P-51D-5NA 339th FG FINISHED

[MikeC]

OK, after a false start, here I am with a perennial favourite of mine, a Mighty Eighth Mustang.  I'm aiming to do a more unusual subject, but that will depend on how the homespun masks come out, so I have a subject in mind plus two reserves.  I made a start this morning by hitting Hannants website for a few aftermarket items, but while we're waiting for them to arrive here's what I have got so far.

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by MikeC

[Rick Griewski]

As Blue box nice as it gets.  

[MikeC]

The aftermarket's on its way, so in the meantime I've been cleaning up the major components and assembling a few items that aren't in the cockpit - there's a Barracuda seat coming among other things, so I need to work out when I see it how to fit it.

 

First impressions of the kit are good.  There's a little bit of flash here and there, but that's not a problem.  I've assembled both sets of drop tanks and the bombs (although I won't be using the latter), and as usual will decide which tanks to use later.  I've also made a start on the wings and straight away I've deviated from the instructions:  rather than assemble the wheel well interiors onto the main spar, then fit that, I thought that fixing the innards to the top wing first gave a more positive fit.  Time will prove whether I was wise or foolish to do it like this.

 

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

Great start!    Have you checked your canopy yet? I know there are some issues of the kit that have seriously distorted clear parts.

[MikeC]

2 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Great start!    Have you checked your canopy yet? I know there are some issues of the kit that have seriously distorted clear parts.

Now you mention it,  I think there may be some.  I'll have a better look in due course and decide whether I can live with it,  bearing in mind I usually do an open canopy.  Thanks for the heads-up.

[MikeC]

There's not much progress on the model itself: I've been tidying up the masks and I've done a test cut.  It looks as though they have worked, but I'll try spraying them before I commit.  For my first choice subject there are nose checks involved:  I've tried my test cut against the taped-together fuselage, and need to do a bit of revision on the masks I've cut for those.

 

But the subject I'm hoping to do is "The Comet" from the 339th FG at Fowlmere, which seems to be a group that gets very little attention in model form.  It was flown by the group's leading ace at the time, "Johnny" Johnson - no not that one, Capt Evan M Johnson.  (Edit: Fowlmere is one of the less famous 8th AF stations, but it is not far from Duxford - literally turn left out of Duxford, take second right, and the airfield site is on your left as you head towards Fowlmere village: less than 10 minutes drive.  In RAF hands it was a Duxford satellite, and home to a number of famous units during and after the Battle of Britain.)

 

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/wp-content/groupimages/gallery/339g/6n-j1.jpg

 

Part of my self-imposed mission to demonstrate that 8th FC consisted of more than the 56th FG, the 357th FG, and the "Bottisham Four", fine units though these were.   

Edited September 4, 2021 by MikeC

[MikeC]

The post is here.

 

Eduard canopy masks?  Why do I not cut my own, you ask?  Good question, I'm (a) not really experienced enough to design my own effectively and (b) I'm lazy.  The decals are a generic sheet of 1/32 kill markings by Kits World, useful for the six kills I'll need for my model and hopefully many others.

 

On 9/2/2021 at 4:46 PM, Out2gtcha said:

Great start!    Have you checked your canopy yet? I know there are some issues of the kit that have seriously distorted clear parts.

 

On 9/2/2021 at 7:30 PM, MikeC said:

Now you mention it,  I think there may be some.  I'll have a better look in due course and decide whether I can live with it  ...

Oh dear, it is rather distorted, there's a huge bulge on the port side, and the whole thing is only usable if all else fails.  Fortunately I have a Tamiya kit in the loft plus the spares from another, so I can use the appropriate canopy from one of them.  Thanks again for the alert.

 

As for markings, I did a test cut and tried them on a piece of plastic card. 

 

 

From left to right: "Duchess of Manhattan" (from the 361st FG at Bottisham) is my reserve subject if the nose checkers for "The Comet" don't work - I've yet to try them.  Next come the comet shape and title for "The Comet" - the plan for the model is to spray the shape first (that is red I believe) then overlay the wording stencil and spray that black.  Third is a "Royal Navy" titling that I did as a test of how small the machine will cut: if i can do 4" (irl) titling like that, then I might just have to invest in a Corsair after all   A little bit of tidying up and checking that all cuts go as far as they should, and these will be good to go.

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

Sound like a plan!

 

Indeed, to me the Tamiya canopy is the solution. Some new Revell kits come with better clear parts, but I've found the Tamiya windscreen also seems to fit well.

 

 

[Steve Eagle]

Aerocraft Models replacement canopy/windscreen would be a good. I have used two of them already and have acquired the new B set from them 

[MikeC]

As it happens, there's not much progress on the plastic-bashing or painting, as I've been developing the masks for the markings.  This is rather an absorbing activity in itself, although I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea (other hot beverages are available ).  So whilst I was keen to go into the masking process a bit more, I've put this aspect over on the Scale Model Paint Masks forum to avoid too much clutter here.

 

But I'm slowly getting on with some interior painting: more when I have some progress.

[MikeMaben]

23 hours ago, MikeC said:

    ... developing the masks for the markings.  This is rather an absorbing activity in itself,

 

It sure is.   Usually worth it in the end tho 

[MikeC]

1 hour ago, MikeMaben said:

 

It sure is.   Usually worth it in the end tho 

Yes indeed, and I'm really enjoying it.

[MikeC]

Very quick update today.  Been doing a bit of painting in the wheel wells (I tend towards natural metal with a Zinc Chromate spar) and checking out the exhausts.  I bought a set of Quickboost exhausts, and the only difference from the kit exhausts - other than being resin - is that they have open ends.  They are shown here glued with white glue to a coffee stirrer for painting.

 

 

They are a drop-in fit for the kit exhausts, and I established that it's not necessary to fit the exhausts at the stage shown, they can be left until the end, which simplifies painting.  So I glued the internal "boxes" in.

 

 

 

[MikeC]

The kit instrument panel has some reasonable detail, and would look fine with some careful painting and instrument decals.

 

However, I steeled myself for a little "creative destruction" ...

 

... so I could stick the Yahu panel on the front.

 

Better than I could have achieved.

The lower console is still to be added, of course.

[MikeC]

Today's update involves a couple of painting sessions.

 

The tape is along the mating surface - it saves scraping later.

 

On balance, and bearing in mind my experience of the Eduard 1/48 kit, I decided to fit the tailwheel leg while I could still get at the locating hole.  This saves trying to fit it "blind" later.  I just need to be careful not to knock it off.

 

 

And a few more bits done.

 

 

I can get on with some assembly and detail painting next time.  Still to do: paint the backpad and harness on the Barracuda seat.