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Review: Eduard 1/48 North American P-51D Mustang – Kit preview

April 27, 2019 · in Reviews · · 16 · 17.4K

The 2019 edition of the Moson Model Show is on this weekend, and we're starting traditionally with new kit news presented at the show. And not just any news - this one is likely to be the bombshell kit release of the year.

Courtesy of the staff, the iModeler crew was allowed to examine the test shots for the company's forthcoming scale P-51D . The kit will represent an early production D-5 version (without a fin fillet), although it is absolutely certain that we can expect a plethora of further variations to follow.

What is it

Eduard 1/48 North American P-51D-5 Mustang Profipack
Forthcoming injection-moulded kit with photoetched parts
Self-adhesive masks for canopy
Decal sheet with ? marking options

Available for our scrutiny are the three test-shot sprues in grey plastic, plus a clear sprue. It's important to note that these do NOT represent the complete kit - for example, all interior, landing gear detail, propellers etc. are missing from this test-shot. Also, although some of the parts look almost production-ready quality, the Eduard representative was clear that much of the detail will still be refined before the kit reaches production.

What's good

  • User-friendly kit engineering
  • Beautiful quality of mouldings
  • Visible care for detail
  • A complete early fusalage without wing fillet is provided
  • Moulds are prepared to cover a wide range of P-51 variants.
  • Everything in the kit appears to be well-researched down to the smallest bits of this well-known aircraft
  • The quality of moulding and overall finesse of this kit is mouth-wathering.

Things to watch for

  • In my mind there are none at this point, although Eduard's design choices in the kit are bound to revive the classic debate about the puttied wings vs. rivets on a Mustang and how to best depict it on a model.

Release date

We're being informed that Eduard aims at launching the kit (presumably with the first production items being available for purchase) at the 2019 IPMS/US National Convention on 7-10 August in Chattanooga, TN. General availability in hobby stores is expected in October.

Reviewer's point of view

Do we need another quarter-scale P-51D? Having had these test-shots in my hands, the answer appears clear to me - with this quality, we do! Personally, I'm not going to resist buying the Eduard's P-51D as soon as it becomes available, even though the previous Airfix, Meng and Tamiya offerings are already in my stash and are all excellent kits. That's just how exciting this new P-51 feels...

Click on the pictures for details and further commentary.

Reader reactions:
27  Awesome

37 additional images. Click to enlarge.


16 responses

  1. This looks like a great kit. I bought the great (new) Airfix kit and was pretty impressed & satisfied. However, with this being fillet-less, I may have to get one of these when they arrive at Sprue Bros. or the other online firms I do business with.

    Thanks for the great "look-see" of a new kit in the works.

  2. Wing fillet? Fin fillet you must mean?

    Sure this is going to sell loads being the first early fuselage in 1/48 ever. Now we can build the only Swedish early Mustang without resin parts.

  3. Great to see a P-51D kit without the dorsal fillet. Now lets light a fire under the decal makers collective keesters

  4. Thanks, Martin...great review. Now - can you (or someone) point out the alternative(s) in the "three versions" of that bubble canopy?
    It must be me, 'cause these old eyes can't see much of a definitive difference. 🙁

  5. Ok, now I will start building 1:48 scale kits. Gotta have one. Thanks for the nice review.

  6. The ‘Profipacks’ are amongst my very favourite things to build, every single one of them. This looks no different in terms of class and artistry.

    Thanks,

    ‘Liked’

  7. Nice premiere 😉 seems that Eduard did it again, another blockbuster surely

  8. And still no one includes the 110 gallon metal drop tanks for the VLR Pacific and Korean war Mustangs (Yeh, I know it's only 60% of the parts, but they would or should be on the sprue tree with all the other ordinance, no?) They do provide the 75 gal Metal and 109 gal paper tanks as well as 250lb bombs.

    Hope is not lost, as I'm reasonably sure they will box a Korea version, if not a Very Long Range one. But I'm not gonna hold my breath for those tanks.

    Apart from that one nit, That's a buyer.

  9. Looks beautiful. They've made a good choice with this version. I'm glad the release date is June because I'll have to fit in the Airfix Spitfire XIV first! Aren't we being spoilt? Thanks Eduard.

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