P-51D Mustang, 1/48

[Whiterook]

A 1/48 scale kit from Revell, it was a Level 2 kit from Michael's craft store, bought on a whim several years ago, as it was so cheap   I'd been wrestling for quite a bit on what scheme I wanted to do, and there are so many nice options out there, as well as what was included in the kit.

Overall though, this is not a bad little kit, but the interior lacked quite a bit of pizazz, especially the cockpit interior...so instead of doing an out of the box build, I decided to at least invest in an aftermarket kit from Squadron (I believe...this was a long time ago!), with highly detailed side interior controls; and I also bought a far nicer pilot seat. Thinking back on it now, i wish i saved them for a better kit, but oh well.




My bevy of clamps to hold in place while curing...



As the buld was well underway, I ran into this cool little story about the story of the High Flying Beer Run! As the true story tells, back in WWII Normandy, USAAF and RAF plots had been engaged in shipping beer into Northern France privately, using what the troops called "flying pubs"!








So I decided to do a little conversion of the same idea used on other aircraft, to my P-51D. Figuring for Yankee Ingenuity, whether factual or not in what I started scratching together, I fashioned Beer Kegs to be attached under the wings...



These are currently sitting aside while I work on the aircraft.

[Whiterook]

"...hey, hold on just a minute...were those flaps I just saw a minute ago?"

Ah, yeah. In a moment of bad judgment, after seeing some reference material on static, ground craft with flaps down, I decided to hack the suckers off this kit. Big oooops. I can't wait to see how I get out of this!!! This is where I left off a few years ago...



I snapped some new shots today…







The far improved after market cockpit details may save this kit!







She's a little dusty, and as yet, waiting for some love; and even though I've been away from building for some time, a part of that was this bird scares the crap out of me!  ...but I have every confidence I can make something out of it!!!

NOTE: I have one kit ahead of this being worked on, so not sure how much progress you’ll see on this bird right away. 

[Steve Zuleski]

Awesome, flying pubs. Where there's a will there's a way!

[Tobi]

Looks like a nasty job. Lots of putty required. Typical Revell. Buy a cheap kit and an expensive tube of putty with it.

[mustang1989]

I've got NOTHING but respect for anyone who can pull an old Monogram build off. I'm doing one now myself and know all too well the headaches associate with putting these old kits together. In the hands of a skilled modeler such as yourself they can turn out to be a very good looking product. Looking forward to more on this one Emery.

[Whiterook]

Feb 21, 2023 11:35:47 GMT -5 Steve Zuleski said:

Awesome, flying pubs. Where there's a will there's a way!

I loved the story! I first came across it on HistoryOnline, and looking it up, there are some brilliant articles on the subject. Amazing what thirsty soldiers will do for a warm beer!

Feb 21, 2023 12:33:01 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Looks like a nasty job. Lots of putty required. Typical Revell. Buy a cheap kit and an expensive tube of putty with it.

Ugh, I know, right!?? I hate putty, but sometimes it’s just a required part of the gig. I probably would have thrown this in the trash bin by now (though I’ve never actually done that, LoL), if it wasn’t for the expensive aftermarket’s I put in the cockpit. Hacking the flaps off has haunted me… on the one hand, it was a feeling that having seen several grounded *parked* craft, they were shown with flaps down. I’m not an aviation expert even by the remotest definition, but I would imagine it’s factual and part of the hydraulics? The nit knowing is part of the ‘haunting’ part; the other is, damn, I made a lot of work for myself by trying to make an in-flight model a static ground unit…on a better kit, it might have been worth it, but then again, of the flaps are down in a parked plane, a better kit would have had them detached and the option.

Regardless, I’m stuck with it now, and I’m too miffed to let it win!

Feb 22, 2023 9:34:32 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

I've got NOTHING but respect for anyone who can pull an old Monogram build off. I'm doing one now myself and know all too well the headaches associate with putting these old kits together. In the hands of a skilled modeler such as yourself they can turn out to be a very good looking product. Looking forward to more on this one Emery.

Well, thank you genuinely for that ‘skilled’ compliment! I will humbly accept that!!! I’m humbled and excited to see the fine work done by the modelers on this forum, and I do try to up my game each build… but I’ve a long way to go to match the wonderful skills I see. This one will test me.

