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Duchess Arlene Tamiya P-51D


CANicoll

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It has begun.  Took me about a year, but finally got started.  This will be Duchess Arlene and the intent is to bring it to Nationals in Chattanooga.  We'll see if it goes on the contest table or the club table, or the Display table.  :rolleyes:

 

We all know the box:

9Iq4wP.jpg

 

And here is the aftermarket of which I'll be using bits and pieces - mostly for the cockpit.  I have some duplicates (Brassin and Barracuda and tires for one) so am looking to mix and match.  Mustangs were supposedly known for having mismatched tires (although I've seen very few pictures of that).  I've already sorted through most of that Big Ed batch and won't be using any of the Engine bits (more on that in a minute) or the machine gun bays.  I have 3 options for the IP actually.

zmskAG.jpg

 

Bases by Bill did a custom base for me and it is amazing.  The name tag actually has its own little stand as well and I purchased the appropriate medal for Lt. Williams.

AShUKV.jpg

 

I mentioned I have three options for the IP:  the Kit, Eduard and Barracuda.  I'm going to see if I can build all 3 as kind of a comparison and will post that separately but will show some of it here as well.

eBGxVa.jpg

4uqv3e.jpg

The Barracuda IP intrigues me the most, but also looks like an amazing amount of work. Hmmm...  Not as big a fan of the self-adhesive Eduard but the detail is nice.  I have the Barracuda cockpit placards as well.  MIGHT look at a combo of Eduard and Barracuda.  We'll see.  Oh, I have a piece of Tamiya tape on the Barracuda IP as I get it ready for primer.  I have already removed the outer pouring casings but not the base yet.

5AMhr5.jpg 

 

I'm not going with the removable engine panels so the engine is only what is needed to secure the prop and exhausts (which don't actually attach to the engine on this kit):

RSicLU.jpg

 

Hopefully more tomorrow.

Ciao!

Chris

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Interesting project, Chris!

 

2 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Bases by Bill did a custom base for me and it is amazing.  The name tag actually has its own little stand as well and I purchased the appropriate medal for Lt. Williams.

AShUKV.jpg

 

Looks like Bill put the wrong aircraft name on your base!

 

Kev

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  • 2 months later...

Sorry to be gone so long folks, but lots of work and travel and also the usual life stuff too.  But I'm finally back at it and making some progress.  Want to get the cockpit pretty much together this week and next - that is the goal.

 

So I'm combining Eduard, Barracuda and the kit parts to see what I can cobble together.  Also using the Barracuda cockpit stencils many of which are TINY!!  Here the sidewalls with the black backgrounds for the placard and working on the pilot's head cushion.

RKGurC.jpg

 

Interior Green is primarily MRP Interior Green - sprays so nicely as everyone knows.  

 

The IP is mostly the kit IP - The gorgeous Barracuda IP just had too many PE pieces for me to tackle at this point, and the Eduard Color PE just doesn't look quite right to me - the paint is not smooth enough for my taste.  Having said that, I did use one part of the Color PE on the IP, the piece right below the main IP. 

 

To avoid a completely monotone IP I did paint the two main gauges and the small rectangle to the bottom left with the two red switches Black Grey.  Looks more stark in the pictures than visually and I still have the placards to add.  

4mOueZ.jpg

 

Ok, that's about where things sit now.  Thanks for looking!

Chris

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Latest update - seems like it is taking forever but those Barracudacal cockpit placards are tiny and many of them are two parts so have to let the first layer dry (and overcoat some of them).  Started some of the detail painting of the wiring as well.

 

SOMEHOW between the water and sitting on the tweezer I lost the big decal on the far left.  No clue how that happened but now have to figure out how to replace that one.  Next step is separating the sidewalls from the pour stubs and attaching to the fuselage sides.

1NEim2.jpg

 

Still have some detail painting here as well.  Believe it or not, there are 25 decals on these parts below!

hx9YkN.jpg

 

And the floor gauges as well.  Not doing a worn floor, in favor of a cleaner/newer aircraft.

rjUogH.jpg

 

More to come!

