1/18 P51C Mustang "Lopes Hope the 3rd"

[Chek 1,688]

Really nice work Peter which I only recently appreciated by how almost indistinct the NAA logos are on the rudder pedals of Eduard's Mustang and Sabre etched parts.

[USMC Herc 104]

Peter this is brilliant. Your metal working skills are better than some journeyman airframers like myself. I have been catching up with this build (2 days reading and slobbering). You have an  airframers mentality......" Beat It To Fit....Paint It To Match" 

 

Outstanding work sir,

Jason

[dodgem37 6,979]

This is all a thing of beauty.  Great show, Peter.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[Piprm 1,010]

Hi Peter,

this standard of modelling is completely insane

Pip

[Kurt_W 13]

On 7/14/2019 at 12:39 PM, airscale said:

good evening my fellow model nuts

 

 

 

well, I have to confess there is no witchcraft, the pedals and the lettering on them are simple etch parts derived from the plans - the etch drawing just says dissolve a layer of metal (and create the shape) but leave the lettering untouched - bingo you get nice raised letters - I did the same on the fuel tank selector panel you will see in a minute...

 

..as for the tiny parts, they are just made by deconstructing the thing I want to make into simple shapes and then cutting, filing, drilling stock to get the same ingredients

 

again, not a huge amount to show, but I want to try as best as possible to keep a weekly log, so this week's challenge was the collection of fuel control gubbins that sits below the main instrument panel (in fact the switchpanel below that but whatever) - seen here:

 

 

..for the central control selector I designed two methods - I had a decal made, and I tried making an etch part with all the lettering so I could paint it black and sand off the top layer to leave the letters and lines..

 

..the remaining parts were made up from sheet or bits & bobs...

 

 

 

..these were then painted & assembled - you can see I used the etch part for the fuel control rather than the decal..

 

 

 

..and they were added to the lower switch panel using templates to set the angles they all sit at..

 

 

 

 

..and thats it for this week - told you it wasn't much

 

..need to start getting the cockpit pod ready for assembly now, at which point the weathering will be added to make it a little less toy like..

 

TTFN
Peter

Seriously, you need a Youtube channel to show us all your techniques!

[airscale 9,359]

evening all

 

back with a bit more Mustang mayhem...

 

..in trying to get the cockpit 'pod' in a state where it is complete and can be fitted into the airframe, I have had to take care of many small details I had earlier left, thinking 'I will do that later...'

 

first up this sidewall..

 

 

..I had added the straps for the flare pistol cartridge box (the four little beige tabs), the landing gear handle I made from brass in a previous post, some black switch covers in the top switchbox along the canopy slide rail and a completely missing thing - the bomb selector handle & cover (with a red top)..

 

maybe seen better here..

 

 

and bomb release lever..

 

 

..the cockpit floor was also finished with the canvas cover under the seat with it's pop-off fasteners, and the control column was added and the boot/gaiter - these canvas parts were made with household 3" masking tape which I think worked reasonable well..

 

 

 

..then a step right out of my comfort zone... I can make anything mechanical - I take a look, break it down into shapes and make thise bits - here though the parts I needed to make were the seat back life preserver (I think) and the cushion... two completely organic shapes..

 

 

..I thought the life preserver could be made of milliput on a base of lightly curved & distorted plasic card covered in foil tape so hopefully once complete I could remove it as it wouldn't stick to it..

 

..then it was a matter of playing with the milliput and trying to shape with cocktail sticks to get creases - the button like things were tiny punched plastic discs..

 

 

..I added some piping from sprue & milliput and tried to paint it (another weakness...)

 

 

..same for the cushion, though this time a strap was added at the front from folded tape & foil brass retaining straps...

 

 

..I am not 100% on it and may try painting it again, but for now it looks like this...

 

 

..and at home in the cockpit...

 

 

 

 

 

..getting there...

 

TTFN
Peter

 

[LSP_Kevin 26,744]

Looks fantastic to me, Peter!

 

Kev

[Out2gtcha 30,130]

Bloody amazing as always my friend 

[Troy Molitor 2,445]

I was really looking forward to seeing the entire cockpit sub assemblies all put in place.   Not to be disappointed, obviously!   Well done Peter.   I love it.   

 

Troy 

[JayW 1,348]

You are no doubt your own worst critic Peter.  To me it looks like a picture of the real thing.  Way to go!  It's hard to get the texture of a wrinkly cushion - that's about the best effort I have seen.   

[Piprm 1,010]

Hi Peter,

I'm feeling Nauseous... Erh! 

Pip

 

Edited July 21 by Piprm

[MikeMaben 5,328]

 

          

 

 

[dodgem37 6,979]

Nicely done.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[TorbenD 1,759]

Looks pretty bob on to me Peter - I think you’ve captured a seat cushion that looks like it’s seen quite a few long range sorties... marvelous stuff.

 

Torben

[airscale 9,359]

thank you chaps

 

question:

 

here is a Mustang pilot - he has a whole load of stuff strapped to his rear end including a parachute..

 

 

here is Don Lopez sitting in Lopes Hope...

 

 

do you think the cushion is a false lead - as in in the outfit Don is wearing does he look like he would have had a seat parachute, therefore if he got out of the aircraft there would be no cushion?

 

and note the life preserver / seat back cushion behind him - to me that doesn't look yellow, but is that just a trick of B&W photo's?

 

thoughts please my learned friends..

 

TIA
Peter