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Tamiya 1/32 Early P-51D "Lou IV" finished 07-09-15


MustangManiac

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Hello everyone,

I've done a little work on my Mustang this week. What I've worked on I've actually been putting off because I didn't have a lot of confidence in myself as far as doing. I've finally pretty well completed my HGW seatbelts, but I'm still not happy with them because they won't lay down in the seat. I still have to add the photo etched latching mechanism for the lap belt and the two small pull tabs on the lap belt too, but otherwise it's finally done. I'm still trying to decide if I should use the belts or the pilot figure in my bird. How have you guys gotten these belts to lay down nicely in the seat? Mine just want to stick out away from the back of the seat. As you can see here:
 
IMG_20150221_125736_492_zps93b88e55.jpg
 
IMG_20150221_125755_198_zps0a65906e.jpg
 
 
In these pictures I'm just holding the belts somewhat in their place to try and get an idea what it may look like. I'll take any ideas I can get on how to get these to lay down since they're white on the back.
 
Thanks in advance,
Brady
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Hi geedubelyer,

 

So if I use glue to get these to settle do I want to use some type of oil was before or after to bring out the details of the belts? I'm guessing before I add glue, but I want to ask and make sure.

 

I've never used any oil washes before other than Flory washes so I'm not experienced in that department, but these belts need something more I think. I'm grateful that HGW finally have come out with a laser pre-cut belt now, which I'll definitely use before I have to do all this cutting just to follow with a bunch of fiddly diddly stuff to feed them through the photo etched parts. Thanks for the tip!

 

Cheers,

Brady

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Hello MARU5137,

 

Thanks for your kind words of support. I myself love mustangs too and would agree with you. The more the merrier.

 

My biggest challenge so far has been having fat fingers and trying to work with those seatbelts and to decide on my paint scheme. I'm thinking now I may save some of my detailed work, the gun bays for a later build and add those to one, maybe two of my later builds. Ive got about 10 of the Tamiya 1/32 Mustangs now to do and at least three I want to do as Photo Recon F-6D birds, one of those I'm waiting patiently for kits world decals to make me decals though. I'm really hoping myself that Tamiya will do what they did with their 1/48 P-51D kits also with their 1/32 kits too. I'd like to see them release an F-51D/K with a big sharkmouth and 5 inch HVAR rockets. They already molded locations for the rocket tabs in the inside of the lower wings, so maybe there's hope. Anyway I'm rambling now so happ modeling everyone!

 

Cheers,

Brady

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Hi dashotgun,

 

Your build looks very nice. I originally was going to do this current build as Passion Wagon or Moon Mullins' P-51D-5 with the official Pyn-up decals, but I've changed my mind as there's a few things that I've done that may be inaccurate for a RAF Green over Grey bird with D-day stripes and I was thinking of having the cowling glued closed for both of those builds so I don't have to cut the girls to pieces literally. Did you glue your cowling on or cut up the decals? When I do build those two I'll probably put more details in the cockpit too with barracuda upgrades in resin and the placard decals.

 

Cheers,

Brady 

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I glued them after fussing over the engine compartment I was upset but  they are really finicky to get to look right without gluing.  I love the nose art on mustangs and  although the  tamiya is a beautiful build all in all   I prefer to show case  the painting rather then the detaling

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Yea, that's kinda why I'm putting off doing Passion Wagon and Walter "Moon" Mullins' bird so I don't have to say I've wasted all that time and the supplies to paint the engine compartment. When I build each of those two I'll glue the cowling panels in place and be done with a lot of the model a lot faster in the beginning. I'm going to save my gun bays for a later build that the engine isn't displayed and when I have the eduard placards to use too. Therefore I'm probably going to do Lou IV because the decals measure smaller than the removable panels and I think the paint scheme will be good practice for Moon Mullins' bird, especially on the tail section where just the leading edge is painted OD on both birds. The sharkmouth will have to be cut in half just like I was doing one of the pin-up girls. I personally like the style of Korean War F-51D sharkmouths better than the design of Bennett's, but that's just a preference on my part. Lou IV will also be good practice for painting D-day stripes.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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<p>Hello again everyone,</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've made some decisions that there's no going back on and no more changing my mind on. I decided to save my open gun bays for a later build where I plan to not expose the engine. Therefore I robbed the parts from another kit I have of the top halves of the wings and the inner gun bay parts for support and sturdiness of the wing I'm currently building. I put my finished gun bays away for now and am saving them for a future build and possibly two, one open gun bay each. The verdict here being that the current build is going to have closed gun bays. While I was at it I glued the tops to the bottom section of the wings.</p>

<p> </p>

<p><img alt="" src="http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r773/P-51MustangManiac/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150224_113637_329_zpsovg7dgtj.jpg"/></p>

<p> </p>

<p>This is what she looks like now with the flaps being test fit, she's starting to look like a Mustang.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>And the bottom with the front part of the gear bay being test fit:</p>

<p> </p>

<p><img alt="" src="http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r773/P-51MustangManiac/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150224_113846_542_zpsuejiql7i.jpg"/></p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've got to say when it comes time to glue the front portion of the gear bay in place it looks like there will be plenty of places to keep pressure on the parts for a clean tight fit.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Happy Modeling!</p>

<p>Brady</p>

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On the fabric seat belts I usual "ball" them up between my thumb and fore finger a bit and loosen them up, Then put them together. It seams to break the stiffness down and makes it better to handle and lay down. Just my .02 worth.....Harv :popcorn:

Edited by Guest
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Hello everyone,

 

I'm back with some more progress and a dumb mistake I made. I got the front portion of the gear bay glued in place and the ailerons on. The flaps are only dry fitted so I can add the decals that indicate what degree they are posed at. Here's my progress so far:

 

IMG_20150227_131341_158_zpslejsqhhk.jpg

 

IMG_20150227_131429_736_zpsal3gdvih.jpg

 

 

Now for my dumb mistake, I didn't think before I glued my wings together and I forgot to drill the holes out for the wing pylons. Soooo, I went and got one of my other kits and held the bottom half of the wings up to the fluorescent light and started counting rivets on both parts so I knew about where to drill on the assembled wing from the outside. I think I did OK but I haven't taken the pylons off the sprue yet to see if I nailed it or not. I feel fairly good though.

 

Here's what they look like now

 

IMG_20150227_131505_126_zpsnkevlurf.jpg

 

IMG_20150227_131523_188_zps1f3krnts.jpg

 

 

That's all I have for now.

 

Cheers,

Brady

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