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Revell 1/32 P-51B Mustang for my Dad
- Thread starter Rhino
- Start date
Thanks you other Men for your kindnesses. 
Rhino
Super Moderator
Since my Dad died, I had kind of a block about his Mustang. Playing with the Mustang reminded me of SOO many things, happy and sad. That, and I didn't have to hurry anymore, right?! (Warning! another lengthy story is on the way!)
I did an irrigation job in a new home for a guy named Rabindrah. He moved here from Nepal. We swapped stories about Sherpas, Mountains, Gurkhas, local people and how beautiful and tidy his homeland is. I asked him about Shangri-La. He smiled and asked me if I knew where Shangri-La really is. I told him I hadn't seen it during my visit. He smiled again and gestured to my chest. Rabin said "Shangri-La is right here. Everyday, inside your heart. Look no further, Crees."
Rabindrah inspired me. He's a little guy with peaceful wisdom (No, he doesn't look like Yoda.) I have come to realized how sweet and lovely my life truly is. I still miss my ornery, bow-legged, silver-headed Dad, but you shouldn't live your Life torn in two. So many things to be grateful for.
Now, about the model. The hold up was the canopy. This classic Revell kit is notorious for the lousy fit of the 6-part canopy.
1. Kiss my wonderful Sweetie.
2. Turn on the good music.
3. Fix a drinkie.
4. Engage the Gears of Creativity.
5. Get off my ass and figure out the fiddley canopy!
Here's what happened!
The starboard canopy winder is fixed. It doesn't hinge, so glue that part on.
Test fit the windscreen to see how big the gap at the bottom corners are and add bits of plastic strip until it makes proper contact on BOTH sides of the cockpit. Trim/sand to fit!
Tamiya tape to hold the hinged panels in place for proper (?!?) alignment. Since these 2 panels will be displayed open, a perfect fit is NOT necessary.
Kenny's Gator Glue and a damp cotton bud to smooth the acrylic glue into the huge gap after it set up a little bit.
Since we're trying new techniques today, I used MiG acrylic putty for the first time. Tape off the joint, smooth on the new putty, and go over it with a cotton bud dampened with Windex to remove any excess. Remove the tape and clean up the putty with another cotton bud and Windex. (TIP! A little MiG acrylic putty goes a LONG way! Thankfully clean-up is a breeze!)
MiG acrylic putty is easy to apply, tools very nicely and cleans up nicely. I wonder about how it will adhere. "You can't rush the chemicals!" I know. I left it alone to cure. I will probably spray a coat of Future over it just to be sure.
Now that the major model obstacle is overcome, I expect my Dad's Mustang to proceed at a more regular, glacial pace, just like all my other builds do. The subject is Don Gentile's 4th Fighter Group P-51B, named "Shangri La". Ironic, that.
Thanks for looking in!
I did an irrigation job in a new home for a guy named Rabindrah. He moved here from Nepal. We swapped stories about Sherpas, Mountains, Gurkhas, local people and how beautiful and tidy his homeland is. I asked him about Shangri-La. He smiled and asked me if I knew where Shangri-La really is. I told him I hadn't seen it during my visit. He smiled again and gestured to my chest. Rabin said "Shangri-La is right here. Everyday, inside your heart. Look no further, Crees."
Rabindrah inspired me. He's a little guy with peaceful wisdom (No, he doesn't look like Yoda.) I have come to realized how sweet and lovely my life truly is. I still miss my ornery, bow-legged, silver-headed Dad, but you shouldn't live your Life torn in two. So many things to be grateful for.
Now, about the model. The hold up was the canopy. This classic Revell kit is notorious for the lousy fit of the 6-part canopy.
1. Kiss my wonderful Sweetie.
2. Turn on the good music.
3. Fix a drinkie.
4. Engage the Gears of Creativity.
5. Get off my ass and figure out the fiddley canopy!
Here's what happened!
The starboard canopy winder is fixed. It doesn't hinge, so glue that part on.
Test fit the windscreen to see how big the gap at the bottom corners are and add bits of plastic strip until it makes proper contact on BOTH sides of the cockpit. Trim/sand to fit!
Tamiya tape to hold the hinged panels in place for proper (?!?) alignment. Since these 2 panels will be displayed open, a perfect fit is NOT necessary.
Kenny's Gator Glue and a damp cotton bud to smooth the acrylic glue into the huge gap after it set up a little bit.
Since we're trying new techniques today, I used MiG acrylic putty for the first time. Tape off the joint, smooth on the new putty, and go over it with a cotton bud dampened with Windex to remove any excess. Remove the tape and clean up the putty with another cotton bud and Windex. (TIP! A little MiG acrylic putty goes a LONG way! Thankfully clean-up is a breeze!)
