1/48 Tamiya P-51B Mustang

by Bob Aikens

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This is another one of those neat Tamiya kits that builds up adequately straight from the box.As I was building the ICM P-51B simutaneously, I chose to use the Verlinden Cockpit I had in that model, it being much less crisp.  The only addition to OLE II was a set of Eduard seat belts.

Tamiya Khaki Drab was used on the topsides-it was lightened with Tamiya X-1 White to produce several varying shades of the fading OD surfaces. Thinned with the Tamiya acrylic thinning agent it produced a smoother egg-shell type finish that's much easier to gloss up than something dead flat. The kit decals were used, but the theatre striping was masked and sprayed. Undersides are ModelMaster Neutral Grey-and here again I added some Testor's Gloss (c. 1/4-1/3) and thinned with MM thinner. Admittedly, this method does affect the tonal quality of the paint, but its negliable and very often adds to the faded paint look on well-worn combat schemes.

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Three selections are offered on the Tamiya decal sheet: Capt.Don Gentile's  "Shangri-La'', 358, 336 FS,4th FG; Lt. William Hovde's   'OLE II',358th FS,355th FG; and 5-QG, 339th FS, 504th FG. I had an AeroMaster  "Debden Ponies" sheet which I used on my ICM  model, but OLE II looked OK to me!

This is the  sixth Tamiya model that I've done, all in the WW II fighter series. And only yesterday I got another Spit Vb; more fun ahead!

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The pictures you see were taken indoors (Long winters here!)  with an Olympus 720-Zoom digital camera. It's preferable to shoot outside in indirect sunlight, and Spring is here again!

Bob

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Photos and text © by Bob Aikens