1/32 P-51B

[Flex66]

Dear friends,

my entry in WIP section and my very firts model since many years of inactivity. I hope you will forgive all the errors and imprecisions I will perform (fo sure). I'll be more the happy to receive critics and suggestions in order to improve my skill and my english, of course.

 

Why a P-51? For me is the best ever made fighter. I spent hours admiring this https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/74079-118-p51c-mustang-lopes-hope-the-3rd/

It is a source of technique and inspiration. I'll try and if I cannot manage, I'll try once again, error after error to learn.

Where starting from?  From a more then welcome present I received my last birthday

 

It's a work I started 2 months ago on my domestic forum that I wish to share here too. This first post will be a long up to date so both forums will be in pair for the future.

By now I do not have any camera ( I'm searching for a decent one) so I made all the pictures with the smartphose. I bag your pardon for the poor quality but, by now, that's it.

 

Satrted wit a rough texture for the main fuel tank

 

and the roll bar

 

 

Some work on side frames with eduard's photoetched set dedicated to the revell one

 

 

 

For the floor plywood I made a template to be used with a real thin foil of wood that is used by few cigar's manifacture

 

 

 

 

Few drops of  wood polish and the result is this

 

 

 

 

Time to have the office completed to check the measurements. I used Yahu panel for the early D version, but I could't resist. First error. I'm not so focused on detail by now, I have to practice.

 

 

 

 

<a href="https://imgur.com/Ec0945i"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Ec0945i.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work on tail section and tail wheel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now arrive one of the hard poit, a correct hump. The very first attempt was to use the upper part frm an lod revell kit, but after mnay attempt and mistakes I managed to get something like a low silhouette. A sort of convertible mustang! The corretc profile template did not allow replies.

 

 

But I never forgot the great work made by Rodney Willimas many years ago with his 1/24 Airfix models. I reduced his drawings to 1/32 scale and started to create single frames.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the main cage was tested on fusolage , small strips had been glued, first layer longitudinal and a secon layer vertical. I had a rough hump, but at least resembling it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next step will be closing the fuselage and plan a strategy for the wings.

 

Ciao

Fabio

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by Flex66

[Iain]

Hi Fabio,

 

Your images aren't visible - try removing the [img] tags.

 

Regards,

 

Iain

[Landrotten Highlander]

As you are using Imgur, copy-past the direct link only. This is the second option on the right when you click on a picture:

 

https://imgur.com/kivfq49

 

 

[Flex66]

Thank you, I managed! Sorry!

[Iain]

Don't be sorry - perfectly understandable. 

 

And great project!

 

Iain

[aircommando130]

That's awesome so far!

[chuck540z3]

REALLY nice execution and highly skilled start!  I will be very interested in future updates.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[Brett M]

Wow, nicely done on your conversion work. This will be fun to see come together!

[Rockie Yarwood]

Looking great, Fabio! 

[Out2gtcha]

Wow, most excellent!

[Antonio Argudo]

wow, looking awesome Fabio, I  like your approach on the hump!! what will be  you using for the transparent parts?

makes me come back to my p51B conversion also lol  

cheers

[Johnny Cloud]

Nice start, this is a very interesting project.

Just a question, you showed us the box of the Tamiya kit but you use Zoukei-Mura parts.

Any reason?

[Flex66]

Thank you all for the comments.

 

@Antonio Argudo

I followed your work with great attention before starting mine. For the transparet parts I 'm considering clear acetate cutted to shape.

 

@Johnny Cloud

Well, what you correctly underlined is call "age"! I confused what I really have in my hand with my initimate whish!

 

With this second post I  put in pair both forums.

Arranged the frame and radios

 

 

 

Cables, paint a fuselage closing.

 

 

 

 

This model will have the engine not exposed because I do really want to enjoy her elegant silhouette. This create a problem with the exaust, as they should be glued to engine block.

I made a template of exaust holes

 

and replicated on 1mm plastic sheet

 

then glued the exauts an cover

 

 

All this block was glued inside the nose.

 

 

A also cut out section with the wing fillet.

 

I decided to try a metal foil cover for the fuselage and after many test I feel confortable with 0.2mm tin foil, heavy but flexible fot this first attempt.

 

I started with epoxy glue 2 panels in order to have a solid straight pattern.

 

 

I made a copy of the fuel fuselage cup with the coocking alu foil and glued it from backside

 

The result

 

 

 

 

Now  one of the herdest poit: wings.

I carefully studied Antonio's work and the drawing that MikeMaben added (thank you!). I made 4 templates of the highlighted wing stations

 

Cutted the kit wing root, inserted the templates and refined the whole as per scale plan

 

 

 

 

 

Eduard set gun by for the revell kit adapted here

 

and roughly ammo ejection holes

 

Filled all panel lins with epoxy putty

 

Final stage and forum paired

 

 

Ciao

Fabio

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Fantastic work so far!

 

Kev

[adameliclem]

Really great work, Fabio. Great skills and great problem-solving, and thanks for providing information about the foil you're using. 

 

Adam