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1/24 Airfix RCAF Mustang IV…finally done


R Palimaka

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Thank you! More to come shortly.

 

I wish the Waldron stuff was still available, I would buy another couple of the 1/24 Mustang placards if I could find them. I can't believe how beautiful they are, you can read all of the placards with a magnifying glass.

 

Richard

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Just to test the IMGUR links, and to show that I am actually doing something...

 

Here are the inner clamshell doors being detailed. An original kit part is on the left, at the bottom is the port gear door with the Archer rivets on, and the stainless steel rubbing strip made from shiny thick furnace tape...all sealed with Future. At the top is the finished starboard door, primed and ready to paint aluminum and stainless steel (for the rubbing strip). I had considered leaving the rubbing strip to last and just leaving it bare, but it's too shiny, more like chrome. That might work for a restored warbird but not an operational Mustang.

 

They're both done now...back to the cockpit.

 

 

ryFL7vJ.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Fantastic, Richard! Pathetic Airfix! Seriously, 1/24th scale? And that's the detail we get OOTB?

Thank you Shaka...you're right, there wasn't a lot of detail to begin with on those doors and they were pretty flat. As Alain says, they are toy-like because they were originally meant to work, and retract into the empty wheel well. Back in 1972 that was a good idea I guess. 

 

Some features of the Airfix 1/24 kits are very toylike especially in the wheel wells...

Those new doors are really impressive, as I know how hard it is to do concave details.

Alain

Thank you Alain! For a 50-year old kit, it's interesting what they left out...and sometimes surprising the detail they did include. But yes, I've spent more time on that empty hole of a wheel well and the landing gear than I have on most entire models I've ever built. 

Edited by R Palimaka
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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, some shots of the cockpit stuff that's ready to get plugged in. Sorry for the size of the images, still learning how IMGUR works.

 

First the console on the port side, it's a little glossy 'cause it got Futured for the decals. The whole cockpit will be sprayed with a semi-matte once it's all together. It's a combination of Waldron, scratch-built plastic,some spare Eduard bits and lots of eye strain. The flap handle was a short length of solder wire painted, with a blob of white glue on the end painted yellow. The bomb salvo handles at the front will go on once it's in place in the cockpit.

 

HQAYRHP.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Next is the seat and armour plate/floor. I wanted to paint the headrest pad a khaki canvas colour, but the photos I had showed it to be black on this aircraft. So I painted it a darker black than the armour plate with a bit of Future in it. It was also dry-brushed with a light brown to show some wear...it looks better in person I think. I also changed the route the relief tube took after looking at photos I saw that it ran across in front of the seat and then out the back...and of course once the seat is in place you can't see much of it at all! The bar between the two springs doesn't exist on the aircraft but it won't be seen at all, and helps to keep the springs and seat aligned.

 

8RUvC6n.jpg

 

Still not entirely happy with the headrest pad...a bit more tweaking.

 

yufVKLJl.jpg

Edited by R Palimaka
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Cockpit looks great, Richard! Try this online site for resizing images: http://resizeimage.net/. But looks like you got the resizing procedure on your last image. I don't mind large images (and I think too many modelers post pictures that are too small here), but others with slower Internet connections might not feel this way. Awesome update and looking forward to what you do with the belts. Weathering looks great as well!

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Thanks Harvey!...and thanks Shaka, I played a bit with resizing right on IMGUR for the last one, I just need to make sure I remember what I did. Got some good advice on finishing the belts down below on the Tips and Techniques thread. I'm no longer afraid of them. :-)

 

I just want to start putting all these bits together so I can start moving ahead faster. The Waldron parts are just amazing, but really hard to cut out from the sheet...and then there's the assembling. I'm working on the throttle now and it's a microscopic model in itself! The starboard side of the cockpit is next, plus I'm continuing to stuff rivets, wiring and hoses into the wheel wells. Hopefully it'll be good enough to show the progress soon.

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