1/24 Airfix Mustang, RCAF "Tactical Fighter Mk. IV", post-war

[R Palimaka 1,867]

Thank you Alain! It's good to be back at the bench trying to tame this beast.

[Anthony in NZ 2,668]

Amazing work on a difficult kit.  Very few do you see that look 'right'  I have a feeling this one will!

 

Keep up the great work

[R Palimaka 1,867]

Thanks so much for the kind words Anthony! There is tremendous potential in the kit. The shapes and details are mostly accurate, so much better than the Trumpeter kit. It just lacks detail and refinement, and the working parts make for some compromises that have to be corrected. The most important thing to get the "look" right is fixing the dihedral on the wings and the length of the landing gear legs. Built out of the box the wings are very droopy and sad, and it looks like it's standing tip-toed.

 

Hours of entertainment for the money! Years in fact...

 

Richard

 

 

[R Palimaka 1,867]

So I'm finally at the point of no return for the fuselage! All the interior bits are done, and I'm ready to close things up. The tailwheel and gear are done, the cockpit and radio rack, fuel tank, and radiators. 

 

Here are some final shots of the interior of the cockpit. Some of the detail will never be seen again once it's put together, but I know it's there, haha! It's as accurate as I could make it, some of the dimensions were off in the end but nothing critical and I think it's convincing. A couple of small things will be added once the final painting and assembly is done. 

 

So this is the port side of the cockpit with instrument panel and rudder pedals added, some more wiring and tubing inserted and everything glued into place. 

 

Overview with everything in:

 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka 1,867]

Here is the starboard side. It's pretty much all scratch-built, with modified kit parts, Waldron placards, plastic card and structural shapes, bits of wire and wine-bottle foil. The worst part was attaching all those friggin' toggle switches to the control panels...tiny bits of wire a couple of mm. long with superglue. I lost so many that didn't attach properly, there must be a couple of hundred under my desk that went flying off. Anyway, it's done and ready to be closed up. I think my favourite part of this side is the small power outlet beside the canvas flap/cover, and that flap itself. 

 

THe rectangular panel under the radio control box looks skewed but it's not, I think it's the camera lens in my phone distorting things. The oxygen hose is a Waldron part, and is finely ribbed and lovely. It's attached at either end, but free in the middle so that I can drape it on the floor when the fuselage is closed up. 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by R Palimaka

[Out2gtcha 26,523]

Excellent work!

[R Palimaka 1,867]

Finally for tonight here are the last bits before closing up the fuselage. 

 

I rebuilt the gunsight, added a thin layer of card to beef it up a bit. I also added the two tiny round lenses on top of the sight, made out of thin slices of tubing, and filled with dark green paint and Future. The crash pad on the front was enhanced with the "NO HANDHOLD" decal from the Barracudacal sheet. The decal is intended for 1/32, but it works fine here. 

 

 

The tailwheel gear and tire. The gear is the Airfix parts with steering arms added to the sides, and some cabling. I had intended to fully run cable through the pulleys and gear with fine wire, but then realized that with it tucked up in the tailwheel well, with the gear doors open, you wouldn't see much up there...so I was lazy and stopped there. 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by R Palimaka

[Anthony in NZ 2,668]

That's just amazing!!

 

Makes me want to get my 24th Mosquito out and carry on superdetailing it!

 

Thanks again for the inspiration

 

Cheers

Anthony

[LSP_Ray 5,336]

Wow! That is an amazing cockpit, Richard!!! 

"...I think it is convincing..." Understatement of the year!

[MikeMaben 4,598]

 

Yep, sure convinced me  

 

 

[R Palimaka 1,867]

1 hour ago, Anthony in NZ said:

That's just amazing!!

 

Makes me want to get my 24th Mosquito out and carry on superdetailing it!

 

Thanks again for the inspiration

 

Cheers

Anthony

 

That's very kind, thank you Anthony! I know it works for me, seeing how other people approach things. 

 

19 minutes ago, LSP_Ray said:

Wow! That is an amazing cockpit, Richard!!! 

"...I think it is convincing..." Understatement of the year!

 

Haha! Thank you Ray! The Waldron placards really make it pop. WIsh i could find more of them!

 

12 minutes ago, MikeMaben said:

 

Yep, sure convinced me  

 

 

Thank you Mike. 

[LSP_Ray 5,336]

1 hour ago, R Palimaka said:

 

Haha! Thank you Ray! The Waldron placards really make it pop. Wish I could find more of them!

 

Kitlinx has them now! They bought out Roll Models who had bought out the original Waldron owner. I did not see and Mustang stuff but hopefully that is coming out later.

[R Palimaka 1,867]

Thanks for that Ray. I had no idea that much of the line was still around. You're right, no sign of the Mustang stuff, but maybe soon. 

 

Crazy as it sounds, I'd like to build another one of these...but...maybe not right away. :-) 

Edited November 22, 2018 by R Palimaka

[Robthepom 806]

thats fantastico. I built the same kit about a year ago and to be honest i couldnt wait to finish it, seeing your cockpit makes me realise what could have been

 

Great work

[R Palimaka 1,867]

8 hours ago, Robthepom said:

thats fantastico. I built the same kit about a year ago and to be honest i couldnt wait to finish it, seeing your cockpit makes me realise what could have been

 

Great work

 

Thank you! I've had a lot of fun cobbling things up in the wheel wells and cockpit.

 

But I know what you mean! It seems that although the right shapes and basics are all there, almost everything needs to be refined or detailed on this kit. There are points where I wish I was closer to the end, but I just take a break. I've really enjoyed this, and totally surprised myself with some of the scratch-building I managed to figure out. I've learned a lot on this build!