-NA Needing to renew the juices and deciding to put the Skyraider on hold until until I feel the desire to pick up the build again, I decided I wanted to literally get back in the 32nds scale saddle again and build another Tamiya Mustang. Needing a relaxing and enjoyable build, the Mustang fit the bill absolutely perfectly. The project will be basically OOB, with some enhancing by including Barracuda resin upgrade parts, some Eduard PE sets, Brassin Wheel Set, HGW seatbelts and 'Dingy' cushion and decals from EagleCal. I still had a nice collection of Eduard PE sets left over from Big Beautiful Doll and I'm sure a lot of them will find a home on Old Crow. Weathering will be 'Used but not Abused' and on the light side, whil . Alclad will be my weapon of choice for the NMF. Right now the jury is still out on the wing issue and I'll need to make a decision a bit down the road. The Big Merlin was built straight from the box and fell together light a dream. Base color; Tamiya semi gloss black with various metal shades used to highlight some of the mechanics. The firewall and coolant tank are Model Master enamel green zinc chromate, while the piping is Alclad dark aluminum. An oil pinwash helped bring out the coolant tank details and provided all the weathering needed except for a quick dry brushing with Apple Barrel Dove Gray. Old Crow being a P-51D-1-NA dictates following the 'B' version in the instructions. Sure feels like visiting an old friend again and the fun is back Thanks for checking in The starting purchase: The Coolant Tank The Big Merlin

Hi Guys Well, I have taken some pics of my Mustang along the way, just gonna put them up on here to show how far I am with it....... You'll have to forgive some of the images as they are a bit grainy, and the modelling is not great, as it is my first real heavy build in 30 years, as I left the hobby to get on with real life for a while then got back into it by painting figures.... Let me know what you think Dave

Finished this one today, what an awesome kit! After building Tamiya's A6M5, I thought it was the best ever. Their Spitfire was even better, and I loved that one too. This one is even better, and I can only surmise that their Corsair will top this one. I will soon find out! Tamiya's 1/32 P-51D, built as Col. Glenn Eagleston's "Feeble Eagle" of the 353rd FS. Built mostly from the box, with Barracuda Resins tires, G-factor tailwheel strut and HGW seatbelts. Main decals are from Eagle Editions, stencil decals are from Fundekals. All of the decals performed flawlessly. I scratchbuilt some cockpit details, mainly the battery overfill bottle from clear sprue and some extra wiring for the radio and battery. Painted with Alclad paints, this is my very first NMF aircraft and to say I am happy with how it turned out is an understatement! I have wanted one in a metal finish for years, but never thought I could actually do it. I have tried a few times and was defeated with each one. Now, I finally have one for my display case! Already planning another Mustang, this time one of the Pacific VLR birds. There's a build thread here. Thanks for looking in!

UPDATE 1/20/14: THE OPENING ROUND BLASPHEMY! Big Beautiful Doll, my first serious P-51, is no more. My best effort as of that date, she just looked sad and left behind by Old Crow, when side by side in the display case. I decided to do the unthinkable: a re-build, as best as I could. My goal would be to do a total cosmetic transformation, repairing all the external faults and blemishes, closing up the engine cowlings and gun bays, making the Mustang ready for flight in the markings of Lt. Robert Williams' Duchess Arlene: (P-15D-15-NA), 332nd FS, The Tuskegee Airman. The plan was simple, the work turned into a nightmare! The hardest part of the transformation – getting up the nerve to actually start and taking the plunge. Step one would be to strip the Mustang down to unpainted plastic; what could be easier? I scrubbed with Mr Color Thinner, wet sanded and scrubbed some more. I had to remove the Alclad finish on the fuselage, the Glosscote and Floquil Old Silver and Reefer White mix on the wings, which always seemed just a tad too gray. Getting through the layers paint and finally Tamiya Gloss Black Base seemed endless. When I ran out of thinner, I resorted to wet sanding and going nowhere fast. Finally my resupply of Mr Color Thinner arrived and I went back to work. The fumes were terrible and even though I bought a mask for paint and odors – it didn't work; I still could smell the thinner and I wound up finish stripping the paint off in the cold garage. With the door wide open the odors registered almost zero and the temperature not far behind. I kept going until after what seemed like countless hours (days), the Mustang was back to gray plastic. I managed to get the pasty, thin paint goop in all the crevasses. seams and joints; cleaning that mess up was almost too much. Washed and clean, I started the upgrade and repair. First on the list were any seams that weren't perfect and where the thinner had removed the filler from - as most of the seams were effected to a extent. Mr Surfacer and Bondo were were pressed into service, to remedy the seams. The .50 cal machine guns were drilled out and the gun bay covers added and the bays closed. The cowlings were stripped and buffed out, with extra care given, as the plastic is quite thin and delicate. I removed the plastic plates from the lower cowling, added PE screens and then permanently attached the cowling. The prop and sinner would be replaced and the antenna I snapped off was finally located and would be glued back into place after the Alclad was applied. The tail wheel was also stripped, clean, repainted and lightly weathered; the tailwheel doors were another story. The windscreen was removed and a spare pressed into service. I normally use Eduard masks for the canopy but both Sprue Brothers and the Squadron were out, I tried my hand at cutting the masks from the printed Tamiya masking sheets I had never used and they worked fine. And this bring us to date; ready for the Alclad Gloss Black Base, which is the next step.Big Beautiful Doll gone …. not really as there is a Hollywood ending in sight …. the 7th Calvary just arrived with another Tamiya Mustang and a set of Eaglecal decals, signed, sealed and delivered; she will rise again down the road. Thanks for checking in Peter Gone but not forgotten .. The start .. URL=http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/Peterpools/media/P-51D%20Duchess%20Arlene/PCW_4533_zps66733665.jpg.html][/url]