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P-51D 47th FS / 15th FG, Iwo Jima 1945 [TAM 1:32] - DONE


Alex

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Going to dig out my Tamiya Mustang kit for this one.

 

pmogpPKPj

 

I'm not going to use any of Tamiya's schemes, I don't think.  I'll build a 21st FG plane based on this book

 

pmczyaBIj

 

I've already ordered the HGW wet transfers set for stencils and national insignia.  Before starting I need to finish painting my P-36A FIRST though...

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  • 5 weeks later...

OK, after a LONG detour to do a couple other builds and practice up my NMF skills, it's finally time to get started for real on the Mustang.

 

Searching around the forums here I discovered that this kit was built several years ago, with phenomenal attention to added details, by Mark (dodgem37).  While I don't for a minute think I'm capable of that same level of scratch-built super detail, I'm going to start by completely reading his thread and making notes on what I might want to try and emulate:

 

Just as reviewing Sean's (Madmax) build of the Tamiya A6M5 Zero helped me do a bit better with my Zero, I hope to be able to up my game a bit on the P-51 by following along with a superb completed build.

 

Since the first thing up per the instructions is the engine, I'm also off to scour the interwebs for color photos of that Packard V-1650...

 

New Year, new warbird...good stuff.

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1 hour ago, MARU5137 said:

 

Alex please update with your progress photos if you can.

love to see what you've been upto.

 

 

I certainly will.  No physical work on this one yet to show, but it will be documented here for sure.

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OK, I actually started cutting some plastic (and wire) today.  I'm planning to assemble, detail, and paint the engine in 3 or 4 sections, then put those together after preparing for the connections amongst them.  I also need to clean up the cockpit floor and fuselage parts so I can dry fit them and get a sanity check regarding how much space there isn't for detail around the engine.  Started by drilling the cylinder banks for spark plugs and return hoses from these coolant manifolds.

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Making notes on the instructions about what I do and which size wire or tube I drilled to fit.

 

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Here's some plumbing detail for the oil distribution system on the assembled long block.  That's as far as I got tonight, and probably much of what I'll do on this section before painting.  I intend to build the ignition harnesses after I have the section with the supercharger and magnetos built.  Also think I will try to assemble and paint the intake manifold separately.  This is going to be fun.

 

poNnC4F2j

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6 hours ago, dodgem37 said:

Not a lot of space to drill at that location.  Good show.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

Thanks Mark.  I was able to access the online view of the V-1650 manual on the Aviation Shoppe website, which is helping with this.  But that's just the engine in isolation.  Are there sites/resources that you found particularly helpful with regard to the overall plumbing of the engine bay and connections through the firewall?

 

Alex

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Long block primed with Mr. Primer Surfacer 1000.

 

pmocZkNVj

 

 

And painted semi-gloss black

 

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I used MRP for this - a mix of 3 parts gloss black to 1 part flat black, with just a drop of white to make the color less absolute.  I have the rest of the engine components painted as well.  I felt it would be better to do this before further assembly because detail painting would otherwise be too difficult.  Although the engine is this uniform overall black, which kind of kills the detail visually, the manuals and other photos show that all of those hundreds of bolts were bright metal - i.e. the engine parts were painted black before assembly.  So my plan is to first dry brush everything lightly with some acrylic - probably a metallic dark gray - then severely tax my eyesight and patience by attempting to paint all of those bolt heads silver.  We'll see how long that takes.  I'll probably have to do it in stages while working on the cockpit in parallel just so I don't lose it completely.  

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'Are there sites/resources that you found particularly helpful with regard to the overall plumbing of the engine bay and connections through the firewall?'

The publication is AN 01-60JE-4, Airplane Parts Catalogue Army Model P-51D, British Model Mustang IV, 25 July 1944, Revised 25 October 1944, Printed by Wm. B. Burord Printing Co. 10-25-44.

 

Similar:

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Here, in CD form: https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-North-American-P-51-D-K-Mustang-Parts-Catalog-Aircraft-Manual-CD-COPY/264022023371?hash=item3d78f05ccb:g:7r0AAOSwn6Jb3iIj

 

Another:

s-l1600.jpg

Found here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/P-51D-Parts-Catalog-World-War-II-Book-Flight-Manual-CD-version/221417356077?hash=item338d80bb2d:g:QEMAAOxyUylTTij1

 

s-l1600.jpg

Found here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/REPRINT-WWII-P-51D-P-51K-PARTS-CATALOG-P51-1945-53-344p/114073138320?hash=item1a8f49f490:g:yb8AAOSwjDZYgnYI

 

The engine compartment wiring and plumbing is complicated.  I found the systems daunting without study.  So I studied the systems to see where everything begins, travels, then terminates, and, how everything relates to everything else.  It helped alot to first study the systems and their relationships so I understood what I was looking at.  Then I worked on the system. 

 

Hope these help.  Good luck.  If you think I can be of any further assistance please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Mark

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After drybrushing and all those bolts.

 

pnBpTTGQj

 

The whole thing is still in two pieces.  I'm not going to glue the long block to the supercharger/carb section until after I have the ignition harnesses built.  Which I would be doing right now if my wife wasn't watching The Expanse, thus compelling me to do the same...

 

pod6Aub9j

 

I did a less-detailed take on the piston primer lines than Mark did, but hopefully still representative.

 

pooEQrGVj

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