Author Topic: DO NOT WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang  (Read 3338 times)

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
DO NOT WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« on: September 26, 2017, 11:51:27 AM »
Hi all,
For once, an Academy kit that isn't in abundance everywhere I look. Damn.

This is kit #12401 and I'd be grateful to hear from anyone with one going spare.

Never mind, see post #12  :-[ :-[
« Last Edit: September 28, 2017, 09:15:03 AM by KiwiZac »
Zac in NZ
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Offline kitnut617

  • Measures the actual aircraft before modelling it...we have the photographic evidence.
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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2017, 05:39:23 PM »
Saw your post on the What-If Forum, but got a question. What's wrong with the Italeri Mustang Mk.I kit ? They're quite nice to build, got a few in my stash

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2017, 03:51:34 AM »
It has a P-51D wing. The leading edge wing root is too big (also affecting wheel wells and doors) - same issue every kit apart from the Academy and maybe High Planes has. Otherwise for NZ$10 I'd jump at it!
Zac in NZ
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2017, 04:37:02 AM »
Fallback option could be the old Frog kit, which does have the proper leading edge wing root.  I saw several on eBay (checked the root on one showing the pieces to make certain my memory was correct).  There are very few razorback Mustang (either Allison- or Merlin-powered) kits out there with the correct wings.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2017, 04:38:43 AM »
Ah! right! I remember now from my Rolls Royce Mustang builds, which in the real world, were to be built from surplus Mustang Mk.I's. For that conversion it says use the Revell Mustang P-51B kit as a donor, problem was it has the wrong fuselage radiator duct (but has the correct wing though). The second build I used the Italeri Mustang Mk.I as a donor, because it has the right fuselage but then it has the wrong wing.

I would buy an Italeri Mk.1 and a Revell P-51B and kit bash them. Probably easier to find than the Academy kit   ;)

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2017, 05:33:18 AM »
Thanks guys. I think I've just found out the Academy has the perfect (or as close to as there is) fuselage , but possibly the same wing issue....argh! and is the most accurate all-round that's out there.

Evan - amazingly there are examples of the Frog I could get! TradeMe, NZ's version of eBay, has several for the same normal retail price of an Academy or Airfix kit. It's good to hear you say it looks good but the folk helping at Britmodeller (they really know their Allison Mustangs) point out the wing is also wrong. Check out the sprue shots here and here. Those fairings are D-sized, damn!
« Last Edit: September 27, 2017, 10:05:52 AM by KiwiZac »
Zac in NZ
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2017, 07:15:39 AM »
I stand corrected, yes it does have the "D" wing.  The Monogram kit may be old, but it still has a quite accurate wing.  FWIW, someone once produced an aftermarket corrected wing for Hasegawa's P-51B/C.  I think I have one in the remote Southern stash as well as the Gartex P-51A conversion of the Hasegawa kit.  Kitnut617's suggestion of the Italieri P-51A fuselage with the Monogram/Revell P-51B wing (assuming the more recent Revell kit shares the accuracy of the older Monogram kit - not a certainty by any means) sounds like the best approach.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2017, 08:48:28 AM »
Well here's a couple of top view pics of the RR Mustangs I built. The top pic was using the Revell P-51B kit as a donor. The bottom pic was using the Italeri Mustang Mk.I kit where I had to modified the leading edge of wing root extension

Offline elmayerle

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Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2017, 12:53:58 PM »
One other thought, what reviews do the various Eastern European boxings of the Allison-powered Mustang gather?  I know there are several different boxings out there, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they all use the same molds.

Too, there is one other alternative that, because of the parts breakdown, is a bit more trouble to work with.  The old Lindberg P-51B does have the correct wing planform in that area (just checked).  It also has raised panel lines which may be a problem, but it does have the right outlines.

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2017, 02:27:43 PM »
That’s helpful to know about the Lindberg kit! It turns out the Academy one has the right wing so it’s looking like that is THE kit to get. Now waiting to hear from a US shop as to if they still have one and, if so, how much postage is...

One other thought, what reviews do the various Eastern European boxings of the Allison-powered Mustang gather?  I know there are several different boxings out there, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they all use the same molds.
Unfortunately all have issues, every one of them has the D wing issue.
Zac in NZ
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Offline strobez

  • Hmmm... That looks easy enough...
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2017, 06:09:32 PM »
If you think shipping from Seoul would be cheaper, just let me know.  You can have it for what I paid for it... which I can almost guarantee is cheaper.

http://www.modelsale.com/modelsale/poprec/detail.php?no=ACF12401&idx1=1&idx2=4&idx3=6&idx4=4
Thanks!

Greg

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2017, 04:04:27 AM »
That's very kind Greg! Evan and I have come to an arrangement but, if the shop concerned is out, I'll be in touch  :smiley:
Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG"
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

Offline KiwiZac

  • The Modeller Formerly Known As K5054NZ
Re: WANT: Academy 1/72 P-51 Allison Mustang
« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2017, 07:34:04 AM »
And after all that.... Seems I may have misinterpreted/misremembered some details about my chosen subject. This from John Terrell, P-51 expert and walking encyclopaedia, on September 9:
"They've done a ton of work to make the aircraft resemble a P-51A, closer than what had been accomplished in its first restoration. Although the main fuselage and wings are still all from a P-51D, it now has an A-model type radiator scoop/doghouse section and a lot of detail work has been poured into the cockpit to present it as a stock A-model"
Photos from the restorers on Facebook:
The Wing 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
The Wing 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

So I guess I need a D wing after all!!!!!!!! Damn damn damn damn. At least the Italeri one is common and cheap.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2017, 09:08:48 AM by KiwiZac »
Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG"
https://linktr.ee/zacyates