1/48 Eduard P-51D 55th FG “The Millie” (Finished)

Josh_the_painter

 

 

lawdog114

 

 

Josh_the_painter

Your quality of work constantly astounds me Lawdog. And the kit is great. 

The first kit I ever built was a P51D big beautiful doll and after the curret builds it's something I want to revisit so this would be a perfect kit. Thanks for the opportunity to watch yours come together.

Josh

 

 

 

 

Thanks Josh.  You'll definitely want to revisit Doll with this kit.    

 

 

 

 

Im in my shed supposed to be prepping 38 buick parts for paint but instead I find myself pulling the trigger on 2 of these through hobbylink japan. Your a bad influence lawdog!

Nice work on the checkers. I was interested in the tamiya tape? It looks like a rice paper tape in the photo? Generally I just mask with vinyl tape/ fine line as I have rolls of it sitting around and am no stranger to having to achieve fine masking. I like to stay open minded however for products that I can use for work as well. 

Josh

 

Indeed, I'm a bad influence.  I have the early version pre-ordered as well.  It will hit my bench immediately as well. 

Tamiya tape is wonderful. 

TREYZX10R

Joe great looking office as always! Nice clean masking on those nose checkers too!

 

Thanks Trey

I left off at the checkered nose.  I taped that area off then got to the quite interesting scheme.  The Millie G, as with most 55 FG D model Mustangs, had a green or olive drab fuselage and the rest was NMF.  I found this page in the instructions which shows the areas that were sprayed alumnum lacquer, which I found interesting.  I used Extreme Metal Dark Aluminum for this. This stuff sprays nice and smooth but I apparently forgot how long it takes to dry.  I waited about a half hour and taped it off to spray other areas.  Big mistake. The Tamiya tape stuck to it and left residue.  I had to sand it off and start over.  I was pissed.  I think I'll stick with Alclad for stuff that requires taping. 

I painted the rest according to my reference.  I started with the lower fuselage invasion stripes then moved to the fuselage stars and bars.  I used Montex for these.  Next I added the wing insignias.  I had no issues and the Montec performed perfect.   Again, we don't need no stinkin' decals (yet).

I decided on Olive Drab, mostly because I just got the AK Real Colors Olive Drab 41.  Its the best I've seen thus far, better than Gunze. Perfect shade of brownish green and sprays like a dream.  Barracuda Decals provided the markings for Millie.  They showed that this plane had a red stripe that separates the NMF with the drab on the fuselage in a gradual curve....fun!. Fortunately they provided decals for this feature, yellow and red.  Since I would be using the red, I carefully cut out the yellow ones and used them for reference on getting the curve right.  I used Tamiya flexible (white) tape to it tape it off before I sprayed the OD.  It worked great. 

I added the flaps.  I painted in the red no step warning.  The instructions showed it only went on the port side. 

I gave everything a postshade to dirty it up a bit.  

I gave it a coat of X-22 mixed with Mr. Leveling Thinner.  Once dry, I added the needed decals for Millie G.  I had no issues.  Barracuda decals are always fantastic. 

The prop hub yellow stripe came from an old 357th FG Eagle Strike sheet. Again, I cannot paint these on for the life of me.  They always come out lopsided. 

I hope to be wrapping this turkey up soon.

That has to be the nicest Pony to come along in a long time.

GMorrison

That has to be the nicest Pony to come along in a long time.

 

 

Thanks G

How did I not see this build early... another sensational build.

Well done that man, well done.

damouav

How did I not see this build early... another sensational build.

Well done that man, well done.

 

Thanks Damian

I still haven't created anything with a metallic finish but I will definitely use this one as my template!

Great  looking paint job. I love the cockpit.

Paint work is super crisp and clean as always ! I have trouble getting the pointed bits painted and not being lopsided ,but found this helpful the last time I had to do one

Hoss WA

Sensational! That’s inspirational work on a really cool scheme.