MiG acrylic putty is easy to apply, tools very nicely and cleans up nicely. I wonder about how it will adhere. "You can't rush the chemicals!" I know. I left it alone to cure. I will probably spray a coat of Future over it just to be sure.
Now that the major model obstacle is overcome, I expect my Dad's Mustang to proceed at a more regular, glacial pace, just like all my other builds do. The subject is Don Gentile's 4th Fighter Group P-51B, named "Shangri La". Ironic, that.
Thanks for looking in!
helios
Well-known member
Things come back around full circle. I love this.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Looking good Chris! Excellent words and way to look at life.
Rhino
Super Moderator
I am unaccustomed to painting anything this big. Shot the OD green (I'm sure it's the appropriate Green!) and waited to paint the neutral gray undersurfaces. I free handed the gray to OD line on the belly and I am happy with it. The canopy still needs a little more gap filling and then a bit of touch up. The MiG acrylic putty should do the job!
Note: The MiG putty sands really easily too!
I mark my paint jars. Customarily I don't spray enough paint to ever run out, but enamel paint most often goes stale before I use it up. Keeping the bottle & cap threads clean also helps extend useful life of my favorite model paints.
The date is when I opened it the first time. The "H" means it was paint Harlan Feintich gave Greg, who in turn gave it to me when he moved to Florida. The 2017 Model Master colors mixed up and sprayed just dandy!
Shangri La is starting to come to Life!
Thanks for looking in!
Lookin' swell!
helios
Well-known member
Nice. I don't typically have that kind of luck w/ mixed enamels. I seem to get a couple months out of mixes at best.
That is one nice thing about the Tamiya paints...they don't seem to mind being mixed. Though the drawback to them is they don't do paints in FS/RLM numbers, so a bit of artistic license is required. I do still have a decent stock of MM paints, but they are slowly dropping away...had to pitch one this weekend that gone off. The paint is probably over 10 years old, so I've been expecting to start running into that now.
That is one nice thing about the Tamiya paints...they don't seem to mind being mixed. Though the drawback to them is they don't do paints in FS/RLM numbers, so a bit of artistic license is required. I do still have a decent stock of MM paints, but they are slowly dropping away...had to pitch one this weekend that gone off. The paint is probably over 10 years old, so I've been expecting to start running into that now.
Brokeneagle
Master at Arms
lookin' good!
Rhino
Super Moderator
Another interesting quality of MiG acrylic putty is that if you put a glob in a bottle cap and put a drop of Windex on it, It behaves a lot like an acrylic Mr. Surfacer might. It can be brushed into teeny crevices or applied 1 drop at a time on dinky gaps.
I had a divot in the hull of my 1/700 DKM E-Boat master to fill. Took care of it right riki-tik!
Thanks for looking in!
Who wouda thunk? Nice tip Chris.
Rhino
Super Moderator
So, from June of 2022, progress is again being attempted.
While blabbing with my Buddy Carl on the phone, I remembered why it was this model fell into mothballs.
2 hours and one yummy meatloaf later, I'm still mucking about with the canopy. The front windscreen is the cause of most of the trouble.
My Dad's Mustang is the next of the "Finish it!" projects that are left-overs from the Panic-demic. The beautiful Cherry base Mike made me awaits mounting of this finished airplane model.
Stay tuned as this inexorable story returns to the forefront of model madness here on the frosty prairie!
While blabbing with my Buddy Carl on the phone, I remembered why it was this model fell into mothballs.
2 hours and one yummy meatloaf later, I'm still mucking about with the canopy. The front windscreen is the cause of most of the trouble.
My Dad's Mustang is the next of the "Finish it!" projects that are left-overs from the Panic-demic. The beautiful Cherry base Mike made me awaits mounting of this finished airplane model.
Stay tuned as this inexorable story returns to the forefront of model madness here on the frosty prairie!
Rhino
Super Moderator
I ordered drop tanks and racks from Model Monkey. Will the Ol' Man's P-51B be returning from a bomber escort mission, or ready to leave on the next one?
The "thumbprint" texture on the front curve of the tanks caused some concern, but what looked like a flaw, sanded right out.
I GOT IT! The gaps in the front of the windscreen are finally smoothed out!
Another light coat of Model Master Olive drab and a sit overnight will prepare her for clearcoat! I cain't hardly wait to decal this airplane model!
I love to decal! The prop got it's brass shaft tonight too.
I make no predictions about what the canopy will look like after the flat coat. Tamiya tape never let me down before. Time will tell!
Thanks again for looking in!
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Looking forward to seeing her at the finish line Chris!