Scale aviation modeller international

Airfix 1/48 P-51D Mustang by David Francis

L

ast month we previewed the

new 1/48 scale Airfix P-51

Mustang, and I was very

impressed with the level of detail

in the cockpit and the choice of

options. As an example, Airfix

have supplied two different ventral

fins, which is something that I

have not seen in a P-51 kit before. I

was so impressed with the kit that

as soon as it hit the shelves in the

UK, I purchased another example

for my retirement stash, which is

very rare for me, as I rarely build

two examples of anything. In fact,

this decision paid dividends later

in the build, but more of that later.

CONSTRUCTION

Unsurprisingly, we start with the

cockpit, and this kit has as much

detail as the Revell 1/32 scale kit

we featured last month. I will

start with a feature that I have

never seen before, which is that

the pilot’s seat is made up from

three parts: the seat pan, the seat

back with moulded cushion and

shoulder straps, and the support

frame. Very conventional, except

that the seat frame also features a

moulded lap belt. Once assembled,

this is as convincing as anything

I have seen in plastic, and with

careful painting has a really good

3D effect. It reminds me very much

of the thin plastic seat belts that

Japanese company Fine Molds

started producing a few years ago.

There are some circular

depressions between the sides;

some are actually supposed to

be there, but two are injector

pin marks. I used some ultra-

thin plasticard cut to shape and

glued them over the marks. This

is far easier than trying to use

MUSTANG

P-51D

6 • JANUARY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

BY SACCO DE VRIES

P-51D MUSTANG

BY DAVID FRANCIS

1/48

QUICKBUILD

036-41-QB-Mustang-0118.indd 6 08/12/2017 17:01