|
Tamiya 1/72 P-51D Mustang
- Indonesian Air Force Markings
This is one of Tamiya’s 1/72
Warbirds series, released in 2000. I built it almost OOB, the only alteration
being the markings, which are mostly airbrushed or handpainted.
Assembly
Looking at the detailing will make you drool. However,
contrary to the usual excellent fit which has become the trademark of Tamiya,
this kit (or at least my sample) did not live up to that standard.
The fuselage halves fit well, but
that’s the only parts that have excellent fit. The port wing-to-fuselage joint
need filler. I used stretched sprue to fill the gap. The main wheel struts did
not align and the wheel covers had a “strange” angle. I ended up cutting
about 1.5 milimetres of each wheel cover actuators.
The worst parts are the spinner,
which needs quite some filing and sanding before the propelers can be installed,
and the windshield which is VERY difficult to install (it keeps on popping out).
It finally rested in place after the fourth try. Overall, not an enjoyable kit
to build, especially since this is a Tamiya kit !
Painting
& Decals.
I used Tamiya’s spray can Bare
Metal Silver for the overall painting, and airbrushed Aluminum for the moving
surfaces. Almost all the markings are either airbrushed or handpainted. The
sharkmouth is handpainted, with a combination of Citadel and Humbrol paints. For
weathering, I used acrylics for the panel lines (which are a bit oversize, I
think).
The only kit decals used are the
seatbelt and the fueling tank stensils on top of the wings, while the numbers
are from Aeromaster.
Iwan
|
