New to aircraft

tamiya, hands down

Umax,
The answer to your question is yes. I assume you're interested in 1/48 scale? If so, then read on.............
Both manufacturers have excellent quality P-51kits - but Tamiya has more versions - they have the P-51B and the P-51D. There may be others but I haven't seen them.
Hasegawa make a very high quality P-51D. I've got one and I'm not sorry I bought it.
Accurate Miniatures have a whole P-51 family --- (Allison engined) A-36, P-51A, then there's the Merlin engined P-51B and P-51C.
Any one of these kits by any one of these manufacturers is a good buy. You can't go wrong.
Cheers,
LeeTree

What do see as the most popular scale?

Most aircraft modellers use 1/48 or 1/72 scale.. the scale depends on the ease and the level of detail necessary... While 1/48 parts are easier to assemble owing to their relatively larger size more detailing may be necessary for a good build.. 1/72 scale involves handling relatively smaller parts that are sometimes irritating to handle.. (Me being quite an impatient man!) Anyway, most modellers prefer these two scales while those who love to make everything from the last wire on the engine to the glassy instrument s on the instrument panel may choose the 1/32 scale.. I would however recommend the 1/48 scale.. Try the Tamiya or the ARII(Otaki) Mustang... The latter offering an engine and a good quality kit for less price..

Hope this helps...

Enjoy the new variety of models... Its fun and I do hope you'll have as much enjoyment as me when it comes to building aircraft!!!

All the best!!

Cheers,

Nandakumar

The most popular scale is 1/48 by far. It's the scale for "general modeling"

For serious modeler who wants to spend a lot of time and effort building a model worthy of display (usually of an aircraft they really like), 1/32 is the scale.

1/72...pssst...stay away...kids stuff...

In 1/48 scale, if you want a P-51-D, I think the Tamiya kit is the best over-all, especially the recent reissue which corrected a sprue attachment problem on the canopy. The Hasegawa kit is also excellent except for the wheel wells which are much to shallow. Either kit can make an attractive model. For a 1/48 P-51-B/C I like Tamiya's kit , but the Accurate Miniature's kits are also excellent if you can find them. The older kits by Nichimo, Testors, etc. don't compare with the more modern releases. In 1/72 Tamiya has a scaled down version of their 1/48 D model, but sadly not the B/C. However Acadamy and Revell offer excellent B/C kits with my nod going to Acadamy.

I build mostly 1/48 but I can't agree with the comment that 1/72 is "kid stuff". 1/72 scale is still arguably the most popular World-wide if not in the US and requires as much or more skill to build than the larger scales.

Rick