Revell 1/32 P-51b "Berlin Express"

This is my first 1/32 scale plane, and it is a monster. I built this plane in 2 months, and it took about 40-45 hours to do. I've been wanting to do a 1/32 scale for a while now, and didnt know where to start, as most 1/32 planes are a little pricey. But then I found a starting place when I found this kit at the bottom of the shelf, under a few more models at my local hobby shop. It was $20, which was under my budget. So, I bought it, and I was very happy with the result. I tried a few things here, mainly the spinner modification. I made a clear circle and then painted on the prop blurs to make it look like it was rotating. But the real experiment here was the clear coat. What I did was mix clear parts glue, which was made by Testors, and water, then applied it with a brush to the model, and it made a nice finish. And now it hangs from my ceiling! That has been a dream of mine for a long while. The canopy was nicely molded and detailed with its panels, but ot was molded in 6 peices. It took about 20 minutes to get it in the right spot. But enough about the build, I have some history about this plane.

P-51B Mustang (Razorback)
Operator: Comanche Fighters
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Powered by: RR Merlin Packard
Colour Scheme: 357th Fighter Group “Berlin Express”

The restored fighter is based around the remains of P-51B 43-24837. This Mustang flew with the 9th Air Force's 363rd Fighter Group out of RAF Staplehurst in Kent, England. It crashed in Beckley after the pilot was forced to bail out during a training exercise on June 10th, 1944. Sporting a “Malcolm Hood” canopy and wearing the markings for “Berlin Express”, Comanche Fighters newest Mustang is dressed exactly like the 357th Fighter Group Mustang which the legendary American ace Bill Overstreet flew under the Eiffel tower while successfully shooting down a Messerschmitt Me-109 in 1944.

3 additional images. Click to enlarge.