Revell have re-boxed ICM's P-51B/C to add a Mustang Mk.III to their quarterscale range of aircraft kits.

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Thanks!

Well done, Rowan. I really do enjoy your straight-forward, honest reviews.

Hi Ben

Many thanks - I agonised over this one a bit in case it came across too harshly, so I hope I struck the right balance. Anyone expecting a new-tool kit to Revell's high in-house standards might be a bit put off when they open the box, but there's a perfectly presentable Mustang hiding in there - it's needs a bit of extra TLC to coax it out. If I ever get time, I'll do a Blog on it.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan, thank you very much for such an honest review. Think when the times come to build a P51-B/C, I'll go with Tamiya's kit.

Joel

I think all the manufacturing will have been 'outsourced' to ICM with Revell doing the distribution.

There was only one Mustang that was fitted with a RAF type 'spade grip'. IIRC it came from a Harvard. It was purely cosmetic and done to make it look more British when it was shown to the British Purchasing Commission. Photographs of the cockpit led to the erroneous idea that they were fitted to the first Alison-engined Mustangs. They were never fitted to production Mustangs.

The cockpit has always been a bit sparse and, I think, ICM added a few more bits from the AM kits. A small PE set is still available from Eduard which will enhance it but Part have a much more comprehensive set which includes canopy framing.

http://www.jadarhobby.pl/part-s48011-p51-mustang-mkiii-148-p-189.html?manufacturers_id=10

I am a little puzzled why they would choose FB145 as one of the decal options and then add invasion stripes. Certainly it would have had them but I don't recall any photographs of it in this guise, they date from May 1944 when the squadron were working up. I am pretty sure that the squadron badge would have been applied by D-Day and there should be a black letter 'F' under the nose. A better set of decals for FB145 can be found on Techmod's sheet 48002 which includes the letter 'F'.

It is noticeable that on a lot Polish Mustangs the Sky of the squadron codes is darker than the Sky band. It was difficult to squeeze a letter in between the roundel and the band and so one theory is that they added some black or Dark Green (which I would think the most likely choice) to darken the Sky so that it would not blend into the band. Perhaps that is the reason for the rather strange Sky of the decal sheet. Techmod's Sky is also darker that what it should be.

Over all it really isn't that bad of a kit . Of course having the canopy in the closed position is a bit of a let down . Is the Squadron clear vac still out there ? I have one left which I'm using on the Tamiya kit . I sure this could be made to work ...





Terri

Cheers Antoni

Thanks for the extra info. I remember finding a photo of the spade grip at the time I built my Mk.1A, and that - coupled with other references and the overwhelming consensus at the time in modelling circles - led me down the wrong path. It was only when I got a copy of the Pilots' Notes (of course, sadly too late for my build! ) that I began to doubt whether it was ever fitted to Mustangs actually in RAF service.

All the best

Rowan

I will stick to the Tamiya model.

Fred , I pick up this kit after reading Rowans review . The parts look very close to the Tamiya kit so I wanted too see . The are a copy of the Tamyia kit . You can see the tooling marks on removal of part of the cockpit interior . The lower wing and tail surfaces fit the Tamiya kit like a glove ! I have a resin pit so far so I'm not too worried about this area and with having the two styles of canopies they can be cut apart to have either one in the open position . I just need to find markings for Ding Ho ...






Terri

Good review Rowan. Never say "Never" Let me repeat, what I have stated before and I will state again, a limited, underline LIMITED number of early Mustang Mk.Is were known to be modified at the unit level with the replacement of the standard 'pistol grip' control column top section as supplied by NAA, with what I have been reliably informed was the ring grip top section of the control column from a Harvard Mk.I. Done for a small number of aircraft, for the unit OC - in the days when such things could still happen - and the unit OC had an aircraft that he called his own, not normally shared with other pilots. Confirmed by eye witnesses including a senior pilot who flew one of the Mustangs so modified - in my direct discussions with them. There is newsreel footage as well as stills photographs of RAF Allison Mustangs, Mk.Is taken in 1942 and 1943 showing them in service with the standard NAA 'pistol grip' type control column top section. So for 99.99% of RAF Mustangs the standard NAA pistol grip control column piece is correct, for a very rare and limited number of Mustang Mk.Is, I am talking maybe two or three at most from the information I have, and given the timeframe most likely AG or AM series serialed airframes -and I can determine one aircraft so modified from copies of the pilot's log book of the known senior RAF pilots to have his Mustang Mk.I so modified at the time.