Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been diligently working on the ICM for the Mustang II fighter. I am getting ready to paint, laying out the doors, windows, and other things I attach last. I searched the area for what I thought were lost landing gear doors. WRONG. The doors were never in the kit. Neither was any reference to them! I usually build the landing gear last, so I did not notice the missing parts. Now looking at the directions, there is no reference to the doors, or a picture of anything even close to looking like the doos in the parts drawing. I would ask for help and thoughts, but am at a loss when it does not exist. I am pondering making some reasonable ones out of plastic scrap...but

Anyone else notice this missing part!

Tracy

Hi Puma

You're quite right! I suppose the "saving grace" is that you often see Mustangs in pics with the gear doors closed - it was only as hydraulic pressure bled off that the door would hang open.

It's certainly still annoying, but being able to accurately depict the Mustang with the doors closed makes it much easier to scratch build replacements.

All the best

Rowan

The doors weren't in my Mark II either, but Merlin's partly right.

They are always closed on a Allison-powered Poney, and they bleed down on the Merlin birds.

If the Mustang II is the same as a P-51A, or basicly the same airframe, then the ICM kit didn't have the doors. For some strange reason, which I do not know or understand, it seems they forgot to put that section of the mold together. Since the P-5B kit does come with the doors, and has the basicly same sprue layout, if you look at that set of sprues, you can see where the A's doors section are missing from the sprue.
Since I picked up a few B's from Alanger during one of his sales for around 3 bucks, it's no big deal to snitch a set of doors from the B model.

Hi Ollie

Detail & Scale Vol. 50 shows a couple of period pics of Allison-powered Mustangs with the inner doors lowered - would they have been unlocked for maintenance?

(The museum example featured has the doors down, but presumably that's because it has no pressure at all left in the hydraulic system. )

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
As usual you are right. They unlock and drop for maintenance. This birds getting a bath and turn up.

Chris, that's a D, they will drop when the pressure bleeds off.

Rowan, yes, you can unlock them for maintenance, almost every aircraft that has doors that close once the gears are retracted can have them lowered afterwards. But experience dictates that you better but the aircraft on jacks just to be sure and do a complete retraction cycle before moving it around!

Or you might have a nasty surprise when a gear slips!

OK,

Since we are all in agreement that the doors in question re not molded with the kit, has anyone told ICM about this and what was their response? Adding the doors, even from bad molds/runs of other kits can't be that hard, Can it?

tracy

Hi Tracy

Do you want the bad news, or the bad news?

ICM are no more... they ceased trading a while back. Some of their kits are still available, often at really good knock-down prices, but I seriously doubt that anyone will be modifying the moulds anytime soon...

All the best

Rowan

I have a set of Monogram P-51 doors for my Mk.II.

Hi again Tracy

Ah! How Fate conspires against us! What's than funny noise?... it's Merlin eating his words!

ICM are back - as ICM Holdings - and, what do you know?...The Allison-powered Mustangs are in production again!

I should drop them a line and explain the situation - I reckon they should be able to send you a spare set of doors...

All the best

Rowan