North American P-51H Mustang, Modelsvit, 1/48
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.
10 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Andrew H said on December 17, 2020
Very nice results John! Liked!
dale travis said on December 17, 2020
Great looking NMF John.
Tom Cleaver said on December 18, 2020
Nice work on this, John.
I think this used to be the P-51H owned by Mike Coutches.
John Meyer said on December 18, 2020
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!
John vd Biggelaar said on December 18, 2020
Very nicely done, John @donkiyoti
That NMF looks superb, you can even see clearly the reflections on the wings.
Spiros Pendedekas said on December 18, 2020
Amazing work, John.
Love the NMF and the mini kit description.
Dan Lee said on December 18, 2020
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.
Andrew H said on December 18, 2020
You can pretend they are down for maintenance, if else just to show off the nicely modelled wheel wells.. 😉 alas I agree otherwise.
Eric Berg said on December 18, 2020
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.
Robert Royes said on December 18, 2020
Very nice!
Greg Kittinger said on December 24, 2020
Love the weathering work on this! Well done.
Woody Kubacki said on February 5, 2021
Excellent work John