1/48th Scale P-51D Five Way Comparison, is it of interest?

[Sharkmouth]

With the sublime Eduard kit, I pulled out what were considered the best P-51D Mustang kits before it. These being:

1. Hasegawa
2. Tamiya
3. Meng
4. Airfix
5. Eduard

Obviously, the older kits, (1&2) are no longer on their sprue trees, so it would be comparing details using the same angles.

Regards,

 

[jeaton01]

I know the Eduard kit is nice in many ways, but it sure looks to me like they got the shape of the ammunition doors wrong. Just my hang up, that and that I am deeply in love with the Tamiya kit, even though I have yet to build the 1/48 version.

 

[Sharkmouth]

I am deeply in love with the Tamiya kit, even though I have yet to build the 1/48 version.

The Tamiya 48th scale doesn't even seem like a relative (perhaps a distant one) of their sublime 32nd scale offerings.

As for ammo doors, easy enough to fill and re-scribe. Since the rivets and panel lines were puttied over on the real deal, no biggie.

Regards,

 

[Mo_]

If you could breed the tamiya kit with the eduard kit..you'd have one hell of a kit. I have built 4 of the eduard kits so far. And yes the ammo panels are off. Yes you could fill and rescribe...but IMHO you shouldn't have to on this new of a tool kit. That's like buying a new car and having to have the damn thing repainted. I've built the meng kit twice and do not really care for it...over engineered imo. I've built 3 of the airfix..I like the kit, ok fit...but its an airfix kit..if you know what I mean. I have not built the Hasegawa kit.

I have no idea how many tamiya kits I've built, but its alot. If I had to pick the tamiya or the eduard kit..I choose the eduard kit with an aftermarket decals sheet...at least for the stencils.

And if you can't tell...my favorite plane is the 51.

Also eduard didn't even get the nose cowling right. Of the p51 the upper nose cowling is two pieces. On each side are the fasteners to secure it. They are only on one side on the eduard kit. They should have done what tamiya did and mold it in one piece.

Ok that's enough for now.

 

[jeaton01]

The Tamiya 48th scale doesn't even seem like a relative (perhaps a distant one) of their sublime 32nd scale offerings.

As for ammo doors, easy enough to fill and re-scribe. Since the rivets and panel lines were puttied over on the real deal, no biggie.

Regards,

Yeah, those two are separated by a millenium in detail, and also by 15 years and $150 in price. Someday I will man up and build one of the 1/32 kits in the stash. I admit the ammo door fix is not hard, but it just fries my potatoes that they made such a silly mistake.

 

[moon puppy]

do it...

 

[Sharkmouth]

I know the Eduard kit is nice in many ways, but it sure looks to me like they got the shape of the ammunition doors wrong.

If you could breed the tamiya kit with the eduard kit..you'd have one hell of a kit. I have built 4 of the eduard kits so far. And yes the ammo panels are off. Yes you could fill and rescribe...but IMHO you shouldn't have to on this new of a tool kit. That's like buying a new car and having to have the damn thing repainted. I've built the meng kit twice and do not really care for it...over engineered imo. I've built 3 of the airfix..I like the kit, ok fit...but its an airfix kit..if you know what I mean. I have not built the Hasegawa kit.

I have no idea how many tamiya kits I've built, but its alot. If I had to pick the tamiya or the eduard kit..I choose the eduard kit with an aftermarket decals sheet...at least for the stencils.

And if you can't tell...my favorite plane is the 51.

Also eduard didn't even get the nose cowling right. Of the p51 the upper nose cowling is two pieces. On each side are the fasteners to secure it. They are only on one side on the eduard kit. They should have done what tamiya did and mold it in one piece.

Perhaps I am not seeing the trees for the forest. Last night, I took out the five kits and looked long at the starboard upper wings. I didn't see any difference on the gun bay covers but both Airfix and Eduard have a finger push (button?) lock release on the ammunition bar cover while Hasegawa, Tamiya, and Meng do not. I am aware of which museum airframe Airfix scanned and I know which airframe (a warbird) Eduard used. I'll try to find photos to see if their doors presently have that push button lock, or not. In any case, I will also check out the actual aircraft's history, to see when and how it was rebuilt.

@Mo_, I have not built the Airfix (I only have one) nor Eduard kits (I bought two sets of OverTrees). I appreciate the easy builds from Tamiya but their gear bays are wrong and I had to replace them with Vector for the main and Quickboost for the rear. Like their awesome 32nd scale kit, it is a mixture of production batches. Eduard at least has one fill in the panels which don't belong to a particular batch. As for Eduard's upper engine cowling, I agree. I guess they got burned when they did their Spitfire and their aftermarket replacement didn't fit! I had to buy Barracudacast to fix that.

Anything with a sharkmouth scheme is my favorite.

Regards,

 

[paddy]

I do have the new Airfix kit but haven't even opened the box. TBH i wouldn't know if it was good or bad as far as authenticity went anyway.

 

[Sharkmouth]

I do have the new Airfix kit but haven't even opened the box. TBH i wouldn't know if it was good or bad as far as authenticity went anyway.

