P-51D Mustang Recce-Capt.East - Aircraft of the Aces GB.

[javlin]

Username:Javlin
Firstname:Kevin
Category:Advance
Scale:1/48
Manufacture:Tamiya
ModelType:P-51D Recon
Aftermarket:4089 Complete Kit Aires
Decals:Aeromaster Southern Europe Mustangs Pt.III


__I have for eons wanted to use these collected pieces from over the years and now seems better than ever.I plan to build Capt.East's recce plane in the late stages of the war at 13 aerial kills the highest of any recce pilot in the ETO.The plane was named "Lil Margaret" after his his wife which as you will see was quite colorful with blue/white checkers nose/tail with a solid blue antenna/spinner.
__The AM kit is well made,delicate and of clean crisp mould lines produced by Aires some years ago but I am not sure if still available?I think though that I will only use one gun bay and save the other for the C version from Tamy.I intend to build up the area of the engine as one of the first parts of the build and see if lives up to my expectations before I do surgery to the nose of the model.The wheel wells and pit should be fairly straight forward.
__In closing I decided to go advance for I think my skills as well as others has progressed enough to say so.I hope I can finish in the alotted time for this will be my only entry.Cheers

All of the parts w/box art


Engine parts with cowl pieces




Wheel wells and gun bays


Copit


Decals


The Kit

[Airframes]

Nice colourful one there Kevin, and lots of resin bits I see !

[Coors9]

She's gonna be a beauty.

[javlin]

Nice colourful one there Kevin, and lots of resin bits I see !

Yep!lots of resin for sure already washed,dried and primered.Terry I was reading one book that two horizontal and one vertical camera.Now in the pic on the decal sheet we see one on the L/S of the plane.Yet in the book there was a pic of another further back in the fuse were the codes would be on one plane shown.Now I was thinking one on each side in the location shown would be more appropiate giving the pilot the option to take pics from either direction. I think the the camera I saw was just maybe an even higher resolution/magnifier type being tried.

She's gonna be a beauty.

I hope I can do it justice Coors checkers are going to be alittle tough up on that front engine/cowl area being it's all seperate pieces.

Cheers

[Crimea_River]

Well, that's a coincidence. I have the very same set of decals and have planned to do Lil Margaret on my next P-51D so looking forward to this. I used the QP-C "Julie" decals on an earlier build.

[Wurger]

A very good choice Kevin.

[tigerdriver]

Man thats a lot of resin !! Intersting choice though

[ozhawk40]

Should build up very well Kevin, I'll watch with interest.

Cheers

Peter

[Wayne Little]

Excellent, Kevin.....i got them decals somewhere too!

[javlin]

Thanks for the interest fellas Now I think I have found the answer to the question I leveled at Terry.The plane appears to still be flying today according to this...

Serial #: 44-84786
Construction #:
124-44642
Civil Registration:
N51BS
Model(s):
P-51D
F-6D
Name: Lil Margaret
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002
History:
Delivered to USAAF as 44-84786, 19??.
- Surplussed at McClellan AFB, CA, Nov. 25, 1949.
Failed export to Israel for IDFAF, 19??.
Michael E. Coutches, Hayward, CA, circa 1952-1961
- Stored.
Bill Myers, St. Louis, MO, 1961-1981.
- Stored.
Henry J. Schroeder, Danville, IL, Dec. 24, 1981.
Henry J. Schroeder/Midwest Aviation Museum, Danville, IL, Jan. 1983-2002.
- Registered as N51BS.
- Restored to airworthy as F-6D, Danville, IL, 1983-1993.
- First flight June 17, 1993.
- Flown as F-6D/484786/5M-K/Lil Margaret.
-- Adopted ID 44-73822/N5484V.

source:warbirdregistry.org - North American P-51 Mustang

A pic of the missing camera

courtesy of:Curtis Fowles
MustangsMustangs.com | P-51 Mustangs, Ford Mustangs: 2 classics, etched in history.

According to this site this was a faithful restoration
more pics:P-51 Mustang Survivors: " Lil' Margaret " , N51BS - serial #: 44-84786, 44-73822a Sights, Sounds, History.

[Airframes]

You got it Kevin ! That camera was mounted in the same location as the earlier, RAF, P51 B/C (Mustang III), of which there were only three. The housing made a 'bulge' just to the rear of the radiator exit duct, on the underside. Have a look at my P51 (RAF) in the 'D - Day' GB, to see how the housing looked underneath. If you're stuck, I can probably find the reference pics and drawings I used for that build.

[javlin]

Thanks Terry the buldge on the side of the fuse is pretty pronounce but should be easy to reproduce.I have seen some pics I think of the bottom camera do not recall where? of a buldge on the bottom almost like coming straight from the rad and a drop off in front of the rear wheel if that makes since?

I wanted to add I have painted yellow zinc in the wheel well,gun bays and the engine compartment.I then stared looking some more at the restored lil Margaret and the WW's are republic green w/green zinc chromate lines Alot of refernence and pics seem to show yellow chromate in those areas.Then I look at the nice polished surface and go I just can't buy that for wartime service you would guess the semi-flat AL?Alot of questions moreso than answers ATTM.Their is alot of detail painting I have to do alot esp the wheel wells and I like to do it once no "dig a ditch and fill it up" for me.

[Peebs]

Definately a nice looking plane!!

[Gerry]

Nice choice, Kevin. Good luck with the build.

[Vic Balshaw]

Wow Kevin nice one, can't pass up a Mustang but it looks like you've got your hands full with this one.