Hi folks! I managed to squeak across the finish line with this one before the end of the year. That makes 2 completions for the year, which is an all-time high for me. Hopefully 2015 will be more productive!
Anyway, here is Academy's 1/72 P-51B in the markings of Maj. Alan Gillem, while serving as CO of 307th FS/31st FG in Italy.
I started, and nearly finished, this build in 2009. Last month I rescued her off the ol' Shelf of Shame and got it finished. In summary, here's what I did to the kit:
Decals from Eagle Strike, #72087 "31st Fighter Group Mustangs"
PE seat belts.
True Details gunsight from an F4F Wildcat.
Gun barrels from steel hypodermic tubing.
Brake lines added from copper wire.
Wheel hubs drilled out.
Kit landing light lens replaced (I lost it, oops) with clear packing tape.
Antenna wire from fine thread, mounted with brass rod at one end, and Bob's Buckles/brass tube combo at the tail.
This was only my second completed build ever (yes, ever), and my first NMF build, so I went through all the mistakes and learning curves you would expect. My biggest mistake was probably going back and adding the yellow theater bands on the wings when the build was almost done - that led me into having to do a series of touchups to the paint and decals that seemed to never end and just get worse as I went on. At some point I decided I had to stop and live with what I had or I was never going to finish!
The weathering is just an oil wash and some chalk pigments on the tires and landing gear area. Again, I'm not super happy with the finish - the wash tended to tint the underlying aluminum, even after being removed. If I had to go back and do it again, I'd leave the wash off. It looks far dirtier than I intended. That being the case, I decided against adding any further exhaust or oil staining.
Also, and I'm not sure why, but my NMF finish crackled at some point during the last five years. You have to look closely to notice it, but it's there. In some places the oil wash settled into the cracks and would not come out, so they've been highlighted for your viewing pleasure. 
Yes, I know all about gear doors and flaps bleeding down on Mustangs... but since this kit doesn't have the option for dropped flaps, and I wasn't in the mood for surgery, I decided that the best option was to keep consistency across the build. So, the gear doors match the flaps. Let's just say there's a hydraulic lock somewhere...
Hope you enjoy. Tamiya's 1/48 F4U-1D Corsair is already on the bench as the next project!
Kevin Johnson Ypsilanti, Michigan USA
On the bench: 1/72 Fujimi Ki-36 J-BAAR
