Tamiya 1/32 P-51D/K "Mrs. Bonnie"

[MikeMaben]

Lookin' great Phil 

[LSP_Kevin]

Nice work, Phil!

 

Kev

[brahman104]

Spectacular Phil! 

 

I really love the finish on the rubber tank you were able to achieve with the tape. What metallic paint did you use for the pipework around the engine? It actually looks metallic, unlike most metallic paints

 

Craig

[Phil Smith]

21 hours ago, brahman104 said:

Spectacular Phil! 

 

I really love the finish on the rubber tank you were able to achieve with the tape. What metallic paint did you use for the pipework around the engine? It actually looks metallic, unlike most metallic paints

 

Craig

Thanks, Craig - I used Floquil enamel paint, Old Silver.

[James Rademaker]

Really nice job, Phil.

Jim

[Phil Smith]

With the engine and cockpit sections largely complete, various parts related to the radiator and oil cooler assemblies came next. These consisted of about 15 parts which needed to be integrated and installed before the fuselage halves were glued together. Fit is excellent, though I made life a little complicated for myself by adding various details to the engine because clearances were compromised a bit.

 

Once the fuselage was put together, various engine cooling system parts were installed, as well as the exhaust bits. Again, fit was superb - the kit is such a pleasure to build. With these pieces in place, all that remain before moving on to the wings and empennage are the upper structural frame above the engine and some pipe and wire harness details here and there. And, naturally, lots of grime, oil, and grease slathered over the newly installed engine elements. So far, so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Phil Smith

[MikeMaben]

Very nice Phil    

[Ebf2K]

Great stuff!  Can you share more info on how you are doing things, the results are fantastic.

[Phil Smith]

Thanks, gentlemen. 

 

I'm happy to provide more details. I was worried my techniques for building would be considered banal   I will add more detail in future posts!

 

 

[Anthony in NZ]

1 hour ago, Phil Smith said:

Thanks, gentlemen. 

 

I'm happy to provide more details. I was worried my techniques for building would be considered banal   I will add more detail in future posts!

 

 

Please do Phil

 

Your workmanship is beautiful and inspiring!  I for one am thoroughly enjoying this thread.  So pleased you joined LSP!

 

Cheers Anthony

[Citadelgrad]

On 2/18/2022 at 9:12 AM, Phil Smith said:

Thanks, gentlemen. 

 

I'm happy to provide more details. I was worried my techniques for building would be considered banal   I will add more detail in future posts!

 

 

 

On 2/18/2022 at 10:59 AM, Anthony in NZ said:

Please do Phil

 

Your workmanship is beautiful and inspiring!  I for one am thoroughly enjoying this thread.  So pleased you joined LSP!

 

Cheers Anthony

I second that request.  I have learned so much on here from others.  Detail is the name of the game, sir.  This is really impressive so far. 

[John1]

I meant to ask earlier - how did you replicate the stains on the oil tank?  Very realistic.  

[Phil Smith]

21 hours ago, John1 said:

I meant to ask earlier - how did you replicate the stains on the oil tank?  Very realistic.  

The engine and its compartment are largely complete, with installation of the upper frame now in place. All the parts came together very well, as expected given the well-known quality of the Tamiya kit. However, it should be noted that if you add details, like spark plug leads, various pipes, and other bits, fit will be compromised - I had to futz with the exhaust shroud to fit properly, for example. I tend to forge ahead and pay the price later; I suppose that’s part of the fun. I used various photographs of the engine as reference, but admit that a fair amount of artistic license was used to give the compartment a "busy" look. A superb reference is Richard A. Franks' "P-51K/D Mustang: A Complete Guide to the Cadillac of the Skies."

 

The engine block was painted in Alclad black lacquer primer. I did use a variety of photo etch parts from Eduard and Zoukei-Mura (Super Wing Options) as well as a bunch from my scrounge drawer. I drilled out all the fastener holes for added interest, though the backplates would not necessarily be see-through. A fair amount of wire was used for pipes and harnesses, from 26 gauge to very fine wire used to power pico-scale LEDs, twisted to give the appearance of wire bundles. The pipes were painted various shades of Alclad metals, mostly polished aluminum. As I went along, I added grease, grime, and oil. AK Interactive's Engine Oil (glossy and thick, so a little enamel thinner helps cut the viscosity a bit) and Engine Grime (watery and dries flat) were used liberally, with special attention given to application of oil (bottom of engine, streaking here and there to give impression of drips, especially on the oil tank - though, to be fair, a lot of spilled oil is unlikely given that it could easily cause an engine fire). I love chalks, so used a fair amount to tone down zinc chromate and provide a dusty aspect to certain areas. Finally, I used SNJ Polishing Metal (silver) to pick out highlights with a Q-tip and stubble brush, and chrome silver to create the classic chipped paint effect.

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Phil Smith

[Alex]

Lovely work so far!  This is such a great kit - fond memories of building mine for sure.  Very much enjoying following your build here.

[Phil Smith]

Moving on from adding the empennage, the next area of focus is the landing gear wells. The kit parts are outstanding as they are, building up to an acceptable level of detail. But I wanted to add the wire harnesses, pipes, and other detail that make gear wells super busy. I used wire at various gauges, including a bit of wire insulation for the thicker pipes. I used photo references, but a good deal of artistic license is employed. The main objective is to create a three-dimensional space filled with interesting detail.

 

Once I was satisfied with the arrangement, I primed with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer. After this dried, I airbrushed a coat of Testors acrylic zinc chromate yellow. The results are as I hoped. Next step is detailed painting and weathering, a non-trivial process that looks to take a long while…

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Phil Smith