Dazzled 1/48 NA-91 / P-51A? kit (2 Viewers)

[Wurger]

That's not a colorized photo. I scanned it from a 1955 encyclopedia. There is a legitimate question of what film was used and whether the color was accurately reproduced in publishing. Since it was an experiment, an unusual color might have been used.

A 1955 encyclopedia ... that doesn't mean the image was the colour shot in orginal. In 50' and 60' it was quite popular to colourise pics for printing making the publications more "attractive" to customers. All copies of the full image I have seen ( including these with the number ) are B&W pictures. So why not the colour copies if there are known many other images on the AGFA colour film taken and available then.
What is more the source image seems to be of the poor quality. I can see shifting matrices for colour printing. Or the scannning process wasn't correct. But IMHO the first point happened. All that makes me skeptical if we talk about the early colour pictures. All the doubts let me consider the shot as the titbit rather then the source for making the camo rendition.

 

[N4521U]

Lots of conjecture here on this one.......
we'll get it sorted.
Been at it with all this cold wet weather.
This is how I usually get the base for artwork,
a scan at 100% then into Corel.

Been at the innerds, will have a pilot!

Pit walls actually has some detail.

Wings had cannons!

So I am fabbing the biggass covers from styrene

First stuck the round in my Dremel,
file and sand the taper and drill hole for barrel.
This is the kit barrel location.

I used a large round file to indent the wing
locations prior to drilling, one is higher than
the other. Hmmmm. I hope this is correct!!

 

[Crimea_River]

Jumping in feet first. Good stuff Bill.

 

[N4521U]

thanks Andy. Got two cannon in. Now to the other wing. It's as close as I can get. Cannon are recoiless, a spring!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

You may well have jumped in feet first but by golly I can see you swim well.

 

[N4521U]

You may well have jumped in feet first but by golly I can see you swim well.

And two of my grandsons, water polo, high school, both!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Mustangtmg]

And another Mustang grabbed me by the throat.
So I now have an ICM 1/48th P-51A'
Cockpit? I dunno, may just go for the Dazzle!
View attachment 783061View attachment 783062
There is the kit, above. Next to it my Corel art starting.
Under the Orange is a decal sheet artwork, a bit off the mark.
The photo above is of a plane. I am correcting some of the dazzle.
It just looks a bit bulky or lacking or inaccurate in places.
I will do the same for the sides, from what pictures I can find.
I will be masking and spraying the black of the dazzle pattern.
No 50 bucks for decals this time.

Yes I know, I have a few in S2F but a couple are nearing their end!

The aircraft in the "dazzle" livery is not a P-51A, but a P-51 - an NA-91 - in fact, the very first NA-91, USAAF SN 41-37320.

I am not a modeler, but if you have a whole kit to build, as you know, there are a number of physical differences on the aircraft (besides the monster 20mm cannons) between the P-51A and the first 3 models of Mustang, The 4th model (NA-97, the A-36A Mustang) was the first Mustang without the variable intake "alligator mouth" on the doghouse, and the 5th model of Mustang, the P-51A (I'm talking only production Allison Mustangs in this discussion, was basically an A-36A with a few obvious differences. You'll have to scratch-build (I guess...once again...I'm NOT a modeler) the 20 mm cannon setup and modify the underside of the wings, etc, etc.

I'm rather "anal" about such things ... some folks call alllll production P-51 Allison Mustangs flown by the USAAF "P-51A" to differentiate them from the Merlin models.

In a similar situation, too many people who KNOW better (I'm including curators of historical aviation museums that I have emailed back and forth with) call the A-36A the "Apache" because, as I've been told by curators, etc, - I'm paraphrasing, of course) - "OK...you've proven beyond the shadow of doubt that the A-36A was never officially named ANYTHING but 'Mustang,' but people are used to seeing it called 'Apache' so we stick with that." In the case of the NASM - yes I've corresponded with them - I was told by the curator that there are museums "all over" that use the NASM "naming conventions" on aircraft, and as a result, THEY would have to change THEIR signage, websites, etc.). As a result, companies that make plastic scale-model kits, use the "A-word" on their boxes, etc, etc.

I know it's not a "life-and-death" situation, but still, in a forum where people, upon seeing a completed model online, will argue - ARGUE - about the shade of blue being "a little too dark" or "...too light" in a completed model (not the "fault" of the model company, of course).

OK, rant over!

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Bill!

 

[N4521U]

The aircraft in the "dazzle" livery is not a P-51A, but a P-51 - an NA-91 - in fact, the very first NA-91, USAAF SN 41-37320.