 

Thanks Hoss

Mopar Madness

I still haven't created anything with a metallic finish but I will definitely use this one as my template!

 

Use Alclad.  Alot less aggravation.....

JohnnyK

Great  looking paint job. I love the cockpit.

 

Thanks Johnny

TREYZX10R

Paint work is super crisp and clean as always ! I have trouble getting the pointed bits painted and not being lopsided ,but found this helpful the last time I had to do one

 

This is genius Trey! I'm not sure why I never thought of this.  So you basically cut the appropriate circle out of the template so its smaller and easier to work with?  Thank you nery much bud!

Looks great so far.  On the home streatch.   Too bad about to fit issues.  I have seen a lot of these around the web.

keavdog

Looks great so far.  On the home streatch.   Too bad about to fit issues.  I have seen a lot of these around the web.

 

Thanks.  I'm pretty sure most were my own doing though

Beautiful work, Joe. This scheme and Big Beautiful Doll are the best looking Mustangs, impo, off all time. Super good looking build.

BK

BrandonK

Beautiful work, Joe. This scheme and Big Beautiful Doll are the best looking Mustangs, impo, off all time. Super good looking build.

BK

 

Thanks Brandon.  Like I said, the scheme has certainly grown on me.

I went ahead and got this turkey done.  To recap, it's the new Eduard P-51D in the 55th FG markings of Eduard Giller's "The Millie G".  Giller scored three kills with one being an Me 262.  Aside from the markings, it's built out of the box. I used AK Extreme Metals for the NMF and AK Real Colors for the drab. Main markings are Montex masks. I did plumb the drop tanks and gear legs.  

I said I would compare it to the others.  Truthfully, there is no comparison. Eduard did a nice job on this turkey. It's definitely the best in 1/48.  I had a few issues, but I'm pretty sure they were my own ineptness.  My only gripes are the missing Dzus fasteners along the top cowl and the drop tank installation. The tanks don't seem to fit onto the pylons and you have to use these crappy PE strip pieces that simulate the anchors. After I lost two of them I gave up. I ended up just gluing them to the pylon.  

Thats about all I can think of.  I have the filletless D-5 version coming and will also be building that immediately, mostly because I wanna see if he issues I had were my own doing.   

Looks pretty good to me, buddy! Can’t wait to get my greasy little mitts on one of these. You’ve set the bar very high. 

Beautiful, as always. I continue to be amazed at both the quantity of your output and the quality of your work. I learn something from each of your builds.

Thanks,

Tom

RadMax8

Can’t wait to get my greasy little mitts on one of these. You’ve set the bar very high.

Well said, hard to say it better.

Beautiful Mustang, Joe. You did great.

Beautiful work as always LD!

I echo the above statements. Looks like just the right amount of weathering for theater use. Very nice.

BK

Hi, Joe - Once again, thanks for showing us what a completed model should look like. Very realistic, looks like a war horse that has seen some action, but still well cared for by the crew. A beauty.

Patrick

Just speechless really. Im so impressed by this and if I manage half the quality on my own I will be happy. Your weathering, as usual, really nails it to give that illusion of realism. 

My 2 kits arrived today from hobbylink. I just need to get the doll decals on their way. Im not sure how available to me the AK colours will be however are they your suggestion for the NMF and aluminium lacquer?

Josh

RadMax8

Looks pretty good to me, buddy! Can’t wait to get my greasy little mitts on one of these. You’ve set the bar very high. 

 

Thanks Max

tomwatkins45

 

Beautiful, as always. I continue to be amazed at both the quantity of your output and the quality of your work. I learn something from each of your builds.

Thanks,

Tom

 

Thanks Tom

Greg

 

 

RadMax8

Can’t wait to get my greasy little mitts on one of these. You’ve set the bar very high.

 

 

Well said, hard to say it better.

Beautiful Mustang, Joe. You did great.

 

Thanks Greg