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David Butler
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Tamiya P-51D-20 "Stinger VII" Very Long Range

March 15, 2025 · in Aviation · · 13 · 296

Here is the older, but still very nice P-51D kit dressed up as Maj. Robert Moore's "Stinger VII" based out in August of 1945.

I sourced the decals and the drop tanks from the Eduard "" special edition kit that I still have yet to build figuring that I could make good use of the 12 marking options and 2 pairs of VLR drop tanks that the Eduard kit provides. The national insignias and minimal stencils I sourced from an unused Airfix P-51 decal sheet, and the rear radio masts were provided from spare parts that I had saved from a prior Eudard build.

The Eduard VLR kit also provides a nice photoetch template for scribing the panel lines around the radio masts that I used for this build and then put back in the box of the Eduard kit to reuse when the time comes to finally build it.

The kit builds up very nicely and despite newer and more detailed kits on the market, still makes for a nice looking Mustang.

for the build I used Vallejo paints and did some light weathering with oils and Tamiya weathering powders. Despite lots of unforced errors along the way which I hope are not too ovbous in the photos (a decal disaster and NMF boo boo to go along with it) I had a lot of fun and am glad I could find enough time between work and grad school to get my first kit of 2025 built and put on display!

Reader reactions:
16  Awesome 1 

2 additional images. Click to enlarge.


13 responses

  1. Nice work, David (@dbutlr). Finish and decals look awesome. Well done.

  2. Well-done. Great job on a great kit. NO boo-boos in sight. Fine build and finish.

  3. Excellent result, David! No signs of booboos from hetet, this is a really fine looking P-51!

  4. Absolutely wonderful, David @dbutlr
    All turned out perfectly fine.

  5. A very nice Mustang! Congrats.

  6. Turned out looking just fine. I’ve got Tamiya B & D Mustangs to build, hopefully this year sometime.

  7. Nice change of pace to see a pacific theater mustang.

  8. Nice work, David. Very clean windscreen and canopy assembly, the main pitfall area in that kit.

  9. Lovely build David. A real neat P-51 👍

  10. Well done, David. You're right, Tamiya's Mustang kits still build up nicely. Those are some mighty hefty looking fuel tanks.

  11. Great job, David. Inspiration to pull the Tam off the shelf.

  12. Looks great - well done!

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