**** DONE: 1/48 P-51H Mustang - Allied Manufactured Aircraft

[T Bolt]

User Name: T Bolt
Name: Glenn
Category: Advanced
Kit: HiPM P-51H Mustang
Scale: 1/48th
Accessories: None. Kit included PE parts


The P-51H, the last production model of the Mustang was essentially a completely new aircraft. Lighter in weight by 600 pounds The P-51H looked like a Mustang… sort of… but there was defiantly something odd about the look of it, and none of the parts from a P-51D were interchangeable with it. Only 555 were completed before production was stopped at the end of the war.

One source I've seen said that some units in the Pacific were equipped with the P-51H before VJ day but did not see combat. I have not been able to confirm this or the units involved anywhere else. What is certain is that quite a number of them were flying stateside before the war ended. I intend to depict one of these aircraft as it left the factory in bare aluminum finish, anti-glare and only national insignia and serial number.

 

[T Bolt]

The HiPM kit is limited run with quite a lot of flack on the smaller pieces. There is a spall PE fret with parts for the cockpit. I have read that there are quite a few fit problems with this kit so I will be starting out cleaning up all the parts and doing extensive test fitting.

 

[fubar57]

Nice Glenn. Even though there are some issues, they are buildable.

Geo

 

[Wayne Little]

Nice one Glenn.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Cool.

Jeff

 

[N4521U]

So in the photo, is that a D model in the background?

 

[T Bolt]

So in the photo, is that a D model in the background?

Yes bill that's a D in the background for comparison. That photo is actually post-was and if you look closely you can faintly see the red stripe in the bars of the national insignia making it post 1948. I posted that pic because it was close to the way I'll finish this model, minus the buzz number and of course the later version insignia. It's hard to find a decent photo of a wartime P-51H. Most of them seem to be of post war Air Guard birds, of the one that was tested at Wright Field. It first I was going to depict that one but it was one of the first production block with shorter tail fin. Here's some pics of that one which I intend to use as a guide when I do my painting.

 

[Wurger]

Nice shots Glenn.

 

[T Bolt]

I spent some time cleaning up some of the major parts and test fitting. Two problems stood out right away. First, the floor and upper rear cockpit deck are way too wide. I could force the fuselage halves together but then the fuselage was too wide to fit the wings. I filed quite a bit of material off them and the first picture is the test fit afterwards when everything looked pretty good. The second picture shows the next problem. The horizontal tail surfaces are swept back. The stubs molded on the fuselage are angled and it looks like if I file then parallel to the center line they should work out OK

 

[Crimea_River]

Good thing you're checking. Those stabs do look wrong.

 

[Wayne Little]

An interesting dilemma....

 

[Wurger]

Yep...

 

[destrozas]

as the plastic work I would have no problems in fight against everything which raises the kit and montaria this excellent aircraft that you have in hand.

 

[fubar57]

Hopefully you can make it work Glenn. The build I looked at had one mount shorter than the other. The guy made it work. Can't remember if it was in Modeling Madness, ARCAir, or Hyperscale.

Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

Discussed here: HiPM 1/48 P-51H Mustang by Scott Van Aken

Filing the wing roots on the fuselage to the right angle should work.

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks Andy.
It looks like he fixed the tail the same way I'm planning to. It also looks like he had the same problem with the interior parts being too wide but didn't file them down making the fuselage too wide and causing the problem with the wing fit that I saw when I test fitted. I hadn't thought about it also causing a problem with the canopy. Hopefully trimming the floor has also fixed that problem. I'll have to take the canopy out of it's bag and see before I put glue on anything.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Looks like a lot of test fitting a patience testing.

 

[T Bolt]

I really don't think it will be too bad. I just need to test fit a couple of steps in front of the glue to make sure every thing will work. After that Lindberg Goose I did a couple of builds ago it should be a breeze. I hope to start putting on some interior green this weekend as long as I get the P-40 finished up.

 

[Wayne Little]

Think you will sort it out quick smart Glenn....