Tamiya 1/48 P-51 Mustang
This is the well known Tamiya P-51D Mustang.
Although not the latest Mustang kit, I think it's still a great model. It went together without any fit problems and required no filler. The cockpit doesn't have much detail, but little of it can be seen once the fuselage halves are joined together.
I used some SuperScale decals on it for a P-51 named Chattanooga Choo Choo. It was assigned to the 79th Fighter squadron of the 20th fighter group at Kings Cliffe in the UK.
One of the flaws/complaints I saw mentioned in various online critiques of this kit was the presence of a slot behind the sliding portion of the canopy . After looking at photos of real life Mustangs, I noticed many had that same slot on them.
I had intended to try to fill that slot in on this model, but after seeing these photos, I decided to just leave it alone. It probably would have ended up looking worse had I filled it. That slot must of had a seal in it to keep moisture out.
I liked the dropped flaps of this kit too, more interesting than the flaps moulded in the up position .
I used Tamiya TS-17 Gloss Aluminum spray paint on this model.
Of spray paints, It looks the most like the dull, unpolished aluminum that I've been around as an aircraft mechanic. Unless aluminum is kept polished, it oxidizes over time and gets a dull look to it. I suspect that WW2 ground crews probably were too busy to routinely spend time polishing up aircraft.
The propeller that Tamiya includes in the kit is the type used on P-51Ks .
it also has two different styles of the sliding canopy used. The P-51K also had a different shaped sliding canopy, which I chose to use. Other than those two difference the D & K were alike. At least that's what I've read. I'm not an expert though , just a model builder.
Nice work, Jay (@ssgt). P-51s are always cool. I have tried spraying Tamiya Silver/Aluminum, but yours certainly looks a lot better than mine did. Also a very cool sunset photo of P-51s. Well done.
Thank you, George @gblair , I appreciate your comments. Spray paints can be good or bad…. I usually warm up the spray can by letting it sit in hot water for a few minutes…. Seems to spray better
Really nice. Great to see different markings. I used some plastic card glued to the inside of the fuselage to prevent a see through look of that slot on my last build post here. https://imodeler.com/2025/01/tamiya-148-n-a-p-51d-kit-61040-1995-2/
How I achieved it https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/done-gb-64-1-48-p-51d-ii-one-trick-pony.64777/page-3?post=2006898#post-2006898
That’s a good idea! I’ll try that if I ever build another Mustang.
Thanks for sharing that technique with me.
Beautiful clean build. That kit will always hold it's own. Eduard's set a new bar, but for build-ability and looks, the Tamiya will always be there, great job!
Jim
Thank you, Jim @jimh, I appreciate the remarks! I’m a fan of Tamiya kits for the engineering of the kits they make, they usually are trouble free builds.
That's a nice smooth metal finish. Nicely done.
Thanks , Chris @champagnecrc ,
I think warming the can in hot water helps the paint spray better.
Excellent result from the nice Tanya Mustang, Jay! Love how your aluminium shade turned out!
A beautiful result, Jay @ssgt
The aluminum looks really nice on this Mustang.
I'm also a big fan of that sunset picture.
Thank you @johnb and @fiveten !
Very nice Mustang, Jay.
Great choice of markings, I hope the decals didn't give you too much trouble.
I bought a couple of cans of primer and aluminum for myself a few months back. The Hobby Stores in Canada had to pull the Tamiya sprays off the shelves due to new gov't rules. That Tamiya Aluminum does spray and look very nice.
Thank you , George @georgeswork ! Sorry to hear about the anti-Tamiya activity in your great country. Maybe I better start hoarding it ? I hope you have something good to replace it with.
The decals worked fine… both the choices on that set of decals are ones I liked.
Nice work. Those Tamiya metallic spray bombs are very useful.
Thank you, John @j-healy !
Tamiya spray paints are a great help to a lazy modeler like me.
That’s a great looking Mustang, Jay @ssgt! I love the scheme!
Hey there, Felix @fxrob , thank you for the compliment… I really liked the looks of the markings too. The black & white on silver looks classy I think .
Nicely done Jay! Great choice on the decals and markings - really distinct. Going to see it at the show this weekend?
Hi Greg @gkittinger !
Thanks for the compliments, I haven’t seen many P-51 models with the B&W nose markings ….
I’m hoping to go to the show on Saturday , I just looked up info online about it . I’ll probably leave the Mustang at home though…I think it looks better here.
Great looking Mustang Jay @ssgt! I like the markings and the silver paint looks pretty nice on this build. Nice job on it...
Thank you, Bob @v1pro ! It’s a nice kit, even if it is an older one