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Louis Gardner
169 articles

1/48 Accurate Miniatures P-51A Mustang

October 29, 2016 · in Aviation · · 19 · 2.7K

Greetings everyone.

Here are a few photos of my rendition of an early AAF . I included a color WW2 photo of the original plane that was my inspiration for the project.

I liked the two tone camouflage. Most of the early Mustangs were finished in Olive Drab and Neutral Gray. My understanding is that these two tone early Mustangs were finished with the US equivalents of RAF colors. Some of these early Mustangs were retained by the Army Air Force.

I used Model Master Field Drab FS 30118, Olive Drab ANA 613, and RAF Sky Type S ( ANA 610 ) for paint.
I'm not 100 percent sure I have the undersurface in the proper color.

It is built out of the box and is finished using Model Master enamels.

The decals are from my spares collection.

I added a section of stretched clear sprue as the antenna wire.

I'm pleased overall with the kit. I built it several years ago and I don't have any recollections of any building problems.

This is a nicely detailed kit.

Enjoy!

Reader reactions:
6  Awesome

19 additional images. Click to enlarge.


19 responses

  1. Accurate Miniatures make a nice kit - and so do you, my friend.

  2. Nice work. I think the photo actually shows a Mustang I, a slightly-different bird from the P-51A/Mustang II. Too bad A-M didn't do a Mustang I - it can be done with the P-51 kit, but it's a bit of a hassle.

    • Thanks Tom ! I've looked at a lot of your builds and articles over the years and you really build some VERY nice models. Your articles are very well written and informative. Thanks again for the compliment!

  3. Yeah, an Allison powered Mustang! great build, I've seen this bird in an old Airpower magazine.

  4. Very nice. Have one myself. Better get to it soon. 🙂

  5. Louis, there is a variety of opinion on the underside color(s) of them early WW II planes. After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. gummint took some of the planes on order by the British, etc. I've seen what is described as "pastel blue", light gray, and "duck egg blue"undersides. I've always wondered if they were either (as you describe) the closest we could come to MAP standards- OD supposedly being close to RAF green- or something the manufacturers just whipped up to keep the line moving.

    Dana Bell addressed the subject. Best guess is to work off a photo, leading to the usual trying to figure out what from B & W photos. Sometimes the captions are real helpful, like the SBD-3 Peter Bowers said was green on the topside. (I've got my doubts)

    Hey, it gives me something to exercise my diminishing brain with.

  6. I have the books on "Air Force Colors" and you're absolutely correct about the colors. I based mine on what I suspected was proper for the plane using several color pictures that I found online.

    Then I ran across another picture that showed early A model planes and what I think is a British Mustang I on the Tarmac in front of a hangar. In this picture the underneath color looked more of a light gray than a duck egg blue.

    They say that old color photographs can shift colors over the years, so I guess it's an "educated guess ?" With the shade I picked. I think it's ok, but it would look just as good in light gray I think.

  7. Educated guess sums it up nicely! Until Dana Bell came along, I had no idea, though over the years I wondered about WW II era advertisements and photos I'd seen in books and magazines. Early on, there were no model airplane military aimed paints a-tall. Imagine, no OD! Little Testers square bottles for primary colors, only. Gloss.
    Things are a lot easier, but more choices, so more educated guessing.
    I like that Sky you used. Favorite colour of mine, if there is such a thing.

  8. Always fun to see birds in unusual schemes. Very nicely done!

  9. What Craig said and he's absolutely spot-on! You do good work old son!

  10. Thanks for the kind words my friends !

  11. I just added the photo that makes me think the underneath finish should be in a light gray. I found this on line shortly after I finished my build.

  12. 🙂 ... Greetings ... 🙂 :
    Nice looking A model Louis, very rare it is to se a P-51 in those colors.
    Good clean build.

  13. Nice build

  14. Thanks for the compliments PK.

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