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Tamiya P51

moon puppy

moon puppy

Administrator
Staff member
I know I've said I'm going to clear the WIP bench but I need something to get the mojo flowing.
Just got this from @Skinny_Mike the other day, loaded with goodies just like he promised.
I'm going with a NMF but pretty sure not using Petie.
1672623936349.png



I've always been interested in Don Blakeslee, first fighter over Berlin. Of course that aircraft was a C model if I'm not mistaken but he didn't buy into personalizing his aircraft. It was always clean, he didn't even keep a score card on it. Just glancing around I don't find a decal set for it but maybe some generic codes can work.
 
RichB said:
Found decals for Blakeslee's P-51D from CAM Decals. One option from 1001 HOBBIES, I think they are in the Chicago area. Option two is from HANNANTS.

Cheers,
Rich
Click to expand...
You the man Rich! Thanks.
yeah, that 1001 hobbies one is asking nearly $50 and it'll take 2 weeks. I can print black decals for that much!

BTW, here's a nice article about Blakeslee
www.historynet.com

‘Patton in a P-51’

Don Blakeslee’s grit, guts and guidance helped make the “Fighting 4th” one of the finest combat air groups in Europe.
www.historynet.com www.historynet.com
He retired from USAF in '65 but never got a star. I've wondered about that.
 
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@moon puppy, take a look at these dry transfers from Archer (yes, it says 72nd in the description but the product says 48. It has your serials covered:
1672636733599.png


As for the codes and data block, yer on your own!
 
Big10 said:
I will be watching this with interest. How you gonna do the NMF?
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John I had good luck with doing a shinny chrome and then weathering it down. Blakeslee being grp CO probably had a pretty clean aircraft when he let the maintenance guys have it.
@Sharkmouth Thanks Saul, I got decal paper and a color laser printer, if I'm going to print the AC codes the S/N shouldn't be issue. Pretty sure I have the font from the old Pacific Mustang of years ago.
 
moon puppy said:
You the man Rich! Thanks.
yeah, that 1001 hobbies one is asking nearly $50 and it'll take 2 weeks. I can print black decals for that much!

BTW, here's a nice article about Blakeslee
www.historynet.com

‘Patton in a P-51’

Don Blakeslee’s grit, guts and guidance helped make the “Fighting 4th” one of the finest combat air groups in Europe.
www.historynet.com www.historynet.com
He retired from USAF in '65 but never got a star. I've wondered about that.
Click to expand...

A strike against him in the post war Air Force would have been not having a university degree. It was the reason he left Army Reserve in 1940 and joined the RCAF. It wasn't until 1941 that recruits without degrees were accepted for flight school. The requirement was reinstated in 1944.

Cheers,
Rich
 
1672717510523.png



Bottom wing, Mr Surfacer 500 worked into the panel lines that need to be sealed up. Top win, Migs acrylic putty thinned with water because it comes out too dry out of the tube. Yeah, that crazy bolt pattern on the wings are going also. The one right behind the pivot of the gear, not the fuel cell cover.
 
moon puppy said:
Yeah, that crazy bolt pattern on the wings are going also. The one right behind the pivot of the gear, not the fuel cell cover.
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Make sure you are not referring to the strengthening pattern added during production. I can check for you.
 
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Man this kit brings back so many memories, built it when I got back into modelling 2007ish. Need to build it again for the heck of it.
 
Sharkmouth said:
Make sure you are not referring to the strengthening pattern added during production.
Click to expand...
On top of the wing? They are gone, but there is some still on the bottom.

Looks like I'm not alone in blowing away that stuff.
wingstracksguns.com

Tamiya P-51 Build Report 1: Wings | Wings Tracks Guns

P-51 wings with their laminar airfoil helped make it one of the greatest fighters of all time. Learn how to replicate this on your next P-51 scale model.
wingstracksguns.com wingstracksguns.com
If I'm wrong then I'm not alone.
 
Those are Jennings Heilig's drawings at the top of the page, they should have given him credit. The next thing I noticed is that the photo following is of a P-51H, which wings have no relation whatever to previous Mustangs.
 
jeaton01 said:
Those are Jennings Heilig's drawings at the top of the page, they should have given him credit. The next thing I noticed is that the photo following is of a P-51H, which wings have no relation whatever to previous Mustangs.
Click to expand...
Funny when you try to see if there is a full image instead of the one with Jennings name copped off:
1672795357892.png
 
Totally unorthodox for aircraft assembly here but I started with the wings.
1673213884464.png


1673213896662.png


I squirted a coat of Mr Surfacer 1000 spray over it and letting it dry out now. Will check after supper how that came out.

BTW, what color should the wings?
 
If doing a NMF bird I use either Gunze Silver. 08 is the number. Or Tamiya LP-11. The parts of a mustangs wings that were not left NMF from the factory were painted silver. I cant remember off the top of my head the exact callout.
 
Mo_ said:
The parts of a mustangs wings that were not left NMF from the factory were painted silver.
Click to expand...
I know, I'm basing my build off the builds you guys have done and recent changes in "standard" of doing Mustangs.

There was a good graphic once that showed what the different aluminums were used on the aircraft, seems it was made by AlcladII but I can't find it.
I'm going with a silver on the wings. :pilot
 
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