[Tobi]

Feb 22, 2023 11:11:45 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Feb 21, 2023 12:33:01 GMT -5 Tobi said:

Looks like a nasty job. Lots of putty required. Typical Revell. Buy a cheap kit and an expensive tube of putty with it.

Ugh, I know, right!?? I hate putty, but sometimes it’s just a required part of the gig. I probably would have thrown this in the trash bin by now (though I’ve never actually done that, LoL), if it wasn’t for the expensive aftermarket’s I put in the cockpit. Hacking the flaps off has haunted me… on the one hand, it was a feeling that having seen several grounded *parked* craft, they were shown with flaps down. I’m not an aviation expert even by the remotest definition, but I would imagine it’s factual and part of the hydraulics? The nit knowing is part of the ‘haunting’ part; the other is, damn, I made a lot of work for myself by trying to make an in-flight model a static ground unit…on a better kit, it might have been worth it, but then again, of the flaps are down in a parked plane, a better kit would have had them detached and the option.

Regardless, I’m stuck with it now, and I’m too miffed to let it win!

That's the attitude! And overcome problems are the highest of all modeling rewards, at least to me.

[mustang1989]

Let 'er rip Emery. Looking forward to the next update.

[Whiterook]

OK, so I shifted over to the 'stang for a change of pace from the Pz.IV This kit had gone all kinds of sideways and I've been a little trepidatious jumping back into this build (...like, for years!) but, I spent a little time with her between home projects today to finally work on those damned flaps. They required some finetuning to edges and underwing parts, as well as the actual wing to receive them, cutting and sanding...it was tricky and fidgety, but not as horrendous as I'd envisioned. Dry fitting and prepping the wing cutouts were the important parts of this process... the gluing went smoothly; more smoothly than my work when I started the kit and she started t nose dive...sharp-eyed viewers will note some glue spots. I propped [ <--- see what I did there?) them up for an overnight cure. So yeah, not perfect, but I'm gonna call this a win!

One OK...



Two OK...



And a close up (...hey, don't judge me harshly!)



Is it perfect? Hardly, but I'm just trying to survive this one  At least I achieved my goal of flaps down on a static, grounded bird.

I'll stress at this point, more for me than you, that the original intent for this kit choice was to tryout the (then, new) Vallejo chrome colors...that's where the rubber will hit the tarmac in my book!!!

[mustang1989]

If it's one thing I'm familiar with is just making it through a tough build. I built a Jo-Han Ford Maverick kit a couple of years ago that liked to have killed me. Don't get me wrong, the subject was GREAT and I did have alot of fun building it at most of the stages but getting through the final assembly was GRUELING!! I wanted it to all just be over but after one solid year of working on it I wasn't about to settle for second best.

Looks like you're putting some good work into this one Emery. Hang with 'er bud. Looking forward to seeing the Vallejo Chrome colors go on later on.

[Joe Rix]

Bravo on your efforts. You are doing wonders with your persistence in my book. This very cool subject is worthy of coming across the finish line. You are doing a masterful job at overcoming any obstacles your encountering. Keep at it my friend.

[Whiterook]

Beer's Up!!! ...kinda, literally! I worked on the beer barrels today, shaving down the cut-out styrene I'd attached to the ends of the make-shift barrels, made from the fuel tanks that came with the kit.



The fun part was reattaching the t the wing mounts; I'd removed the glued on fuel tanks previously... but the "beer barrels" reattached nicely, with the aid of some Tamiya tape after the glue initially bit. everything will sit overnight.





...I had a few minutes to spare and decided I wanted to tackle something quick.

[buddho]

Excellent progress with a vintage kit. The cockpit came out nicely with the added detail, and the flaps look good!

[mustang1989]

Coming along nicely Emery! You're gonna have to give us (or me rather) a history lesson on the beer barrels.

[Whiterook]

A little more work on the 'stang! The beer barrels came out pretty nice.



...or with a nose cone...



...that second shot is of the nose cone held on with bluetac. I'm hedging towards the no-nose cone but haven't decided yet.

Meanwhile, I dryfitted the cockpit canopy slide today, which needed some alterations in order to fit with the specialty cockpit interior walls. Deciding whether to glue now or wait until after I start paint application.





