Hasegawa P-51D 1/48 Couple Questions

[Rogi]

#1: are there two canopys? Because I only seem to have been provided with the one for the K version :S in the Hasegawa kit, which should be a P-51D kit I didn't notice till I looked at the scue before going to apply futur.

#2: Is there any huge diffrence between a D and K canopy on the P-51 that is noticable, I've read somewhere that there is no diffrence in the canopies(that the D and K have the same one)just that it mostly varied in where the aircraft was produced etc. so some diffrent shapes have originated for the P-51K versus a D.

#3: Would it be a grave injustice to make a D version with the "K" canopy Hasegawa provided, or should I just do a proper K version since Hasegawa provided the prop. for a D and a K. ?

#4: Are Hasegawa's decals top notch? Or will they disintegrate (ie should I invest in aftermarket decals for a better final product)

Thank you for the help,

Igor

[Wurger]

1. As memo serves there should be two slided conopies included. But it is possible Hasegawa might make savings.

2. The blown Dallas style conopy was very similar to the regular Inglewood one used mostly with D version. But it was a little bit "hump-backed" at the front and rear area.The canopy was installed on both the NA and some of the NT Mustangs. The Dallas canopy was just an unintended variation made by different batch runs of the canopies. However most people think that it was special for the P-51K. Check it Aircraft illustration




K variant


D variant








3. The P-51K was a P-51D with an Aeroproduts propellor that hindered performance in the early versions and slightly helped in the later versions due to the balance of the prop that was fixed over time. The P-51K-1NT was the equivalent of the P-51D-15NA, the P-51K-5NT of the P-51D-20NA, the P-51K-10NT of the P-51D-25NA, the P-51K-15NT of the P-51D-30NA. Below there is a pic of the K variant. The only visible difference from the D-model is the Aeroproducts prop with the blades narrowing towards the tips. So the cockpit conopy isn't the main difference between D and K version but the propeller. Whether you use the Dallas or the California canopies, it doesn't make any difference unless you want a particular Mustang ... Both canopies came from the same manufacturer and were interchanged in the field all the time.








4. Usually Hasegawa decals are of good quality. But if these are old ( I mean being storaged for a very long time ) there is always a possibility of getting disintegration when soaking in water.

[A4K]

Great info Wojtek!

And just to confirm what he said, the RNZAF briefly operated P-51D-25-NT Mustangs, which had Dallas canopies and uncuffed Aero Products props.

[Wurger]

Thank you Evan.

[Rogi]

Omg that is amazing, ty so much, now just to find a subject and decals for her, I have a two piece but I only have the Dallas hood (thats the K hood if i understood Wurger's instructions properly) The other hood isnt there, the front piece is there for the canopy, but the back part is the only issue, so I'll have to choose a P-51 with the Dallas hood to do as its theme.

[Wurger]

If I could suggest something... you can follow the Lt.Col. Jack J Oberhansley's P-51K 44-11661 QP-X "Iron Ass"





Decals... Warbird Decals 1/48 scale here...

kitsworld Model Decals & Photo Etch for the Modelling Enthusiast
Kitsworld | P-51 Mustang

P-51D Mustang Sweet Arlene, Jan, Iron Ass, My Achin Back

[Wurger]

or ( what should be closer to your idea ) go for the P-51D 44-73108 QP-O 'Red Dog XII' flown by Maj. Louis H "Red Dog' Norley of the 334th FS, 4th FG .




Full profile at Aircraft illustration ... image no.03




Maj. Louis H "Red Dog" Norley Jr., Conrad, MT. 334th Fighter Squadron, ex RCAF. P-51D 44-73108 QP-O "Red Dog XII".



Decals... Kitsworld | P-51 Mustang

[Rogi]

Awesome Wurger and ty, I'll have a look at my local hobby shop to see if they have anything in Aeromaster (since there cheap like 7 bucks to 10) with those profiles, if nothing pops up ill grab some decals from the company your suggesting

[A4K]

Great info again Wojtku!

[Rogi]

Got the decals on hold at my local hobby shop, found some for "Ole Goat" Thanks again Wurger for the help and info.

[Rogi]

So unfortunatley another question, instead of posting a new thread since this is related I'll post it here.
How do you guys get scratches off of the clear canopies? I went out got the decals and I snaged another P-51 Hasegawa whose canopy looked amazing, no scratches etc in the hobby shop lights, when I got home I noticed a pretty substantial scratch on the canopy glass. I've tried using scratch polish remover on some of my former canopys and they never worked, future works some of the time (it usually wipes out a small scratch and greatly diminishes a big scratch to a medium size) I cleaned the part in my usual mix of cleaning fluids and the scratch has gone down a bit, it isn't as pronounced, but now the utter dilema of do I future it and hope for the best.

Or is there some 100% method of doing this for dummies, and I need it to work since I don't have a extra canopy to spare :S nor does the hobby shop have any more extra Hasegawa P-51s or P-51 canopys

P.S. I've tried the sanding method with scratch remover and its never worked for me.

The only positive is I have a bunch of spare riped and scratched canopies to play with so if the method doesn't work I have at least a couple shots to get it right.


Help would be greatly apreciated.

Igor

[Airframes]

Depending on how bad, or deep the scratch is, it can be very lightly sanded, and then polished, or possibly just polished.
A 'mild' form of polish is toothpaste, which acts just like a polishing or grinding compound. However, used sparingly, metal polish, or 'T-Cut' (car body colour restorer), often works better on more pronounced scratches or ridges. This is then followed by polishing with a soft cloth.
The series of pics here are of the canopy of my 1/32nd scale Beaufighter, the first pic showing an un-wanted frame after removal with a scalpel blade and sanding.
The second pic shows the 'T-Cut' being applied, using a cotton bud (Q-tip).
Third picture is after polishing.

[Rogi]

That looks amazing, I'll post a pic of the scratch tomorrow when theres better light for my camera.(I have two possible canopies I could use) There both not the best looking things but the one I got today isnt that bad had it not been for the scratch :S

P.S. I searched online and the closest we have to T-cut in Canada is Novus car care items, is that any good?

Just to confirm what type of material are the canopies used in these finer scale models? (I'm assuming its a form of plastic but what type is it?)

[Wurger]

Usually it is the same polystyrene used for a model moulding. But without a colouring agent.

[Airframes]

Don't know if the Novus brand name is the same stuff, but if it's a thick liquid with an ammonia smell, and designed for restoring faded paint work and removing surface scratches, it'll be a similar product. Wojtek is right about the material, it's basically a clear styrene, but tends to be a little more brittle, compared to the 'solid' parts.