Scale aviation modeller international

a filler and sanding in such a

small area, where so much detail

could be removed by accident.

Seventeen parts go into making

up the cockpit, and the majority

are finished in an interior green

shade. Like all Airfix kits, the

instructions recommend Humbrol

paints, in this case number 226.

However, I decided to use a custom

mix of Tamiya XF-71, with a dash

of XF-1 to darken it slightly, in

order to match the colours in

my main reference on the P-51,

Modellers Datafile Number 24.

The various radio boxes,

electrical junctions, instrument

panel, and throttles were painted

in Tamiya NATO Black, while the

oxygen hose on the port side of the

cockpit was painted in dark brown.

I then applied a thinned black oil

wash, which popped out all the

detail that Airfix have moulded on

these parts. Once that had dried, I

applied the instrument dial decals

and placards to the sidewalls; this

really helped bring the cockpit

to life. For most modellers, the

cockpit supplied is more than

adequate, and certainly one

of the best I have built out

of the box in this scale.

I now moved on to the

ducting under the cockpit. This

is supplied as full length, and is

made up from a section moulded

under the cockpit floor to which you

add side and lower panels. These

panels do have the trace of ejector

pin marks, but a couple of swipes

with a sanding stick removed them

easily, then they were painted with

Humbrol aluminium. The final

items to be added to the extended

cockpit floor moulding are the

detailed sidewalls for the tailwheel

bay, which include the bay doors.

Airfix would have you add the

tailwheel at this stage, but if you

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