Building is approaching an end. My only grievance to this point is, I lost one of the wheel enclosures (the thin, outer one)... oh well.

[mustang1989]

Yeesh. That's a tough decision to make. Myself, I'd probably install it later on putting it on so you've got adequate paint coverage in the nooks and crannies that would be there if it were installed first. Progress is definitely looking "all that" Emery. Good to see you back too buddy. I was wondering where you got off to. lol

[Whiterook]

Feb 26, 2023 21:51:43 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

Coming along nicely Emery! You're gonna have to give us (or me rather) a history lesson on the beer barrels.

Id’ come across the story of the “Flying Pubs” a few years ago, I believe it was on History Online. Considering how creative Servicemen in general were, in figuring out how to get well oiled up during the war with anything from Jungle Juice to Liquid Heaven, it really didn’t surprise me to learn that airmen devised a way to deliver suds to the troops.

It’s Normandy, 1944, and it seems that the biggest worry the British troops have is the lack of beer in the bridgehead!

They’ve successfully survived the channel crossing, endured terrifying landings, and forced their way into the countryside against strong German resistance; but they’re not concerned about the V1 flying bomb blitz which threatens their loved ones’ safety back home; they’re not dwelling on their on-going failed attempts to capture the port of Cherbourg – their main concern is the lack of beer.

Two weeks after D-Day, on the 20th June 1944, Reuter’s special correspondent working with the Allied Forces in France contacted the UK newspapers to say that all they could get from the now- liberated estaminets was some pretty watery cider. It wasn’t until the 12th July when the battling troops in Normandy finally received some ‘real British beer’; but even then they only received one pint per man.

However, some enterprising pilots attached to the RAF, and the USAAF – had already been privately shipping beer into Northern France, using what was known as ‘flying pubs’.


— Thirsty Swagman

I’ve not found much on the USAAF, but you just have to figure the Yanks would have copied the concept!

[Whiterook]

Mar 3, 2023 18:30:04 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

Yeesh. That's a tough decision to make. Myself, I'd probably install it later on putting it on so you've got adequate paint coverage in the nooks and crannies that would be there if it were installed first. Progress is definitely looking "all that" Emery. Good to see you back too buddy. I was wondering where you got off to. lol

Yeah, I was thinking the same on painting… good advice.

Oh, and where I’ve been…I’ve been completing the terrain tiles for my Vietnam War miniatures game I’ve been working on the past month. Since in here last, I completed tiles that have roads. I’m using 2-1/4” cardboard tiles, painting them with COPIC permanent ink dye, along with pen & ink.





…to get…



…those, along with ones completed before…



…make up 78 terrain tiles that I can make the battle maps to play the game, which I call, “The Legion: Rumble in the Jungle”; Green Berets who operated in teams of four, in behind the lines action against the Viet Cong. An example of the game looks like this…

[mustang1989]

Mar 3, 2023 18:47:30 GMT -5 Whiterook said:

Mar 3, 2023 18:30:04 GMT -5 mustang1989 said:

Yeesh. That's a tough decision to make. Myself, I'd probably install it later on putting it on so you've got adequate paint coverage in the nooks and crannies that would be there if it were installed first. Progress is definitely looking "all that" Emery. Good to see you back too buddy. I was wondering where you got off to. lol

Yeah, I was thinking the same on painting… good advice.

Oh, and where I’ve been…I’ve been completing the terrain tiles for my Vietnam War miniatures game I’ve been working on the past month. Since in here last, I completed tiles that have roads. I’m using 2-1/4” cardboard tiles, painting them with COPIC permanent ink dye, along with pen & ink.





…to get …those, along with ones completed before…



…make up 78 terrain tiles that I can make the battle maps to play the game, which I call, “The Legion: Rumble in the Jungle”; Green Berets who operated in teams of four, in behind the lines action against the Viet Cong. An example of the game looks like this…

Man that is some crazy details that you're throwing on those tiles Emery! That must take quite a while to get all of those done!!! Seventy eight tiles??? WOW!!! 

[buddho]

Those tiles are soooo coool!

[Steve Zuleski]

The P-51 is looking good, coming along nicely, keep er goin. Nice work on the tiles, btw.