While I'm working on the Typhoon this will be my side project . I'm waiting for decals to come in . I order Airscales WW 2 US Instruments to replace the it ones . They just have to go . The cockpit is nicely detail , but the instrument panel decal looks like it's for the 70's . Seatbelts will come from the spare box . And yes , the wings will be puttied . Also have different markings coming . I already have the kit markings in aftermarket sets . It will have checkers though !







Terri

Awesome Terri!

I am building mine for the ETO campaign. Those instruments do suck don't they?

I haven't started filling the wings yet but that's next on my to-do list.

Can't wait to see how yours comes out!

Hi Paul , yes I went and had at your build . She is coming along fine with the pit so far .
Ja , those instrument panel decals do suck . Sooner or later there will be after market stuff for the kit .



Terri

Not much of a start on this . I did get the cockpit parts cleaned up and ready for painting . I didn't overly care for the seat so I order a replacement from Ultracast with the harness .

There a few number of parts for the pit . I did fit the rudder bar in place , it's not coming off !







Terri

Nice idea on the Ultracast seat, Terri. I have a second kit I want to build as a Pacific P-51K, the colorful "Mrs. Bonnie", and may go that route. I don't care for how the PE belts look with my kit seat, I'll be curious to see how a resin replacement looks.

Have you thought of how you want to tackle the wings yet? I have been slow to get started puttying mine.

Hi Paul , at first glance the seat looked pretty good until I start cutting plastic . The back rest to me seams odd . The ultracast seat will draw attention to pit since this will be the most visible item .

I'm thinking maybe while I'm waiting for the order to arrive will start filling in the wings with Mr.Surface 500 .



Terri

I think of glueless kits as a kind of blasphemy... so I am very curious of you will make out of it, Terri.
cioa
edo

Does seem a little strange not having to use glue , but I only have a few parts pieced together . Spent part of the day painting items so I will have pic's up tomorrow of my progress .



Terri

Finally got the base colour on the cockpit parts . I started by spraying Vallejo interior green . Masked off the floor and sprayed Tamiya wooden deck following grainning . Once dried Tamiya clear yellow was sprayed . Rubber black was then sprayed over top of all this . Fuel tank got the same shade of black for that rubber look . When the floor was fully cured I went back over the wear areas with a damp cotton bud using Tamiya thinner .

Instrument panel , fuselage side walls and the batteries I sprayed Tamiya black and this is as far as I have gotten so far . Still have the detail painting . Hoping to have that wrapped up by next weekend .


















Terri

Was able to get the cockpit finished over the past few days . I did added wiring to the batteries using fuse wire rolled thinner under a ruler . As well as a few cockpit place cards and warning labels for the battery . As I mentioned before the kit instrument panel decal was replaced with Airscale decals and what a difference they made . I did for get to snap a photo of the panel before the combing was fixed in place . Got over excited .













Terri

Terri,
The interior looks great!

Gaz

One could say "The interior looks superior!"

Great looking pit! I am hoping that newer projects will increase my skills to this level!

Putting the wings took a bit of time and I hoping that it turned out well once they are primed . Well wheels are ready for a bit of detailing . Nice to have the wells go all the way back to the spar , but a bit more detail would have been nice to see rather then all those rivets .

To fill the rivets and panel lines I used Mr.Surface 500 thin a bit with lacquer thinner . I didn't fill the rivets in the gun access panels but I did sand them a bit to knock back some the detail .


While that was set aside the fuselage has been pieced together . You can test fit the cowls , they don't snap in place and can be pulled off . Not some much for the fuselage , once those parts are joined . The rad can also be be tested fitted as well to the fuselage and on a sad note there is no detail for the rad screen in the front sorry no pic of this yet .














Thanks for the comments guys


Patrick , you will




Terri

Terri - looking great so far ! I'm curious if you feel the need to cement the dorsal fuselage joints even though it is a snap kit - for seam purposes - I'm anxious to see how this all shakes out as I am sure you are as well.
The only thing that may improve it are Hinomarus for insignia -

Keep up the nice work ! Richard

Hallo Richard ! The dorsal didn't fit so well as to it just doesn't fall into place and only one side sits flush while the other doesn't . Not by much , but I will take a clear pictues of this . DON'T SAND THIS PART thought . You have to press down hard on the part . So for reinsurance I run glue along the joins . Don't want this to pop lose over time . So far it has be enjoyable , a few things , but aging hands and eyes some times don't play too well together anymore .


Hiro's just wouldn't look right on this airframe



Terri

Made some more progress on the build . Main parts are now fitted together . The wing to fuselage join is verrrry tight ! Resulting in a super fit . The gun flaring covers however didn't want to seat right and a lot of force was needed to hold in place and Tamiya glue ran down the joins . The Quick setting works very fast ! Love the stuff !
The rad assembly kept popping out so this was also glued in place .

A bit of detail was added to the wells , break lines and fuel lines . There are a few more , but these will get added once the covers are in place .



















Terri

Okay this was a bit of masking to do on this one , but she out excellent and is ready for clear coating . Will let this dry a few days first . I used Tamiya Black for the base coat this time around and I want to make sure everything is dry before any clear coating starts or I will have cracks in this finish in the future .
















Terri

Decaling is under way with the stenciling left to be done .
The decals are from Superscale Decals # 48-916 . P-51D-25-NA Big Dick Maj . Richard A. Hewitt 87th FS/78th FG Duxford , England , 1944 .

The checker decals fit perfect , but on the port side the lower part of the exhaust panel they don't go all the way up . This I won't fix unless I come a cross a decal replacement . The starboard side there is one white for the back grount of the lettering . This panel should be white . I sprayed Tamiya white for that . Also had a major flaw on the X for the fuselage code on the port side . Tried to fix it , but it seemed to get worse so I left it well alone before I really mess it up . Other then that the rest so for have behaved very well .












Terri

Terri,
That loks really great!

Gaz

Terri - looks like the finish line is in sight ! Looks great - I assume this kit has soft tires ? Richard

Great looking scheme. Beautiful work - I keep forgetting that this is in [the new] braille scale.

Thank you guys

Richard , no the tires aren't rubber they are plastic and just slide over the wheel hubs which makes it easier for painting and weathering . A nice feature actually .

I should have this wrapped up by tomorrow with the final pics .....


Terri

She is finally finished .

Over all it was an enjoyable build . Nice not having to use putty with the exception of the wings . Nothing really snaps together . The parts just press fit together and I did end up using glue on all the joins , don't want anything popping loose in the future . I cut off the locating stubs on the flight controls on the wings and installed them after words . This made painting and weathering a lot easier with less masking in the end . Canopy ended up having the lower part of it's mounting tab removed by half so it will sit a little lower in the rear .































Terri

Very nice, Terri! Your Mustang looks great.

I went away on vacation and stalled building since my return. I will have to catch up to you with my build.

I like your approach to the canopy, I was debating a fix for that high sit myself. I think I will borrow your idea.

It's pretty funny, but I didn't realize we had both chosen to build a 78th FG bird. Love those checkered noses!