What-if Build: North American FJ-1 (P-51) – Revell 1/48
Or would it have been an FJ-0, and by what name... "Seahorse"? "Fury"? 🙂
This one was purely for fun, just wanted to share. I did this one up some time ago.. not really good by any means, nor was it ever meant to be. This is a Revell-Monogram 1/48 P-51, painted up in Navy colors with some extra F4U decals. I don't think the geometric scheme was in use when the D model mustang was introduced, but I don't care.. I just wanted to see a Mustang in Navy colors, and had fun putting it together. I figured that, for the kit, this is better than a life confined to a box in the closet. I hope you enjoy it!
PS I did the geo markings for the USS Lexington because where I'm from, Lexington is synonymous with horses (ala Mustangs)... even though the namesake is for a different Lexington. Too much of a stretch? of course it is.. 😉
10 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Josh Patterson said on July 3, 2020
Warbird Simulations has this in their "Mustang Tales" group of P-51 offerings for FSX including a tailhook and hooks for the catapult bridle. Since it came before the jet powered Fury they call it an FJ1 (as it probably would've been) and they also call it a Seahorse. (If that would not have been its given name the pilots and crew probably would've done that themselves.) Apparently a very large group of old NAA drawings were obtained from whatever company absorbed them. Among the drawings were ones for the tailhook mounting structure for a navalized P-51.
One thing I will say, the Mustang looks great in Glossy Sea Blue! I also like you choice of boats to put it on. Makes total sense!
Andrew H said on July 3, 2020
Thanks for the info Josh. I wanted to replicate an artist rendering I saw online, likely from the FSX forums. When I saw it my first thought was infact how good a D model looks in GSB.
I had added a little boss that had a tailhook coming down from it, but it looked silly and didn't in any way replicate the extended wheel well/ door that NAA had planned, and I wasn't going to graft that much detail in, so left it without.
Spiros Pendedekas said on July 3, 2020
Looks great @pb_legend.
The best part of it being that you had a lot of fun!
Andrew Alexander said on July 3, 2020
I like it. They did put a hook on one and did carrier trials in 1944.
http://mustang.gaetanmarie.com/articles/naval/naval4.jpg
Doug Humphrey said on July 3, 2020
Great looking Seahorse! Really like the "what if" naval paint scheme. Almost seems like something the Navy would acquire to evaluate it against a F4U-4 or F8F done up in the same colors.
Tom Rodgers said on July 3, 2020
SeaHorse is PERFECT!
Stellan Schroeder Englund said on July 3, 2020
As far as I know the last SeaHorses were the training squadron ones and even got painted up in the new white/gull grey scheme and orange bands. All titles and antiglare panel in black. You better do one of them too.
Anything whif with a lot of credibility to scheme and story is great. Keep it up.
Andrew H said on July 3, 2020
Stellan, sounds plausible.. and would look great imo. Maybe... One can't have enough Mustangs.
John vd Biggelaar said on July 3, 2020
Having fun in building like you mentioned is the most important part.
Although it is a fantasy scheme, it suites this Mustang really well.
Overal a nice build, Andrew. @pb_legend
Andrew H said on July 4, 2020
Thanks John, I certainly didn't put too much thought or time into this, and that made for a nice break from serious work.
Matt Minnichsoffer said on July 3, 2020
That's just plain cool! Best part of modeling is having fun. Nice build.
Robert Royes said on July 3, 2020
Nicely done and a fun build! I navalized a Me 262 awhile back. The Navy did test the P-51 on a carrier.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Eric Berg said on July 4, 2020
One thing for sure, it doesn't look like the H model either. Great post!
George R Blair Jr said on July 5, 2020
Great idea for a model. It is fun not to let reality stand in the way of building a kit. As Robert (@roofrat) pointed out, the Navy did some trials with a P-51 on a carrier.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.