1/24 Airfix RCAF Mustang IV…finally done

[R Palimaka]

This is what I'm aiming at:

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

Well, I got started on her last night, altering and refining some sub-assembles. 1/24 is big! It felt good, it's been a while. For this one I'm closing up the nose panels. I'm not going to install the Merlin engine, my plan is to build and detail it separately to present to my Dad (he was an engine fitter with a couple of the Polish Mustang squadrons). I also sorted out the decal problem by using another colour printer. The crest looks great now at 1/24 scale, I printed a couple of samples to make sure they work. I'll try one tonight.

 

I'll post some photos tonight or tomorrow to prove it. :-)

 

Richard

Edited November 16, 2016 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

The decals turned out well, I tried one on a discarded guinea-pig model and it worked. I haven't tried a decal softener on it, so I'm not sure how it would react. I floated it on with Future so perhaps it won't need it. 

 

I printed a half dozen more, just in case something goes wrong.

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

I also added some ribbing on the rudder, as it was completely featureless as provided in the kit. It looked like a wedge of cheese. I glued some very thin Evergreen strips and sprayed it with Mr. Surfacer 500. It will need a couple more coats and some careful sanding to soften and smooth things a bit, and correct a couple of little boo-boos. There is also a metal cap with rivets on the bottom of the rudder that has to be added, not yet sure how I'll do that. It's not perfect but it's looking better to me.

Edited August 6, 2017 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

I've also drilled out the filtered air intake vents on the both sides of the nose, and glued the nose panels in place. It required a fair bit of sanding and filing to get the panel to sit flush to the rest of the surface. It will still need a bit of filler to blend it in. The next addition is the small vent scoop for the battery, which was relocated to just in front of the firewall in very late and post-war Mustangs. This little scoop is located in the panel that includes the fillet for the leading edge of the wing. 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

Although I was very happy to find out that a Hamilton Standard cuffless prop was included in the latest version of the kit, the blades are a bit thick. I had to spend a bit of time to thin them down, and there will be a couple more sessions of sanding yet to smooth them out and eliminate some seams. That being said they have incorporated the proper twist to the blades.

 

The elevators, just above the prop, will also need some work. There are some fictional panel lines that have to be eliminated on them, and the new panel lines and rivets added. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the amount of prep work involved, but I'm having fun. Ask me again when I get to the wheel wells. :-) 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by R Palimaka

[Azgaron]

Nice looking propeller!

 

Håkan

[Old Dog Flying]

Nice looking decals Richard!  I've made a few on my Epson 680 Ink Jet and after drying for 24 hours, I brushed on a coat of Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film.  I trimmed the pieces quite close and after they dried on the model the edge od the decal was very hard to spot.

 

I have that very old Airfix kit and if my eyes were better I would love to build it as BA*U, Dennis Bradley's private Mustang.

 

Barney

[R Palimaka]

Thanks Barney. I tried to print them on my HP ink-jet at home but the dark colours seemed to shrink and crack as they dried. Took them to work and ran them on one of our Xerox colour printers and they came out exactly like the original artwork, no shrinking or cracking with nice brilliant colours. It gave me ideas for all kinds of other things I've been wanting to try.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your eyes. I'm finding after my detached retina that I can't work as long as I used to before the vision starts to double up. I guess I'll have to work fast to finish all the projects I have in mind. :-)

Edited November 18, 2016 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

After promising myself I wouldn't get bogged down with too many improvements for this one, I'm finding there are too many things I'm not happy leaving alone. So at the moment I'm improving the elevators and the rudder, the propellor and the landing gear legs/gear doors, and the seat. I was also going to leave the instrument panel as is, but it's just not right. 95% of the people looking at it wouldn't know the difference, but I will. The cockpit floor is also curved, like the roof of the wing, when it should be dead flat. That will also have to be replaced. Again, I will know. :-) 

 

The big project will be the gear wells, and the doors. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I've made a spar and will be securing that in the lower wing half. I will be making notes and drawings I can use for the next one, because I am going to do another.  Despite it's problems it's starting to look good, and unless Airfix decide to release a new one in 1/24 to match the detail of the Typhoons, this kit is still a better choice than the Trumpeter. 

 

I'll have more pictures tomorrow once I make a bit more progress.

Edited November 22, 2016 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

The other issue is the tires/wheels. The kit has the correct circumferential tread tires that were fitted to RCAF Mustangs, but they are vinyl and look a bit thin. The aftermarket replacement resin tires that are available only have either the cross-threaded or oval block tread. I'll have to think about that issue too, either go with what I have or maybe make my own? 

 

A photo of the style of tire fitted to post-war RCAF Mustangs. All the photos of Canadian Mustangs I have, or have ever seen, show this pattern:

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

One curious thing I came across was the decals for the Hamilton Standard props. The Hamilton Standard logos in the 1/24 Airfix kit are exactly the same size as the 1/32 ones in the Tamiya kit and those on the Fundekals sheet of stencils. I trust Jennings' research to be correct, so Airfix must have printed them too small. I found a 1/32 Microscale sheet for a Mustang of the 356th Fighter Group, and its logos are a bit larger, so I may just use those in case I can't find the correct size. 

 

I promised myself I wouldn't do the AMS thing to myself...but really enjoying this.

Edited November 22, 2016 by R Palimaka

[R Palimaka]

Tonight I will also be adding the cooling slots on both sides of the radiator doghouse section, a post-war modification:

Edited November 22, 2016 by R Palimaka

[r0t0rdr1ver]

Great work, lots of little details I wasn't aware of!

[R Palimaka]

I had company last night, which prevented me from doing much. I did get the rudder and elevator to where I was happy. I also got the cooling slots and instrument shroud roughed in, and the nose panels on. Looking at photos of the aircraft I am doing, I found that it had the ribbed instrument shroud, so those were added with some appropriately sized plastic rod which I sanded flat on one side and rounded off the ends.

The rudder is nearly there, just have to sand the edge to get rid of the bit of flash, cut the trim tab out and add the fairing and the light at the rear.



The elevators look much better. I filled in the fictional panel lines/troughs, and rescribed and riveted new ones. Again, just have to saw out the trim tab and add the actuator rod to the trim tab. The rivets look a little harsh under the light but will look better with a light sanding and under a coat of primer.

Edited November 23, 2016 by R Palimaka