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Roland Sachsenhofer
163 articles

A tough ride: Mustang model-rodeo sponsored by Airfix.

October 13, 2019 · in Aviation · · 15 · 1.8K

This model building project proved to be a tough nut to crack. In order to adapt the kit to my expectations, some changes had to be made, the most important of which I will briefly address in the following: shortening of the main landing gear strut, complete rebuilding of the bomb racks, replacement of the position and landing lights with handmade cyanoacrylate, scratch construction of the gun muzzles, equipment of the canopy with an antenna system ... Furthermore the outstanding resin parts for the upper engine cowling and the pilot seat were used as replacement for the kit parts.
Nevertheless - or just because of it - this construction has brought a lot of fun and experience growth as added value! 🙂
The markings of "Scooter´s Skeeter" come from the excellent and recommendable decalset of CAM-Decals.

I hope you like the result.

Reader reactions:
13  Awesome

10 additional images. Click to enlarge.


15 responses

  1. 🙂 … Greetings … 🙂 :
    A P-51 is always a nice sight and a very good welcomed project.
    As seen in these pictures, you have done a very nice work on this one Roland.

  2. fabulous all around...the silver weathering is magnifique

  3. As I read this article, and glance over at the four P-51 models on the shelf three feet away: Eduard, Airfix, Tamiya and Meng, and notice that all of them sit at the same angle, because their landing gear legs are all the same length (I even took an extra set of Tamiya gear and compared it to the others - yep, all the same), and I even went up on the net and found some photographs from World War II that indicate airplanes at a closely-similar "sit angle" (yes, you can't compare them exactly, but you can get an "informed guesstimate"), it appears to me that someone is operating on incorrect information. Not you, but rather the references. I have long ago given up paying all that much attention to the pontifications of Very Serious Modelers Indeed, ever since one of them declared that Sea Hurricane IIc's of 825 Squadron were all overall white 48 years ago in a book put out by Airfix, despite the fact that all available photos of 825 Squadron Sea Hurricanes (the aircraft referred to) demonstrate that the airplanes had white over FAA camo only on the upper surfaces. What's (not so) funny is every Scale Muddling Gnu ever since, even using the photos that disprove the declaration, have followed the Original Hex-Spurt. (I've just spent a whole book demonstrating that "information from official experts" is mostly fantasy when governments use it. We humans seem to be lemmings in the information department.)

    This reminds me of all the P-51 Gnus who are now wondering if you can see a 3.5 degree difference in tail incidence (in 1/48) between P-51Ds with fabric elevators and P-51s with metal elevators, after Eduard made the mistake of mentioning this - despite the fact none of them have worried about it in all their modeling careers beforehand. Or the Red Lines Brigade over the release of the Airfix P-40B.

    They're freaking plastic toys.

    As John Clark (the only Tom Clancy character I ever liked) was wont to say: "Close enough is close enough, and perfect is a pain in the A$$."

    It is a nice looking Mustang model though, Roland.

  4. Thank you for your kind comments!

    Tom, you speak from my soul and bring to the point what you should never forget when building models - how you say so nicely: "They're freaking plastic toys. " That´s perfectly right!

    I agree with you, it's not about summing up detail by detail, but about the overall coherence. In any case, this is also what gives me the most pleasure and nourishes my enthusiasm with fire every day.

    All this makes me very proud when I read your words, thank you for your interest and comments!

  5. Bravo! REALLY well done, Roland!

  6. Thank you Jeff, indeed!

  7. I'm no rivet counter, so I have no issue admitting that I like what I see! Great build Roland!

  8. Great job, Roland. Terrific natural metal and paint scheme. I'll be the first to admit that I am a TLAR builder (That Looks About Right). I'm too old to sweat the small stuff and will leave the details to you young guys. Also thanks for the imaginative name for your article, it made me smile. :o)

  9. Nice lookin' rendition of the venerable Mustang...I like it. Good work!

  10. Very sharp work.

  11. Gentlemen, you make me kind of proud! Thank you all!

  12. Great looking Pony Roland.

  13. I like what I'm seeing here ! Looks great my friend...

  14. A very nice Pony - love that green-nose scheme - hadn't seen that one before. The NMF looks great as well.

  15. Thank you Tom, Louis and Greg- your words are quite motivating!

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