1/32 Tamiya P-51D-15-NA Mustang, "The Millie G"

[Hoss FL]

Greetings all:

 

Although visited LSP many times for ideas and tips on my builds, this is my first post on LSP. I'm beyond impressed with the modeling talent on this site and look forward to both sharing my work and learning from the members here. Most of my projects have been 1/48 scale but I'm starting to do more in 1/32. 

 

I first built the Tamiya Mustang kit a couple of years ago OOB as Lt Col. Meyer's "Petie 2nd."  For this project, I've decided to depict Major Edward Giller's "The Millie G" (44-14985), using the Tamiya kit as the base and will use the following AM goodies for added detail:

 

• Barracuda instrument panel
• Eduard engine detail kit
• Barracuda cockpit upgrade kit
• Barracuda P-51D decals
• Barracuda P-51D cockpit stencils and placards
• Barracuda P-51D sidewalls
• Eduard wheels
• Eduard gun bay late
• Eduard exterior detail kit
• G-Factor landing gear

 

I've completed the engine and the instrument panel so far. 

 

I added ignition wiring and some of the Eduard detail kit PE parts (control linkages, fastener detail, etc.). 

 

Here's the instrument panel. The decals are from the Barracuda stencil and placard set. The Barracuda IP is a bit of work but I think is much better than the kit panel. 

 

Thanks for looking. Comments and critique welcome. 

 

 

 

Edited April 4 by Hoss FL

[LSP_Kevin]

Welcome aboard, Hoss FL!

 

 

When posting images, don't use the bbCode format (the one with the stuff in square brackets). The forum also doesn't support posted formatted HTML. Instead of the following:

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/mdTJjti.jpg[/img]

 

You just need the plain image URL, like this:

 

https://i.imgur.com/mdTJjti.jpg

 

Which will give you this:

 

 

Nice work, by the way!

 

Kev

[Hoss FL]

Thanks!!

[Out2gtcha]

Great looking engine and IP!

 

[themongoose]

With an engine that nice you’ll have to have her out on display!

[MikeC]

Looking good. 

 

And

[MARU5137]

Hello Hoss FL.  

 

What an entrance to your large scale build ...MY all time favorite Mustangs!   

 

Your cockpit and instrument panel  is Top Notch.

SUPERB  start !

 

Look forward to more!

Thank you. 

[MikeMaben]

Hey Hoss 

[Nighthawk Calling 1]

Great start and welcome.

[Hoss FL]

Thanks for the comments so far. Much appreciated. 

 

The central fuselage main components are now complete. 

 

The oil tank and firewall were painted Mr. Color chromate yellow and some of the Eduard detail kit parts have been added. 

 

The HGW seatbelts are excellent and the dingy is an improvement over the boxy kit part. I applied the HGW wood decals onto the floorboards, then used the AK worn effects fluid technique with dark gray paint to achieve the worn floorboard look. The main cockpit color is Mr. Color chromate green. 

 

The Barracuda battery and radio parts are also nice upgrades over the kit parts, along with the Barracuda decal set. The wiring was added per the Barracuda instructions. 

 

 

The IP has been added to the assembly. 

 

Here are all the main fuselage components connected together. 

 

 

On to the cockpit sidewalls now. I'll get some better photos of the cockpit when the sidewalls are complete. Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques always welcome.  

[MikeMaben]

Hi Hoss, it looks like the shoulder harness was 2 seperate belts over the back of

the Warren-McArthur seat. I've never seen Y belts on Mustangs before (not that that means anything)

 

[MARU5137]

Excellent work. 

Looking mighty IMPRESSIVE. 

[Hoss FL]

Thanks for the comments Mike and MARU.

 

The cockpit sidewalls are now complete. I used the Barracuda sidewall and detail kits along with their excellent P-51 cockpit decal set.

 

The cockpit detail set includes PE rudder pedal inserts that adds a nifty element. 

 

The Barracuda sidewalls are amazingly detailed. The switches and dials in particular really pop after painting and decals. 

 

I added some more weathering to the floor by highlighting the fasteners with a dab of silver paint and worked some earth colored oil paint into the floorboards. I think it's been pointed out before, but the kit floor does not fit cleanly into the starboard sidewall due to interference with the molded cable bundle in the lower section of the sidewall. Barracuda's site explains how to cut the floor section to eliminate the interference. 

 

 

I swapped the seatbelt from another build based on Mike's comments above (Thanks Mike). I check my references and couldn't find anything definitive regarding seatbelt types beyond Mike's drawing but I'm thinking the HGW seatbelts I originally used were for the earlier seat type. 

 

Added the throttle linkage to the port sidewall. The IP sun shade sure does its job and it would have been better to wait until after photos to install it. Next time. 

 

 

I also added the Tamiya kit throttle levers after I broke the original Barracuda units. I didn't see it happen but noticed them missing after one of my several test fits of the fuselage components. Nothing like a little extra drama. I'm going to wait to install the canopy slide rails until the just before the canopy goes on because they are delicate PE parts. Both the Barracuda sidewall kit and the Eduard exterior detail kit supply PE canopy rails. I'll decide which to use later on. 

 

Now it's on to the rest of the fuselage and landing gear bays. Comments and critiques are always welcome. Thanks for looking.

 

 

[LSP_Kevin]

That's fantastic! Great photography, too.

 

Kev

[MARU5137]

Outstanding  work on the cockpit.

Awesome.