Hasegawa 1/32 P-51D Mustang

[Hoss FL]

Looking great so far. 

[LSP_Kevin]

With my airbrushing station out of action while I try to sort out a new venting frame for the window (a work in progress), I decided to turn my attention to the vac canopy. You may recall that much earlier in the thread, I cut out the vac windscreen, but felt it looked too thin, and that the kit windscreen was more convincing. Not so with the sliding hood section, which not only looks much better than the kit parts, but is a single piece, unlike the horrible 2-piece monstrosity that Hasegawa makes you wrangle with.

 

 

After a bunch of careful work with scissors, a hobby knife, some wet'n'dry and some sanding sticks, I arrived at this:

 

 

It's not perfect, but so much better than the kit parts. It fits the kit fine, though seems slightly undersized:

 

 

Probably just some overly exuberant sanding on my part. Posing it open would solve that issue, but I'm tempted to leave it closed, so may have to bolster the frame with some styrene strip. I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you guys reckon - canopy open or closed?

 

Kev

[mc65]

Wow, Kev, what a beauty are you carving out from that old kit!

 

given the good quality of the canopy, I would considerate to keep it closed, but this way requires to add a precise frame to match the windscreen.

 

if this for whatsoever reason results unobtainable, then open will be!

obviously my two cents...

keep it going, cheers, Paolo

[Furie]

1 hour ago, LSP_Kevin said:

 

 

It's not perfect, but so much better than the kit parts. It fits the kit fine, though seems slightly undersized:

Probably just some overly exuberant sanding on my part. Posing it open would solve that issue, but I'm tempted to leave it closed, so may have to bolster the frame with some styrene strip. I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you guys reckon - canopy open or closed?

 

Kev

 

There are only advantages to gluing it open.

Canopy open because you won't need to add styrene strips, at the risk of doing everything wrong, no sanding, no gluing with the risks that go with it and moreover we will be able to admire all the work that you have done on the cockpit.
This is the wise way or at least the one I would have taken!

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Furie

[dennismcc]

You may get away with just painting the frame and adding an internal cross piece and rails on the fuselage.

With the Squadron canopy on my MDC Typhoon I just painted it and and left it open.

Adding frames on a vac canopy though is a pain, I did it on my Aeropoxy Yak 3, the vac canopy on that one was not Squadron quality so it needed it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks, Dennis. As it happens, I have an Aeropoxy Yak-3 on the SoD, which will be making a return to the bench soon!

 

Kev

[chrish]

Just the typical opinion (0.2 cent worth)…closed canopy, keeps the lines of the aircraft. 

[Grissom]

Hi Kev,

 

Since you have done such a nice job of the cockpit it makes sense (in my opinion) to have the canopy open so viewers can get a much better sense of how detailed it is.   As good and as clear as the vac-formed canopy is, its curvature might still diminish the view somewhat.   The other potential issue that having the canopy open might help avoid is disguising any slight mis-match between the profiles of the windscreen and canopy.   The obvious down-side of this approach will be the need to add some canopy framing, even if it's just the hoop at the forward end.

 

As an aside, I see that you have used Montex masks on the windscreen.   I have used these once and I found their 'fit' to be perfect.   They also sealed beautifully so no paint got under them.   Having said that, I left them on my model for about three months and they left a bit of a gooey mess on the transparencies when I removed them.   I had to research how to remove the goo and learned that an ammonia based product like Windex window cleaner would help.   I applied it with a cotton swab and it worked really well.   I had, however, painted the windscreen framing with coats of MRP Mr Paint lacquer so that paint wasn't affected by the Windex.   I imagine Windex might remove some water-based acrylic paints so I think it would be best to check beforehand.   Love your work so far.    Just my 2 cents worth...

 

Kind regards, 

 

Wayne

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks, Wayne. I still haven't decided between open or closed, but probably leaning towards open, just to avoid any mismatch between the hood and windscreen (as you mention). For cleaning adhesive residue, I generally use WD40, as it has no effect on acrylic paints. Windex will strip things paints like Tamiya and Gunze right off - along with the Future bath I've given the clear parts! The main downside to WD40 is that it can affect enamels, and if you go too hard, some lacquer paints too.

