City of Winnipeg: 1/48th Tamiya P-51D Mustang
First released back in 1995 the 1/48th Tamiya P-51D Mustang is now over 30 years old. Its minor faults are eclipsed by its strengths, allowing you to get a great looking Mustang build, complete with dropped flaps, for a very reasonable cost.
Notable Kit Features:
Excellent fit of parts
Low parts count (without much sacrifice)
Nice raised details in the cockpit and instrument panel
Finely engraved surface detail
Positionable lower radiator vent
Both shrouded and unshrouded exhausts provided
Two styles of blown canopies provided
Tires and wheel hubs are molded separately
Wing tanks provided
Build Inspiration:
After Leading Edge Models released their RCAF P-51 (Eastern & Western) Decal sets, I knew there would be at least a couple of more Mustang model builds in my future. The decals are beautifully done and represent a number of great post-WWII P-51D Mustang schemes flown in Canada. For this kit build I selected one of the RCAF 402 Squadron "City of Winnipeg" examples with blue and yellow trim on an overall aluminum lacquer finish.
Heads-Up Report:
No seat harnesses provided (however the included pilot has them)
Flap recessed area (inboard beside fuselage) should be filled if flaps are down
Hamilton Standard propeller blades have been critiqued for being wide in chord at the cuff and narrow toward the tips (No un-cuffed propeller provided)
Wheel wells aren't an accurate representation, especially of the main spar
Panel lines on the wing can mainly be filled if you are building a newly delivered type, as filler was used to refine the laminar flow aspect of the wing (the gun access panels, which would be accessed often, lost this panel fill)
The two-piece bubbletop transparency and plastic frame presents a less than ideal transition for the canopy
Small (75 gal.)wing tanks are the only stores provided
Tamiya decals aren't the best option (being a bit thick and less flexible)
Kit Additions / Modifications:
Added seatbelt harnesses
Leading Edge Models #48.81 decals were used, which are excellent (see link) http://lemdecal.com/P-51%20Mustang%20RCAF%2048.81.html
Finishing:
The paint scheme for this aircraft is an overall aluminum lacquer. The metal look was achieved utilizing water-based Vallejo Model Air Aluminum. I toned some of the panels darker around the exhausts by adding a drop of black to add some variation where needed. I painted the blue areas which would later have yellow decal trim added to provide the squadron trim colours. The black anti-glare panel was also painted on. The Leading Edge Model decals were quite thin and flexible enough to adhere to the curves that were presented, especially on the propeller spinner! A gray panel wash was used followed by the traditional wipe-down with the airflow to get a minimalist weathered look. Once all that cured, a Model Master semi-gloss coat was sprayed over everything to seal the decals in, followed by a matte coat on the anti-glare panel. Afterwards just a few antennas to get in place, as well as the gear details, and this Mustang was ready for her Hangar Rollout.
The After-Build Report:
The 1/48th Tamiya P-51D Mustang kit remains on my highly recommended list, due to its high-quality fit, great surface detail as well as buildability by any skill level model maker. The Tamiya P-51 would be a perfect introduction kit to the hobby and remains a good option for an experienced builder. With the myriad of Mustang markings available, you could build quite a few of these Mustang kits. There are other Mustang models in 1/48th scale that can now better this kit (mainly in the cockpit, surface features and wheel well details), the Eduard, and Meng kits being examples, however the Tamiya model remains an excellent competitor especially considering its typical lower price point.
Feel free to comment or ask any questions - Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers
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