Chris

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Antonio, 

 

THANKS for the comment and the attention to detail!!  Actually, the control column will fit in there and that is (hopefully!) painted to represent a canvas cover (see in my pictures above).   I do see what you mean by the area aft of the floor gauges not being black as I have it. I have to check my references - I may have just missed something there.  The good news, it is an easy fix.  Although those gauges are decals, I've over-coated them with a clear acrylic glue (Formula 560) to simulate the glass lenses so masking should not be an issue.

 

That picture of the left side of the cockpit sidewall - do you have a date on that?  A few items pop out- the white nobs on the throttle quadrant were red during the war,  but that is also the late model throttle quadrant which I am planning on using (Barracuda offers both handle styles). That highlighted box on the sidewall I have not seen in any period pictures and it blocks the flap controls on that sidewall so not sure what that is for.  Got any addl information on that?


Thanks for sending over, much appreciated, and just in time as I am hoping to get the cockpit largely together this week and this would be an whole different beast after the seat gets installed!


Cheers,


Chris

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8 hours ago, CANicoll said:

Thanks for sending over, much appreciated, and just in time as I am hoping to get the cockpit largely together this week and this would be an whole different beast after the seat gets installed!

No problem  Chris, glad to help.B)

 

8 hours ago, CANicoll said:

That picture of the left side of the cockpit sidewall - do you have a date on that?  A few items pop out- the white nobs on the throttle quadrant were red during the war,  but that is also the late model throttle quadrant which I am planning on using (Barracuda offers both handle styles). That highlighted box on the sidewall I have not seen in any period pictures and it blocks the flap controls on that sidewall so not sure what that is for.  Got any addl information on that?

 

I think it belongs to a post war swiss Mustang, I  post it because the floor view, as you said there is some modification done on that cockpit 

here some tuskegee  pictures, happy modeling mate!:)

cheers

 

FRE-008701.jpg

 

FRE-007556.jpg

 

54458005-546526585836060-644302951904444

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Another update - so many details to add here in the cockpit it seems like I'm hardly making any progress at all.  Sigh.  Definitely getting closer to closing this baby up finally however.

 

One of the detail items was adding a paper 'map' and then a paper flight report form to the respective bins.  Was going to and find a scale paper map but maybe next time.  The strap holding the map is actually painted paper.  The paper I used is the paper the separates cheese from the deli.  Hey, use what you got huh?  :hmmm:

g08UD6.jpg

 

And here is the sidewall almost complete (bomb release lever needs to be added but won't do that until I attach this sidewall to the aircraft fuselage - otherwise I just know I'll knock it off (like I did the canopy ejection lever).  The carburator air lever (long handle) is a mix of a Tamiya PE 'arm' and a piece of styrene from a kit part I'm not using while the carb heat lever (short on the right) is an Eduard PE piece that I added a glob of black paint to simulate the knob. Need to touch up that red knob a bit I see.  Better view of the paper strap and the papers in the bins.  Neither is full depth

QFYofb.jpg

 

Finished up the IP with the armament selection knob finally in place - a resin piece from the Barracuda IP set.  Bad view but it sits nicely above the panel.  Sadly, this is the only piece I used from that amazing set, but I just could not see putting on all those IP bezels onto the flat IP panel, and then all the knobs, etc.  But I still want to at some point for a build - maybe one of my Revell kits?

LgTYKl.jpg

 

Test-fitted the cockpit floor and the resin Barrcuda sidewalls to see how it all fit (before fitting the Carb levers).  Really well actually but I will trip the bottom of the right side sidewall maybe 1-2mm just to get on top of the floor. 

DkK2L9.jpg

mxYsbk.jpg

NcaUI4.jpg

 

Have the right size wire to do the battery and radio, but wrong color - don't think yellow will cut it and don't really want to paint it.  Neither SprueBrothers or Squadron carry the Detail Master wire that I have so off to the hardware store and hope they have the wire I need.

 

That's it for now!

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
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