 

The main argument for keeping the canopy closed is probably that I'll build all my other LSP Mustangs with them open, so this would make a bit of a change once they're all done!

 

Kev

[Grissom]

Thanks for clarifying the situation about Windex and for educating me on yet another use for WD-40.   The canopy in the closed position certainly adds to the Mustang's sweet, elegant lines.   Canopy open - canopy closed, you can't really lose which ever way you go!

[MikeMaben]

Hey Kev, the thinness of the vac would allow you to drop the rear of the canopy close to the fuselage (when open)

like it's supposed to be, not sticking up in the air like some IM canopies are modeled. Like Wayne said, either way looks good.

[LSP_Kevin]

14 minutes ago, MikeMaben said:

Hey Kev, the thinness of the vac would allow you to drop the rear of the canopy close to the fuselage (when open)

like it's supposed to be, not sticking up in the air like some IM canopies are modeled. Like Wayne said, either way looks good.

 

Yeah, that's my thinking too, and a distinct advantage of posing this vac sliding hood in the open position.

 

Kev

[Tolga ULGUR]

On 4/23/2023 at 1:15 PM, LSP_Kevin said:

With my airbrushing station out of action while I try to sort out a new venting frame for the window (a work in progress), I decided to turn my attention to the vac canopy. You may recall that much earlier in the thread, I cut out the vac windscreen, but felt it looked too thin, and that the kit windscreen was more convincing. Not so with the sliding hood section, which not only looks much better than the kit parts, but is a single piece, unlike the horrible 2-piece monstrosity that Hasegawa makes you wrangle with.

 

 

After a bunch of careful work with scissors, a hobby knife, some wet'n'dry and some sanding sticks, I arrived at this:

 

 

It's not perfect, but so much better than the kit parts. It fits the kit fine, though seems slightly undersized:

 

 

Probably just some overly exuberant sanding on my part. Posing it open would solve that issue, but I'm tempted to leave it closed, so may have to bolster the frame with some styrene strip. I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you guys reckon - canopy open or closed?

 

Kev

 

Ohh Looking beautiful. Transparency is fantastic.

In my opinion, the closed canopy will not lose anything from the details.

Edited April 25, 2023 by Tolga ULGUR

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks for the feedback about the canopy, guys. I'm still undecided, but leaning towards having it open. To make sure that either option remains available to me, I decided to take Wayne's advice and add a frame to the forward opening of the sliding hood:

 

 

I added this to the inside of the piece, as I didn't want a mismatch in thickness with the external frames. This was surprisingly difficult to do, and I ended up having to use two sections that meet in the middle. It's now recovering from its second bath in floor polish, which I'm hoping will help seal the styrene strip in place - though I did notice a bubble had formed in the floor polish, which I might have to remedy with Windex, a cotton bud, and another dunk.

 

I'm hoping to have my airbrushing station back up and running tomorrow, so with any luck I can start getting some painting done soon.

 

Kev

[JayW]

I enthusiastically vote open.  Wartime pictures so very often show canopy open, and there is a utilitarian look to it.  IMO when canopy is closed, it ought to be in flight, which it is not.  And, when you have a nice cockpit, it presents best with canopy open.  Not to mention - if there is any mismatch at all with the windshield, an open canopy totally eliminates that error.

 

If you pose it open Kev, make sure the tail end is down low enough instead of floating in the breeze. Looks stupid that way.  The D-model has a centerline track and slot behind the cockpit/radio area that engages a roller trolley on the back of the canopy.  Which pulls the back of the canopy down closer to the fuselage.  You will find plenty of pics that show a properly oriented open canopy.  Most if not all unmodified P-51D models cannot attain this open orientation because of the thick gage of the canopy frame clashing with the top of the cockpit opening.  Your vac part ought to be thin enough where that won't be a problem.  I think....