1/48 Revell P-51D Mustang "Postmortem"
Scheme: P-51D, "Miss Marilyn II", 343rd FS, 55th FG, Wormingford, Northants, UK
Colors used:
- NMF base coat: Model Master Flat Black (#1149), over-coated with Future
- NMF: Alclad Aluminum (#101) with Dark Aluminum (#103) highlights
- Green: Model Master Euro Dark Green enamel (#1764)
- Yellow: Model Master Gelb RLM 04 enamel (#2072)
- Red: Testor Red enamel (#1103)
Started: So long ago, I can't remember.
Finished: Today!
Notes:
Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the kit, instructions and decals. I felt the kit fit together well, except perhaps for the air scoop. I would build one again, especially considering that the kit is relatively inexpensive.
I started building this kit during Phase 1 of the NMF Group Build. I was almost finished painting the fuselage when paint started to lift off areas I had masked for touch-up. I thought perhaps I had not done a good enough job removing all the Novus #2 Plastic Polish before painting. Not knowing any better, I tried to use lacquer thinner to remove some areas of paint. Unfortunately the thinner reacted with the plastic and ruined the kit. So I went to my LHS, bought a new kit, and started over.
On my second kit, I got just about as far when the same problem occurred. This time I determined the actual cause of the problem was the Alcad Aluminum not adhering to the Alclad Gloss Black Base. (I emailed Alclad and they responded that I should lightly scuff the gloss black base with 6000 micromesh or use a gray primer base coat instead. I did some test samples, however, and did not like the way the NMF looked over gray primer. A gloss black undercoat produced the best look. My solution was to use either flat black enamel or the gloss black base, then overcoat either with Future before applying the NMF.)
Anyway, I had to strip all the paint off the plane. I used Gunze Leveling Thinner (thank you Daywalker for your suggestion), which worked beautifully and did not harm the plastic. Later on, I had a few more painting and masking mishaps which caused me to strip the paint several more times. By the end, I think I used nearly half the bottle of thinner. LOL
As I was doing all the paint removal and repainting, the antenna and rear landing gear broke off. I also noticed that I had not done a sufficient job filling seams. (These mistakes become really evident in an NMF.) It was at this point that I decided to make my last attempt at painting and accept however it came out. Unfortunately, it did not come out great. Some areas of the undercoat were rough and this showed right through the NMF. Other areas seemed to attract dust and lint while I was painting. I also misapplied the starboard wing star/bar decal to the topside. I tried to cover decal with paint but the outline of the decal can still be seen and the aluminum looks very different.
I heard of a guy who used Tamiya Smoke for panel line post-shading. I did not do the panel lines, just around the flaps and engine cover. I probably shouldn't have done the later.
Anyway, I point these things out, not to knock my work, but to simply explain why the plane looks the way it does and why it took so long to complete. Despite the setbacks, I've learned a lot from this experience and expect my next NMF build to go much better. I plan to: 1) do a better job filling/sanding seams, including around the canopy, 2) apply the Alcad Gloss Black Base and a coat of Future for better topcoat adherence, 3) paint, then mask, highlighted panels first so I don't waste a lot of time and tape masking other areas if I were to paint the highlights last, and 4) pray I can keep the dust and lint at bay while I airbrush. I'll be seeking tips on seam work, as I haven't quite mastered it, especially around canopies.
I hope this write-up has been useful. I welcome feedback. VetteMan, feel free to pick any photo for "finished kits" area of the group build. In the meantime, I'll re-glue the canopy to the frame as it became detached just prior to the photo shoot. I'll also figure out how to obtain the GB badge - as this is my 1st group build! :-)
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