Tamiya North American P-51D Mustang 8th AF

[Sharkmouth]

Some old links on decals I posted (click photo to view):

 

[Greg Kimsey]

I never thought of using a flat brush to transfer the decal. Cool!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Next question; to wire, or not to wire. The box art shows wire bypassing the ...uh, thing sticking up behind the canopy. Shouldn't the wire go to that, and then to a hole in the canopy?

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Don't think any paint overcoat will help silvering, they will only make it show up worse. You have to make sure no air gets trapped under the clear areas.

For what it's worth, I recoated with solvent trying to work some under the decal that has silvered. I don't think it did anything good or bad.

 

[Heavens Eagle]

What I have done is to take a new #11 xacto blade and lightly puncture the decal around the edge of the silvering. Larger areas require punctures in the middle areas as well. As I use Solvaset, it has a whetting/setting/bonding agent in it and will do so if you can get it under the decal. Just coating the surface will not get rid of the silvering. It is a lack of bond down to the paint surface. The trick is to get the agent to flow underneath. Start at one side and with light punctures work it across.
I have managed to do this over flat enamel paint and had the decals look painted on.

 

[Mo_]

It is my understanding that the D model mustangs in the ETO did not have the antenna wire. The mustangs in the MTO did. And I'm almost positive that Petie the 2nd did not have an antenna wire.

I'm sure others will chime in with their knowledge as well.

But I have been guilty of putting wires on because that's just the way I wanted it to look.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

The instructions don't mention the three circles beneath the right wing, but I looked it up and they are lights. Front red, middle green, and rear yellow. I hollowed a little bowl with a drill bit;

Then painted silver inside

Then filled with UV resin, cured it, and paint transparent colors on top. I tidied up with my exacto and silver chrome paint.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

It is my understanding that the D model mustangs in the ETO did not have the antenna wire. The mustangs in the MTO did. And I'm almost positive that Petie the 2nd did not have an antenna wire.

I'm sure others will chime in with their knowledge as well.

But I have been guilty of putting wires on because that's just the way I wanted it to look.

I will leave it off unless someone says otherwise. Thank you!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

What I have done is to take a new #11 xacto blade and lightly puncture the decal around the edge of the silvering. Larger areas require punctures in the middle areas as well. As I use Solvaset, it has a whetting/setting/bonding agent in it and will do so if you can get it under the decal. Just coating the surface will not get rid of the silvering. It is a lack of bond down to the paint surface. The trick is to get the agent to flow underneath. Start at one side and with light punctures work it across.
I have managed to do this over flat enamel paint and had the decals look painted on.

I'll be darned. It worked!. The punctures are invisible too. Thank you!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Hey! Where did the picture with the lights colored in go?

 

[Greg Kimsey]

crap, I can see I need to clean up the green and yellow a little more. Even with my magnifiers I can't see that IRL

 

[moon puppy]

Those lights are basically Friend or Foe identification lights for ground troops if i'm not mistaken, they would turn one or two off according to mission plans.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

@Mo_ to the rescue!! I got the decals and here they are...

The looked good and went on just fine. With the decals finished, I moved on to the weathering. I thought minimal weathering would be proper on this plane. Really, I am not even sure how to weather a metallic panel. I used black and raw umber oil paint. I went over the panel lines then used a rag to wipe the lines so that they looked soft. You guys tell me if I went to far, not far enough, or just right, or a combination! Thanks!

 

[Rhino]

An old Airliner modeler I knew used Future to set smaller decals. A dot of Future and the decal on top. His 1/144 airliner models are legendary even today.

He also taught me to use Testor's Metalizer Sealer as a gloss base. The lacquer clear won't dissolve with water or acrylic on top of it.
Oh! It works great on Metalizer/Alclad paints too!

 

[jeaton01]

Here is what it looks like where the antenna runs through the canopy. The photo is looking from the bottom, and if the antenna was installed a pulley would be seen rotating on a pin in the hole that is visible to the top right of the plastic (maybe machined plexiglas) bracket. The are more photos on my website at this link. If there was no antenna I doubt the bracket would be installed nor would there be a hole in the canopy.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/Propplanes/p51/p51.htm

 

[Mo_]

I think you did a great job on the weathering. It turned out nice!

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Here is what it looks like where the antenna runs through the canopy. The photo is looking from the bottom, and if the antenna was installed a pulley would be seen rotating on a pin in the hole that is visible to the top right of the plastic (maybe machined plexiglas) bracket. The are more photos on my website at this link. If there was no antenna I doubt the bracket would be installed nor would there be a hole in the canopy.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/Propplanes/p51/p51.htm
There had been discussion whether to use a wire or not. The consensus was that this pilot did not have a wire on his plane. I was prepared to run a wire just in case, and your site would have been very useful. I have it bookmarked! Thank John

 

[jeaton01]

Yes, I saw that, just thought this might be helpful in the future.

 

[moon puppy]

I seem to remember those wire antenna were for the FM radio sets that were not in use on fighters in the ETO so they were removed. I'm sure I can stand correction on this.

 

[Greg Kimsey]

Yes, I saw that, just thought this might be helpful in the future.

Thank you!!