Other than heavy handed panel lines and rivets, the only other thing I found wrong is fixed by Eduard's replacement rudder from their set. Under the rear stabilizers (possibly not scanned) there is a subtle bulging which was missed. Of course, being Airfix, they added super thick seat belts and some other easily replaced items.

Regards,

 

[RichB]

I've built the Mustang IV release of the Airfix kit. I busied up the fuel tank/radio area with some wiring and adding the fuel filler piping using the Eduard kit as a guide. I also thinned down the the side struts on the seat. The other fix required is relocating the oil breather vent hole from just under the starboard wing/fuselage area forward and up as it is on the Eduard kit. Where Airfix has it is where most warbird restorations have moved it to keep the oil from streaking down the fuselage just above the wing.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Big10]

Eduard's new P-51

This is a nice little kit. There is definitely a lot going on in this cockpit as far as parts go. Received my kit yesterday evening and that's about as far as I got.

modelersalliance.org

Here is a thread I did when Eduard first released the new tool Mustang and I questioned the ammo door and a few other stuff.

And I would pick the Eduard Mustang any day of the week over the others.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Eduard's new P-51

This is a nice little kit. There is definitely a lot going on in this cockpit as far as parts go. Received my kit yesterday evening and that's about as far as I got.

modelersalliance.org

Here is a thread I did when Eduard first released the new tool Mustang and I questioned the ammo door and a few other stuff.

Thanks, @Big10!

Thanks for that thread which, I blame the upsurge at the hospital, I didn't seem to have followed after my initial post.

Also he took the outer door off that I have in question and measured it. 15 15/16" wide inboard and 16 3/4" wide outboard.

Awesome! I now have measurements to see what is correct or not.

Thanks again. I see what you mean as fasteners should be on both sides of the central panel line.

Regards,

 

[jeaton01]

My issue with the Eduard ammunition doors is that they are very obviously not true rectangles, but get noticeably bigger as you go to the tip. I just looked at a Tamiya kit and it is a little that way as well but not nearly as much. Here are some photos I took of the D gun bay, and also some images from the D Erection and Maintenance Manual. After looking at all these closely I can see the ammunition bay cover widening slightly as you move outboard due to the skin on the front side moving away from the structural member enclosing the actual bays, which of course have to be parallel. I think there is also an issue with the forward gun bay door, which I do think is square, or perhaps the inboard side is marginally longer than the outboard, but Eduard has it significantly longer on the outboard side.

None of this should cause people not to enjoy building the kit, but it still is hard for me to understand. The actual construction blueprints and manuals for the Mustang have long been available in DVD format, they are here on my computer. The rudder structure is also included here to show the bulge on the bottom of the rudder, it is there to conform to the larger cross section of the fuselage below the stabilizer and to keep the gap small there as the rudder rotates.

 

[Sharkmouth]

I need to measure the ammunition bay doors!

Hasegawa, as the oldest:

Tamiya

Meng

Airfix

Eduard

Regards,

 

[Sharkmouth]

Measurements provided by BS_w on the Plane Talking HS forum:
(Measurements are done in inches)

Front Gun Bay
width: 24" - inboard side: 15.75 - outboard side 16.3
Rear Gun Bay
width: 24" , inboard :14.9 - outboard 11.7

Ammo Door:
length 45 - inboard 16
the forward edge is 2"5 parallel to front spar* (89°), the rear edge 90° to centerline aircraft
So, the outer side is greater than the inner.

* Or along the panel line which is the rear edge of spar.

Measurements provided to @Big10 in FB:
Ammunition Bay Door
15 15/16" wide inboard and 16 3/4" wide outboard.

Based on the above, the gun bay covers are also not square (90-degree angles) edged. The digital micrometer needs to be pulled out.

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

Seems to be a lot more rivets than needed.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Seems to be a lot more rivets than needed.

Hasegawa, only panel lines to fill in.

Tamiya's flurry of rivets near the leading edge is to represent the strengthening plate added by T.O. (Technical Order), mostly panel lines to fill in aside from these.

Meng got carried away... most work of them all (aside from the Dragon 32nd scale one).

Airfix has a few, so not too bad.

Eduard only has panel lines to fill in. Since panel lines are filled in on ALL, it should'nt be a big deal to fill in the (ammunition and/or gun) bay doors and rescribe to correct dimensions.

Schematic showing the filling, painting, sanding done to them at the factory (courtesy of John Turrell):

For clarity, Zinc Chromate is added to the complete wing (minus radio altimeter inspection hatches (outer ovals on wings), landing gear covers, fuel tank covers, and wing strengtheners (gussets on wing in aileron area, two above & one below). Then the Acme Gray Surfacer was added to at least 40% of the leading edge (top & bottom), with Red Vallutine Glazing Putty on panels lines and all sanded down to a smooth finish before receiving aluminum paint over all prior Zinc Chromate surfaces (yes, gun and ammunition bay covers too).

Regards,

 

[Sherman 18]

Fantastic stuff Saul!

 

[jeaton01]

Well done, Saul.