entered this in the mom comp. and havent got a single vote id like to know as this is a learning site what people think is wrong with it for my future modeling endevors.

nice build overall. I happen to know the until markings are wrong for that plane though - there should be nose checkers and a yellow stripe on the spinner. the red rudder and wing tips are wrong too as are the "invasion stripes" (you've actually shown pacific recognition stripes, not D-day stripes, on a plane operating in Europe) . chuck weaver was the pilot of the plane with that nose art and code...



you chose both some very recognizable nose art and unit markings for people not to notice the liberties you've taken with the markings.

but then if you were just making fantasy markings on a plane, and just asking about the build - there isn't a lot to criticize.

P-51s had gear bay doors that closed after the main gear extended, but these often opened a bit or sometimes all the way after the hydrolic system relaxed after shutdown, so that really isn't a fault showing those down (though more often they'd be closed or partially so)

Rockets were not common on WWII mustangs - those were more of a Korean war thing I think.

general contruction looks pretty good though, at least as far as the pictures tell. there is a slight crack at the leading edge of the left wing near the root... but that's about the only thing build-wise that is obvious.

If fantasy markings are your thing, then it's a build to be reasonably proud of.

wow thanks for history really this is only my second plane ever i did what i thought looked good not for historical value.i didnt notice the line by yhe wing root until it was to late if planes are judged for their historical correctness i wont be entering anymore mom's.

As a build I like it quite a bit. As has been pointed out the markings are off, for example there should probably be white stripes outboard of the black ones on the invasion stripes. OTOH, I am currently working on a "fantasy" Mustang of my own so the markings on it won't be historical. The dropped gear doors are correct, as the hydraulic system bled down the main gear doors dropped. You see them raised up when the Merlin is restarted. The doors would only be up when the engine was running or soon after it was shut down. Of course though if the gear doors are dropped the flaps should be as well. Most kits don't give you this option, the Tamiya 1/48th and DML 1/32nd are a couple of the few that do this straight out of the box.

John

thank you sir

out of 48 reference photos of parked mustangs i just looked at, 34 had their gear doors fully or mostly closed. 14 of them fully open.

of those 14, all had their flaps dropped, and 12 of the 14 were post WWII photos (Korean war, modern airshows, and third world airforces).

in other words, 34 out of 36 (94%) of photos from WWII show no evidence of this hydrolic bleeding (though interestingly, most restored warbirds at airshows seem to, which i think is where this idea comes from).

As far as judging off historical accuracy, i wouldn't worry about it - If you like it, do it. some people will judge you on that, some won't. But I suppose with two equally well built models going head to head, the more historically accurate one is more likely to win.

and if you put a totally accurate model against one that is mostly accurate but "arted-up" (stylized panel line shading, ultra-faded panels and other eye-poppers that look good but aren't necessarily realistic), the latter will always win, so whatever.

Don't put too much stock in contests. build what you like. your model looks great.

Nice build - i like the metal finish alot.

I don't know anything about accuracy,but the build looks great,nice metal finish with some wear and weatheing,and the markings bring it to life.

My opinion is that it has nothing to do with historical correctness or the excellent build that you have done. The MOM is more of a "how well you photograph your entry" competition than how well you built it. You could try photographing it against a plain background rather than your work bench as that detracts the eye away from the model.

I use a simple home made photo bay by getting a box and cutting one side off and painting the inside of it with white emulsion paint then laying a piece of plain blue card along the base and up the back of the box. then place the model on the card and snap away. If I get a chance this weekend I'll post a picture of my set-up as it's easier to see than describe.

Hope this helps

....I thought it was a great looking build Justin. I entered that same contest with a P-51 wearing (what I thought was) an accurately researched colour scheme ..and still got it wrong. The trouble is the subject matter - the P-51 is such a well known a/c..had it been a Walrus or something finished to that standard you'd have got my vote..