New kit news: Eduard to release a new-tool 1/48 P-51D Mustang in 2019
So it's confirmed. With the proverbial Tamiya shake-and-bake kit still to be considered a benchmark in kit engineering, challenged by recent new releases by Meng and Airfix... Eduard will be bringing us another 1/48 scale kit of the fabulous North American P-51D Mustang.
Nothing is yet known about the Eduard offering except the boxart and the release date. The latter is set for July 2019.
The choice of the variant is interesting - an early-production P-51D-5 (the one without the extra tail fin) had generally been ignored by other manufacturers, even though Airfix is planning for such variant of their new kit soon. Straight from the box, the D-5 opens possibilities for many interesting 8th AF markings. We can also be sure that a version with enlarged tail fin from Eduard will follow.
Do we need another 1/48 P-51D? I guess we do, but with the tough competition around it isn't that obvious that Eduard can succeed in bringing something new to the table. For sure, the choice of markings and the traditional Eduard extras will be great. For the rest of it, I'll be looking forward to the actual kit...
If the kit is at the level of the Spitfire, 109, 190 and Tempest, they'll be bringing "something new" to the table. I'm sure it will be. The only thing that worries me is Vlad Szulc's talk about the wings at the Eduard blog, that they won't be "puttied," But then, no one else has done that either.
The lack of rivets...that used to the only option back when the Monogram kit was "The Kit" for the P-51D.
How we have come full circle. I wonder if Eduard used scanning technology on a real P-51 for source material. Airfix and Meng have stated as such. Its been pointed out that the Airfix wind screen is too narrow or too wide or just too much of something thus, rendering it with a fatal flaw...
What I have seen and read, the wings will be somewhat puttied. Ish. No rivet detail, but only main panel lines.
It will be interesting to see how Eduard approaches the puttied wings question.
On their Spitfire IX they've chosen to include the rivets on the (forged) wing forward sections despite the fact that in this area they're barely discernible even on a 1/1 aircraft.
Zvezda demonstrated the opposite approach on the Bf 109s (no rivets or panel lines where they wouldn't be seen on the real a/c). I would say that even though Zvezda's approach might be "optically" more accurate, the resulting model is a tad less interesting to look at than the comparably finished Eduard kit.
I'm guessing that Eduard will go for the rivets.
Releasing a early P-51D with out the tail fillet is a marketing strategy that Revell is currently doing with their 1/32nd boxing of the P-51. Release the off beat Mustang that most people look over and then follow up with the crowd pleaser brings in more sales. What makes Eduard different from the other kit manufactures is their marketing approach of providing different boxings of the same kit. The Weekend edition, Over Trees, ProfiPack and so and so forth. Add all of the Brassin options and I am sure that this bread and butter kit will be a good business decision for the company. Whats left are all of those esoteric arguments over Mustang minutiae and who makes the "Best". It will be like beer commercials. Its all good...
All true, but for the record, Airfix is just in the process of doing the same with their P-51. We have seen a mid-production P-51D (w/fillet), followed by post-war F-51 with HVARs, a British Mustang Mk. IV and a D-5 that will follow soon. Four boxings to date isn't bad.
All of it smart marketing. Given that so many countries have flown the aircraft. Making as many niches as possible built around a basic core kit is logical.
While I'm still happy to see more new kits coming, I have some doubts about Eduard ones - let me explain. Eduard is one of the largest or maybe the largest "after-market" accessories producer in the world, especially when it comes to aviation. I use a lot of theirs masks, PE parts, etc., and I'm pretty fine with the price/quality of it (maybe, except poor color printing on PE parts). But now it looks like Eduard is trying to become a kit manufacturer, with a very popular subjects like Spitfires, Fw 190, Me 109 and now Mustangs. And here I see a conflict of interest. Currently I'm building Me 109G-6 by Zvezda in 1/48 scale, and do you know, how much accessories Eduard has for it? 4 (four) items. And for the excellent Tamiya kit they have 22 items. But for their own line of 109G they have 70+. So, I have a good Zvezda kit, which is better in terms of accuracy than Eduard (IMHO), but with mainly no after-market parts. And they can't just ignore Tamiya kit, so we have something. Now, what would be with the situation with an Airfix kit? Same as for Zvezda 109G? In my opinion, it would be good to have kit and accessories manufactures to be separated.
Conflict of interest, for whom? Is it a good thing you have to buy after market stuff to be able to assemble a model kit? I guess Eduard knows exactly what they are doing, it is business after all. I´m not sure who would step in and "correct" Eduard´s freedom to do whatever they like...the UN, China, America, Russia? I hope to build a G-6 one day, and it will probably be of Eduard´s make. No AM will be added and I´m happy to have it that way.
I’d be willing to give it a go. Those Eduard kits have nice extras that one would have to purchase extra.
It’ll be great, and it will sell. Love the box art!
I do agree, the box art is great.
Great box indeed.
I have read some speculation that Eduard may offer two wing sets, puttied and un puttied. This I would be skeptical about, but possibly in a Royal set?
It's another Mustang which will sell like hot cakes. Especially being a D-5. I will be buying a few!
Hope this isn't taken as horribly grinch-like... but why all the hubbub about putty/no putty?... we mod'lers have been puttying thing for decades... If Ed gives you lines and you want to putty them, do so... I puttied the wings on my Tamiya B as I felt it would be more accurate, but won't fuss about others who chose not to.
Come on, modellers like it "correct" even if it means they will have to buy unputtied after market wings just because some weren´t puttied/deputtied later in life... After zillions of years the models got panel lines (raised ones), then scribed panel lines but too wide, then perfect width and depth even if they wouldn´t be visible from a foot away from the actual aircraft, then there were rivets or no rivets or too many rivets and posable rudders or not posable rudders. Before we know it every modeller will tick a number of boxes of how they want the model before it is printed according to their taste and wallet.
"Rivets" as in divots or dimples. Requiring a pounce wheel. It is like the art world having a movement (schools of thought) towards Picasso-ism vs Grant Wood. Representational painting, ergo modeling which, doesn't represent the exact subject but, makes the user feel good enough in thinking...that they can open their wallet. Reality what a concept. Emphasis on con.
What is kind of funny, what most rivet counters call rivets are actually spot welds, #8 screws, or dzus fasterners 🙂 Models will never be 100% accurate but for many, it is the journey, not the destination.
I can see me purchasing at least one of these in the future. But I also want to get a few of the new tool 109 G-6's and the new tool FW-190's if I can. They keep tempting us !
Thanks Martin @editor
for bringing this to our attention. We live in the Golden Age of Modelling ... It's the box art and filet less tail that do it for me on this one. It reminds me of when I was a child and the box art often sold the model.
Has anyone in the US found one of these for sale anywhere?