discussion Tamiya 1/32 P-51 D (but as a Mustang IV)

[yak face]

Sorry but your plane looks a bit naff Steve , the model aircraft on the other hand looks excellent . All this talk of planes has spurred me to get mine out and show them ( and unlike my airbrushes they’re not cheap Chinese copies !) thread starting soon ,
regards William Marples

 

[stona]

William Marples

I had to google William Marples.....very good!

 

[stona]

So, back to aeroplanes. or models thereof.

I have now sprayed the camouflage. The colours are 'interesting'. I will take MRPs word for it that these are indeed accurate representations of the US colours (colors?) concerned.



I followed Xtradecals guide for the pattern, there is only one photograph of this aircraft that I know of and that's in flight and of the port side. The pattern is odd, a bit like the S/E pattern we used, but not quite.

The paint was excellent, there is one bit that lifted, but that was exactly where I has an issue with the primer (you can see it on the front bottom corner of the windscreen frame) so I'm sure it is nothing to do with the MRP paints. It's easy to fix...tomorrow!

Cheers

Steve

 

[BarryW]

coming along really well Steve....

I have found MRP’s interpretation of shades pretty good particularly when they are based on FS shades. But then paint shades in WW2 were pretty hit and miss with batches changing and then, of course they weathered in different ways. When paint companies have different interpretations of WW2 colours, chances are, none of them are really wrong.... You can then add in ‘scale effect’ with some brands lightening colours to replicate that, sometimes without being specific to what scale (AKI)..... I have given up worrying about interpretations and just use the appropriate MRP shade and that means there is some consistency across models.

As for lifting. Lacquers are definitely a lot less prone to that than water based paint but are not entirely immune. Grease, whether release agent or finger grease, can still present a problem in a number of ways so a good ipa wipe down is a good idea. And, of course, if the primer lifts.....

 

[stona]

All the decals are now on. I like this bit, it gives the subject its identity, but I could easily have done without the fifty little stencils! Applying the decals has taken almost all day.



The sharp eyed will notice the so called 'B Type' roundels on the upper wings. This is because I didn't fancy the yellow/black stripes on the spinner and nose which were applied sometime in late 1944. I've gone for a slightly earlier look, with a British Sky spinner, which should make an interesting contrast with the US equivalent in the fuselage band.

All the decals are from Xtradecal and they performed well enough. They will probably get one more splosh of softener this evening, but they have all settled nicely without silvering. I can't comment on Tamiya's kit decals, I can only hope they have improved since the last Tamiya kit I made. Those were truly awful!

 

[stona]

I'm calling this done!

I will take some photographs in the next couple of days and post them in a completed thread. For now just a quick snapshot (literally!) as the last of the glue dries.



It's a great kit, highly recommended.

Cheers

Steve