OK, rant over!

Whatever the bloody thing is called on the box. By the Scan of kit parts in one of my posts, is this Actually an NA-91??????
No cannon in the kit, but the NA-91 cockpit accessories behind the seat. No scoop under the prop spinner.
I will remove the panel lines for the Alligator mouth!

 

[SaparotRob]

Whatever the bloody thing is called on the box. By the Scan of kit parts in one of my posts, is this Actually an NA-91??????
No cannon in the kit, but the NA-91 cockpit accessories behind the seat. No scoop under the prop spinner.
I will remove the panel lines for the Alligator mouth!

I'm getting the popcorn!

 

[ColFord]

Aircraft in the dazzle scheme is a NA-91 P-51 (no suffix) Mustang, Mustang IA in RAF service. It is two versions of the Allison engined Mustang before the NA-99 P-51A Mustang, Mustang II in RAF service. In between was the NA-97 A-36A Mustang.

The ICM P-51A kit is a 'hodge-podge' of copied bits from the various Accurate Miniatures Allison engine Mustang releases, including some bits intended for the P-51/Mustang IA, some copied off the AM A-36A kit, some copied off the AM P-51A kit, plus a few they threw in off the AM P-51B/C kits. Into that mix they added wing mouldings with the separate flaps that were perfectly interchangeable with those off the Tamiya P-51B/C kits. The wings being copied off the P-51B/C kit has the small 'fillets' ahead of the hinge points of the ailerons which was a Merlin Mustang thing not an Allion Mustang thing. Then they missed a couple of parts in their copying, usually most notably the inner main undercarriage doors. I can't get at my limited stash of ICM of 1/48th Mustang kits - because I have them buried deep as a source of spares or 'extras' for my stash of AM 1/48th Mustang kits - but from memory the P-51A kit the nose and main fuselage were largely copied off the AM P-51/Mustang IA kit, so it had the narrow carburettor air intake above the nose more representative of the Mustang I and IA, not the broader type seen on the A-36 and P-51A. The wings were largely P-51B/C standard, not P-51A. And from reviews at the time, the quality of the transparencies was best described as 'opaque' or of varying thicknesses. The underslung radiator intake was not typical of one or the other, similar to how AM also missed the proper shape of the intake on their kits as well, but made softer and less realistic by ICM when they copied it.

Realistically, the best starting point would have been the AM P-51 Mustang or Mustang IA kit, but they still have their shortcomings. Of if you are not in a hurry to finish the project, bide your time and something better and more accurate might come along in the next year or so..................

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I'm getting the popcorn!

Aren't you glad you got your popcorn!

 

[N4521U]

Aren't you glad you got your popcorn!

Me too. I,'m getting a headace from reading. I need a stiff drink. I may not post on this one ever again.

Is ANY kit That accurate?!
I will now consider this build done.

 

[SaparotRob]

 

[Crimea_River]

Well I for one would love to see you proceed. I don't care what it's called but the dazzle camo would be a cool thing to see captured by your talented hands.

 

[fubar57]

Agreed

 

[Wurger]

With Andy and Geo. Bill, keep working on.

BTW.... I have found the info on the FB site ... the info was posted with the pic showing the Mustang in the hangar. However I found that the 41-37320 is also presented in the other images as well.

From Robert Bourlier ... P-51-2-NA 41-37320. Modified with cameras by Wright Materiel Command, this airplane was the prototype for an additional 45 airplanes so modified at the Minneapolis Modification Center (Mid-Continent Airlines). P-51-1-NA 41-37327 was similarly modified by NAA and is most likely the prototype for the Tac-R modified P-51A's at the Evansville Modification Center. Of the 58 Mustang Mk.IA/P-51s withheld from the British order, one went to the Navy while 57 were retained by the USAAF, two of which were turned over to NAA for the Packard built Merlin engine conversion. Of the remaining 55 airplanes retained by the USAAF only 48 were camera modified with 35 being sent to North Africa. According to official documents, the camera modified airplanes were to be designated as F-6A's. This designation was cancelled in October 1942 and the official designation became: 41-37327 = P-51-1-NA and 46 airplanes P-51-2-NA. The 8-non-modified airplanes were designated P-51.

So .... according to ColFord and Falkeeins ( some info with the link below ) to keep the correct shape of the model the RAF Mustang Mk.Ia should be the base.

the source: P-51 Mustang part 3 | World War Photos

ICM P-51A Mustang

 

[Airframes]

Keep at it Bill.

 

[Wurger]

And a couple of shots for the top and undersides of the wing with the cannons installed ...

the source: the net.