Big Beautiful Doll – P-51D Mustang in 1/48
This is a build of Col John Landers' famous 'Big Beautful Doll' with a bit of a twist - at the end of World War 2 he became commander of the 361st Fighter Group which had yellow noses and medium blue trim instead of the 78th Fighter Group's more famous black and white checkerboards with red trim. So here is a different Big Beautiful Doll than you may have seen before!
The new series of Meng models P-51s are stunning kits with perfect fit (except gun fairings) and outstanding surface detail. It was a bit of a shame since I had to work very hard to get rid of the wing details to replicate the puttied smooth surface on wartime P-51s and seperate silver paint on the same areas contrasting with the natural metal of the fuselage.
Build video is here:
Justin, your Mustang looks sweet. The Meng kit looks really good. Great job.
Thanks Marvin! 😀
Buena realización y una pintura impecable.Ese P.51 es realmente bonito.
Muchas gracias amigo mío!
It looks fantastic, the painting and the subtle weathering are excellent.
It the first time I see the yellow nose “Big B.Doll” replicate in any scale, and I first became aware of this option with a Lifelike decal sheet, if memory serves me well.
Good job!
I honestly can’t remember if it was a Lifelike decal sheet but I expect you’re right. I couldn’t resist when I saw it anyway and the one downside of the Meng kits is unattractive and slightly inaccurate decals so good options if you want to go aftermarket anyway!
THAT is a gorgeous Pony. This really stands out - not sure if it’s the contrasts in the paintwork or the general finish, but it is quite exceptional.
‘Liked’
Thanks David, that really means a lot!
🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
Really nice, clean job on that P-51 Justin. Looks very sharp and I like the metal sheen to it … very nice work.
Cheers buddy! 🙂
You made this MENG kit really shine! Impressive build and awesome looking STang! WOW, she is sharp. Great attention to detail. I would not of thought of the wing laminar flow issue when finishing so you really did your homework. One of the better looking P-51s on the internet.
Glad someone appreciates the extreme amount of faff involved in annihilating the wing detail selectively to produce the right look! 😀
Thanks Paul!
Nice!
Great looking ‘stand. The NMF is superb. Great way to avoid dealing with the Checkerboard.
A great-looking Pony! I'm looking to score some Big Beautiful Doll decals for a 1/72 build. There were apparently a variety of schemes, and yours is a nice choice!