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1/24th P-51 Mustang kit, which is better? Airfix or Trumpeter?


RetroRocket

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Airfix is and old tool. I would go for Trumpeter, at least you get the PE parts in the kit. 

 

From what I hear, the Trumpeter kit is inaccurate in shape - supposedly making Airfix the better option.

Edited by Sparzanza
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Not an easy answer, there isn't a clear path to a good 1/24 Mustang. It depends on what you expect from a model. 

 

The Trumpeter is a newer mold, so has crisp detail and goes together nicely. On the other hand, that crisp detail is inaccurate or fictional, ie: the wheel wells, cockpit, an oversize bulbous canopy, some incorrect panel lines...and the shape and dimensions are just not right. The photo etch included is not great and fiddly. The thrust line of the engine is also wrong, so that you have to rescribe the nose panels and correct the angle of the exhaust opening. Built straight from the box it mostly looks like a Mustang...except to someone who knows the Mustang well.

 

The Airfix kit is much more accurate in shape, although the nose needs some help. The dimensions and shape are accurate, and the cockpit interior details are a little soft but looks much closer to the real thing than Trumpeter...although the instrument panel is closer to that of the P-51B. The Merlin engine is wonderful. It is a 45-year old kit, so the molds are showing their age and parts fit can be a challenge. The panel lines are overdone, but mostly recessed, and the rivets need some toning down. The landing gear needs shortening, it's molded at full extension so looks like it's standing on its toes if you don't modify it. You also have to be careful about the wings, some work will be needed to give it the proper dihedral. And...there is no wheel well detail at all, just a big opening in the bottom of the wing.

 

All that being said, I would still far rather update the Airfix than build the Trumpeter...and I've had both. The Airfix has the shapes and dimensions right, and it just looks and feels like a Mustang. The Trumpeter, even though it will be far easier to build, just looks wrong. I'm building the Airfix Mustang in the Jurassic Plastic Group Build, and I'm fixing some of the basic problems. There are also a couple of amazing builds of the Airfix Mustang on here.

 

Short answer, Airfix.

 

Richard

Edited by R Palimaka
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What help does the nose need on the Airfix kit? I always thought it looked a little narrow, but I could be wrong. 

 

Personally, I would rather go for the Airfix kit. At least it makes a good basic template if the shape is better, and 1/24 is a nice scale to scratchbuild in.

 

Best regards;
Steve

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You're right Cees, two very different kits and approaches. Both require lots of work, for different reasons.

 

Steve, yes, the Airfix nose is a bit narrow and doesn't have the subtle broader "shoulder" on the top of the cowling behind the prop, and there is a pinch at the bottom just behind the intake that needs to be corrected. The nose on the Mustang is a complex shape that is hard to capture, or describe really. I won't be fixing it much on my build, but there are others here, especially Geoff (Ironwing), who tackled it. Even as it is, it's better than Trumpeter. I agree, I still like the Airfix very much as a start.

 

Richard

Edited by R Palimaka
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....Well possibly. Take the Airfix Spitfire and 109E. I've got multiple boxings of those from the first issues right up to the latest "red box" issues. The early ones are nice and crisp with almost no flash but the transparencies are pretty rubbish. I've had to sand them all back and polish with micromesh, but the results are worth it. The mid 1990s issues are pretty bad...all flash, warped plastic and bad transparencies. The latest issues I have are quite nice. Some flash, but plastic all ok with the wings having proper dihedral  in the case of the Spitfires, and the transparencies on all the "red box" issues I have had have been flawless. I would hope the same applies to the P-51D as I haven't seen a recent boxing of the kit yet, but the 1990's version I had was ropey like my Spits and 109s. The original release of the P-51 I had was nice, but again, the transparencies were not too good.

 

In summary, don't rule out the latest boxing completely, and you also get nice Cartograph decals with all the data stencils in the new boxes. Hope this helps!

 

Best regards;
Steve.

Edited by fightersweep
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