**** DONE: 1/48 P-51D "Wild Will" - Allied Manufactured Aircraft

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Thanks very much guys. I've just been dabbling a bit on this one as I had some other stuff going on this weekend. The windscreen is a challenge to get a proper fit and a smooth transition to the fuselage. I had the thing glued on with Testors Clear Parts cement which doesn't create the best bond, which can be a good thing. However, in this case, I was filing and sanding the clear part to blend it in and just as I was finishing the polishing stage, the windscreen popped off. So now it's been dipped in Future and is drying over night. I can't do any painting until the clear parts are on so I need to take it a step at a time. Below is the one pic I took at the start of the process. I'll take another when the windscreen is back on.



In between things, I also managed to get the landing gear assembled and painted. The towing eye was drilled out and brake lines were added. Otherwise, the parts are OOB. The struts are painted Alcad Dull Aluminum and the exposed oleos are dabbed with Testors Silver, which I find does an excellent job of simulating the polished steel surface.



Thanks for looking in once again.
 
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Very nicely done Andy. One of the painting specs I have for the P-51B to D shows that the towing eyes were painted gloss red, and I've seen evidence of this in some period colour pics if this helps.
 
Thanks guys.

Terry, I was thinking that but have seen some in aluminum colour as well but perhaps these had the paint worn off. I'll paint the red before I'm done.
 
Looking good Andy! I'm not that experienced with NM finishes either but I DO know that Alclad is very unforgiving of any surface imperfections. Make sure you give your NMF surfaces a thorough going over ending with some sort of polishing to remove scratches.
 
No problem Andy. Just been checking a couple more colour pics before I type something in error - the yoke below the oleo appears to be cast/forged steel, and shows as a metallic mid-gray colour, slightly darker than the main gear leg, which was 'Aluminum' coated, using clear laquer and ally powder, hence the 'silver' colour.
 
Cheers Terry.

John, my intent is to use Alclad and to pay plenty of attention to the surface finish. The main wing panels, which had been puttied, primed, and painted silver will receive a coat of Dull Aluminum over polished grey primer and the rest of the surfaces will see varying panels of Duralumin, Magnesium, and Aircraft Aluminum over decanted Gloss Black Krylon enamel. However, I'm having trouble restocking my Alclad supply the stores here have been out of stock for months.
 
Still no restock of Alclads so I did a little on the canopy brace. The kit supplied canopy stiffener had the lightening holes drill out and the frame was thinned by dragging it back and forth across a jeweler's file.

 
I rather enjoy the "unforeseen delays" that pop up with each build. Makes us slow down and spend more time on the little things like the canopy brace. Great work!

Andy... I would spray some test patterns of those Alclad shades that you are planning to use. They differ not only in shade/color but surface finish as well. Some of them are very smooth and glossy (Chrome, Aircraft Aluminum) while others are flat and slightly grainy (White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum, Steel).
 
Thanks guys.


Thanks for the tip. I have previously used and still have Steel, Duraluminum, Dull Aluminum. Dark Aluminum, and Aluminum and have some experience with the differences. I have Magnesium but have not used it yet. I'm wary of the Dull Aluminum as it does have a grainy look but will test it for possible use for the painted wing surfaces. I want to get some Aircraft Aluminum to try and that's what I'm waiting on.
 
Only one comment on the NMF of P-51's,(and if this has been brought to your attention before, my apologies) concerning the putty applied to the wing panels of the 51 for aerodynamics, and then the aluminum paint over that; very often you can discern a slight color variation along those panel lines. Whether this is an actual reaction of the putty to the paint, or just a trick of light, I cannot say. Just thought I would bring it up.
As always, I stand in awe of your modeling skills, you are doing this one justice!
 
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