Every decade or so I seem to end up revisiting what was perhaps my very first 'favorite' kit ever, Revell's oldie-but-goodie 1/32 P-51B Mustang. It's a kit very clearly of its time, with faults and shortcomings that are well-documented elsewhere; but it's also a fun and very satisfying kit to build, readily available, and can be found dirt-cheap (relatively speaking). And...not coincidentally...it's original release [dated 1969] boasted what in my highly-biased opinion I consider to be the finest example of model box art illustration ever produced...by the late, great artist and master-illustrator Jack Leynnwood:
Same kit, slightly different boxing: for this go-round, I shall be working on an only-slightly more recent release, vintage 1993:
This Malcolm-hood boxing was something of a 'double Fizzbin,' markings-wise, with decals for both Ralph Hofer's USAAF 'Salem Representative,' and Polish ace Eugeniusz Horbaczewski's well-known RAF Mustang III in 1944. (I also have the above-illustrated markings and the 'greenhouse' canopy for US ace Don Gentile's 'Shangri-La'...just haven't decided yet which one to do.)
My intent is to 'spiff the kit up' without attempting to completely re-engineer it; add some detail (including a nice Aires resin kit for the cockpit...perhaps the area where the kit is most 'challenged'), but not drive myself crazy trying to pick every 'nit' along the way. And while this build will be for fun rather than rivet-counting...the very first thing I did was to take some ScotchBrite pads to the kit's profusion of '60s-style molded rivets, to 'dull down' (but not eliminate) the surface texture that was the hallmark of 'authentic detail' way back when.
Part 1 - Engine
The kit contains a simplified but serviceable version of the famed Packard Merlin engine, which will mainly be visible only from the exhausts-up with the kit's removable cowl piece. The kit offers only the early 'plinth' style exhausts--technically incorrect for most of the markings-options mentioned above--but that's one of the things I'm not going to sweat. I did drill out the exhaust stacks, however.
I added some representational plumbing using assorted diameters of metal and plastic tubing, plus copper, lead and insulated electrical wire. A few left-over etched greebles and styrene rod stood in for control rods and linkages.
The 'before' and 'after':
And the 'I guess it looks busy enough' view, with the fuselage halves test-clamped together:
That's all for now. I've started some minor 'tailoring' to fit the Aires resin 'pit (designed for the Trumpeter kit) into the Revell fuselage, and have base-colored the resin parts. Photos as work progresses.
Thanks for tuning in.