Phil Smith Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 (edited) Yes. Another bloody Mustang. I purchased the Tamiya kit many moons ago after reading glowing reviews. I was impressed with what I discovered in the box, looking forward to the build. However, I had other projects to complete, including a scratchbuild subject that wrapped up in November. I broke out the Tamiya kit in December after securing a handful of aftermarket bits, and I must say the journey has been an absolute pleasure. In accordance with the instructions, which one clearly should follow in this particular case, I began with the Packard V-1650 Merlin engine. The detail is magnificent, but I just can't leave well enough alone so I added a bunch of additional detail using plastic and wire. Here are a few pictures to get the ball rolling. I probably went overboard on the weathering, and will make sure to temper the impulse to over do it when it comes to the rest of the aircraft. Edited January 22, 2022 by Phil Smith Anthony in NZ, Starfighter Jock, Westland WhirlWill and 27 others 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Will be following with great interest! Mark Proulx Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 Welcome aboard, Phil! Very nice work on your Mustang so far. Kev Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Nice work Phil You've done this before. Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Welcome aboard Phil and great start on the Mustang - looking forward to what you've got in mind... Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westland WhirlWill Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Welcome Phil! Looks like you’ve got off to a great start with this one. Personally, I think the engine looks great with all the weathering, wasn’t much time or point keeping these birds clean between sorties! Phil Smith and Paramedic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borsos Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 That looks like an amazing start! Andreas Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Smith Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 Many thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad I found this place Citadelgrad, KUROK and Paramedic 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Smith Posted January 10, 2022 Author Share Posted January 10, 2022 Moving on from the engine and its firewall mount, I’ve started work on the cockpit. Thus far, I’ve worked the floor, auxiliary fuel tank behind the pilot’s seat, and the seat itself. The tank is interesting as the real thing, made of layers of vulcanized rubber, featured a textured surface. I recreated this effect using strips of Tamiya tape. Much of the rest of the assembly is straight out of the box, though I did use aftermarket seat belts and buckles from HGW. As for instrument panels and the like, I prefer to do my own scratch building when possible. But I was so impressed with the work produced by Quinta Studio - an outfit in Russia that manufactures superb cockpit decals using additive manufacturing - that I decided to give that a try. It's a little less fun than working the details on my own, but the result is too good to ignore. There is just no way I will be able to produce the same level of detail without printing my own decals, and what's the point of that? A few more details on the dash remain, like knob and handles, which I will add after that piece is more fully integrated with the cockpit tub. easixpedro, Alex, Paul in Napier and 27 others 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebf2K Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 Looks fantastic! I'm definitely following your build. Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Smith Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Ebf2K said: Looks fantastic! I'm definitely following your build. Thank you - though I’m already inspired to press on, posting here keeps me focused! Edited January 11, 2022 by Phil Smith KUROK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Smith Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) I made some progress during the work week, mostly to the radio and battery area. This was fun as hell to work on. Next up is the K-14A gun site. Edited January 22, 2022 by Phil Smith Rockie Yarwood, Uncarina, MikeC and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Very nice work Phil Phil Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John1 Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Fantastic work! I don't think that engine is over-weathered at all. It looks like it was in an operational combat aircraft. Just perfect IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Smith Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Made a bit more progress on the P-51D today. I finished up the sidewalls of the cockpit. The starboard side of the cockpit contains more instrumentation than the port side. Ultimately, this meant an opportunity to add a few wire bundles to a few black boxes, and I scratch built a new oxygen hose by winding fine copper wire around a brass wire core. The port side features throttle controls, flight controls, bomb release, map holder, signal gun, etc. In addition to the standard details in the kit, I replaced the bomb release lever, a wire bundle, and two rods coming out of the throttle control., Finally, both sides were distressed by simulating chipped paint, grime, and dirt. I then fused the cockpit-engine assembly into the port side fuselage half. The Tamiya kit is so well engineered that this process was uneventful. I was worried about engine fit, because I added a lot of additional details, like hoses and pipes, and these could have affected fit. Fortunately, it appears this was not an issue. The next step is to build the radiator and oil cooler assembly. John1, Out2gtcha, daveculp and 20 others 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now