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John Meyer
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North American P-51H Mustang, Modelsvit, 1/48

December 17, 2020 · in Aviation · · 12 · 2.9K

This model depicts P-51H-5-NA 44-64415 in service with the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (N.A.C.A.) Ames Aeronautical Laboratory at Moffett Field, California, ca. 1957.

This is the excellent Modelsvit kit. The gunsight was omitted, as were the wing guns and tailwhell bay doors. The main landing gear doors were assembled closed, as these were always closed on the P-51H after every gear extension. (Modelsvit has erroneously designed them to be positioned open.)

I used a few of the decals from the Caracal P-51H sheet: the data stencil and the NACA emblem on the fin, and the red emergency arrows, which are printed upsided down unfortunately. Caracal's research for this airplane is a little iffy, as it doesn't include the NACA-130 markings for the wings. Not that that mattered much, as I cut masks and painted all these markings anyway.

This airplane survives and until recently was flown in RAF markings as N49WB, but was deregistered in 2018.

Reader reactions:
11  Awesome

10 additional images. Click to enlarge.


12 responses

  1. Very nice results John! Liked!

  2. Great looking NMF John.

  3. Nice work on this, John.

    I think this used to be the P-51H owned by Mike Coutches.

    • No, Coutches still has his. This one was (is?) owned by Bill Whittington, who coincidentally went back to prison for the 2nd or 3rd time the same year the registration was cancelled!

  4. Very nicely done, John @donkiyoti
    That NMF looks superb, you can even see clearly the reflections on the wings.

  5. Amazing work, John.
    Love the NMF and the mini kit description.

  6. I am in awe of the mirror finish on the wings.

    Regarding: centerline landing gear doors. I wish I had that info when I completed mine. Would have save me some work there.

  7. Great work John! That's a great kit and a super decal sheet. Thanks for pointing out that the center gear doors should be in the up position. I sure wish I had known than when I build this kit.
    I'll have to stick with the "down for maintenance" look as I don't want screw it up trying to make the correction.

  8. Love the weathering work on this! Well done.

  9. Excellent work John

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