Mustang Mk. IV "Dooleybird" (Airfix 1/48)
This particular 19 Squadron Mustang has been a regular modelling subject from a number of manufacturers over the years with ongoing discussion in various fora regarding the colours of the upper cowling stripe and the nose checkerboard. I find it interesting that Mustang KM272 has been featured so many times when there are very few reference photos available! In this instance, I followed the Airfix recommendation in the instruction sheet of a yellow stripe and blue checkerboard. As my blue for the spinner was nowhere near that of the blue of the decal for the nose checkerboard, I chose to paint the checkerboard and omit the decal. I must confess that when I converted some of the included photos of the finished kit to greyscale, there was still a large tonal difference compared to the available reference photos.
Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable build and is a worthy addition to my coffee table display.
Excellent job, Ken!
Thanks!
Very nice. Please expand on techniques for painting checker boards. Great results
To begin, I suggest that you refer to a YouTube tutorial - I used the one by Primedmodelworks entitled Painting a Checkerboard Pattern on Scale Models - the process was clearly explained and demonstrated using Tamiya tape. For my Mustang I used the checker pattern on the decal sheet as a template for the correct width. A point to note is that the nose is somewhat conical i.e. not a flat surface, so the tape width on the lower part of the nose has to be trimmed to follow the taper towards the spinner. Once that is sorted the rest is easy! your patience will be suitably rewarded!
Well done, Ken. Great job on a great kit.
Really nice RAF Stang Ken , a real hotrod of it's day
Great looking Mustang !
Thanks!
Fantastic Mustang Ken. The Airfix Mustang range is good value for money. Your Mustang is a WINNER my friend. Well done.
Thanks! Much appreiated!
Nice work, Ken!
Thanks!
Very nice work, especially the checkerboard. For what it's worth, the tonal difference could be due to the type of film used for the original photograph.
I appreciate that is probably part of the reason and it has been discussed in other fora. Nevertheless, I am still tickled by the fact that, for a relatively popular model offering from a few manufacturers over the years, there is no definitive colour scheme.
Excellent result, Ken @kenboardman
Regarding the checkerboard, how did you mask this pattern, it really turned out beautifully.
Please see my reply to Mark Hedrick above - YouTube is a great source of information and help! Not forgetting a dash of patience and some trial and error on a mule!
Awesome build, Ken! I like the subtle weathering a lot!
Thanks - used pastel chalks for that.
Great looking Mustang!
Thanks!
Nice work Ken. I like it 🙂
Thanks!
Correct colors or not, that's a beautiful Mustang!