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Tamiya North American P-51D Mustang 8th AF

Greg Kimsey

Greg Kimsey

Well-known member
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I started this a couple of days ago and will show you my progress thus far.
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So after looking extensively and closely at as many photos as I could find I got to use my little rivet tool and mark some new lines. I really hope I did that right!
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I feel like I cheated using some photoetched seatbelts, but they look pretty good. In one of the photos I noticed a wire going along the cockpit wall so I added that. I also added some wiring to that stuff behind the seat. Again, I hope I did it right or at least close.
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I looked through my collection of decals and found some for the instrument panel for a P-51D. Yay! I wouldn't have to paint those tiny dials by hand! Wrong. They were so old that after 4 attempts I gave in and hand painted the dials and what not. I used my fly fishing resin and made glass for the dials. It really does look better than those dumb decals anyway.
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I got the fuselage glued and drying now.

However! I am going to set this aside and do my best to finish an A10A Thunderbolt for my friend, Ray, before Christmas. Wish me luck because I think I am going to need it!
 

Mustang Mania

Anything (figure or vehicle) with an Equidae lineage such as Mustangs, Ponies, Mules, Donkeys, Zebras, et cetera. A Stable forum for the Gallery and a Corral for the WIP posts can be used. To be clear, it can be a mounted figure (the horse qualifies it), vehicle such as a car, truck, aircraft...
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dang I forgot myself.
 
Well, I got her back out tonight to see what I can do while I wait for my new nozzles. I do have a "working" airbrush, but it is basic stuff only; no finesse at all. In fact, I used it to spray the wheel wells.
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So, as you can see, I have the nose cone glued and drying.
Oh, BTW, I found a great site called Prime Portal with great photos, which I am sure you all already know about. It is here: http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/domeric_barbot/p-51d/index.php?Page=1

I noticed in the photos that the walls of the intake on the underside are fairly thin. The walls of the model would be 3" thick in real life. So I got to use my micro drill bits to thin down the walls.
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David, of Plasmo YouTube channel fame, uses these things extensively, so they found their way onto my Santa list. I fit one into my Dremel and started eating plastic. Man, it worked great!
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I think you be able to tell, but I sanded as well as I could, then final smoothed the edges and inside the opening with Tamiya extra thin cement.
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That's it for now. I want to add wiring and details to the wheel wells that will never be seen again (but I will know they are there) tomorrow.
 
32 scale
22 Cal (5.56mm) - #95
30 Cal (7.62mm) - #88
50 Cal (12.7mm) - 1/64 #78
14.5mm - #77
20mm - #72
23mm - #70
30mm - #63

35 scale
22 Cal (5.56mm) - #96
30 cal (7.62mm) - #89
50 cal (12.7mm) - #79
14.5mm - #78
20mm - #74

48 scale
50 Cal (12.7mm) - #86
30 Cal (7.62mm) - #96
20mm - #78
30mm - #73

72 scale
50 Cal (12.7mm) - #94
30 Cal - 0.10mm drill
20mm - #85
30mm - #78

@Iron Mike posted this a long time ago:
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I got to work on her a little today After watching a couple of videos of a Mustang build I decided to hold the wiring until later.I glued the wing halves together and let them dry. Boring so no pictures. (Forgot to take them anyway). After they dried I glued the wings to the fuselage. I had actually purchased a kit with gun barrels and sights.
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I drilled the holes to 1.6mm as instructed. How you keep a drill bit centered for 6 holes is still a mystery to me. Not only that, I ended up pushing two of them iirretrievably inside the wing. So, I had to make two gun barrels with copper tubing. Fortunately I had the right ones on hand. I cut the tubes: longer for the larger tube and a little shorter for the inner tubes.
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The crimps on the larger tube are from holding it with pliers while I drilled it out large enough for the next tube. I glued the two larger together with thin superglue then beveled the ends a little. I put the smallest tube in and did the same.
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I will be the first to admit that it doesn't look very good. I did straighten that barrel after seeing it engaged by the camera. I put them in their holes and they look fine.
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It certainly won't be a show winner LOL. I need to figure a better way of handling the more delicate copper tubing. I am new to scratch building stuff. Anyway, that is where I am now!
 

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So, the Elmer's glue failed completely with the hardware for the canopy. I took it all apart and am using clear acrylic varnish as the glue. Do y'all see any problems with that?
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Next question. I bought aftermarket tires and they are beautiful, but the holes are too small for the axel.(I think that's what it is called still). My plan: cut off the axel, drill a hole and put the brass rod to be the new axel. Anyone see a problem with that?
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