Old Monogram 1/48 P-51D Revamp - Aircraft of World War II

Crimea_River · 03-31-2009, 12:04 AM

Hi all,

Thought I'd post this W.I.P. This is an old Monogram P-51D in 1/48 I bought on sale about 7 years ago that was sitting in my cupboard until about January this year. Although dimensionally accurate, this model had some issues - poor fit at wing roots, a lower removable, very thick engine cowl that covered a not very detailed engine and badly warped wings with very little dihedral. Lots of fixing to do! Plus, I decided on representing the earlier D model without the fin extension so some butchering was in order. So I figured, what the heck, let's butcher it all the way!

I decided to cut the flaps and lower them. This, along with a 3" finishing nail wedged up inside the wing halves,helped to remove the warp, although not completely:

I decided to practice some scratch building techniques on this guy so went wild on the wheel wells. I ground out the molded detail with my Dremel and replaced all the ribs with cut plastic card and added coolant and oil lines made of wire. Unfortunately, I ground out so much that the front edge of the port lower wing half disappered at the junction with the wheel well. Oops! It's replaced with plastic card and you can see it in the below photo:

The detail at the wing roots where the flaps meet it is pretty complicated. After research of many photos, I replicated this area with plastic card:

Here's the modified tail with the fin extension removed and the gaps filled. Rudder was also cut out and put into a turn position:

I didn't get progress photos of the cockpit but it's detailed using an Eduard coloured photetch set. Pictures later

Which brings us to the present. I've stopped detailing the wheel well for a bit and have started finish painting. I'll add all the hydraulics after the wheels are installed. Here's the paint scheme I'll be doing:

More to come as I make more progress.

109ROAMING · 03-31-2009, 12:37 AM

Sweet!

Looking good

Airframes · 03-31-2009, 01:23 AM

Nice work mate! Looks like your example is suffering from the age of the moulds, but you seem to be on top of it. Looking forward to the next installment.
BTW, I never did understand why Monogram provided a separate lower cowling, as all it shows is the supercharger intake trunking. Perhaps it was their way of trying to get the underside nose profile right - just a shame it needs filling around the gaps though!

Heinz · 03-31-2009, 01:39 AM

Looking great!

Lucky13 · 03-31-2009, 06:45 AM

Looking good mate!

Wayne Little · 03-31-2009, 07:32 AM

Crimea_River · 03-31-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airframes

Nice work mate! Looks like your example is suffering from the age of the moulds, but you seem to be on top of it. Looking forward to the next installment.
BTW, I never did understand why Monogram provided a separate lower cowling, as all it shows is the supercharger intake trunking. Perhaps it was their way of trying to get the underside nose profile right - just a shame it needs filling around the gaps though!

Thanks Airframe. Yes, I agree that the cowl is a pain. It wasn't so much the filling - it actually fit not to bad dimensionally - it was more the thickness. Lots of sanding to blend it in and so I lost a lot of the very nice raised details in this area.

Another thing that is a challenge, not yet overcome, is the blocked out carb air filter vent near the nose. Monogram took the easy route by molding in the cover plate typically used in the winter but I need to simulate the vent holes, this being a summer maching in Italy in 1944. I'll probably make my own decals as the holes are smaller than even my smallest drill and the Eduard PE set did not include this vent.

Airframes · 03-31-2009, 04:22 PM

Do you mean the breather vents, either side of the lower nose? These are the ones that are five or so rows of holes. If so, on mine, they were moulded-in, but not very well. I used a pin to create small 'dimples', and then, after painting, used a dark wash to fill the depressions. Looked passable in this scale.

Crimea_River · 03-31-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airframes

Do you mean the breather vents, either side of the lower nose? These are the ones that are five or so rows of holes. If so, on mine, they were moulded-in, but not very well. I used a pin to create small 'dimples', and then, after painting, used a dark wash to fill the depressions. Looked passable in this scale.

Yup. Those are the ones. Nothing is molded in on this kit except the panel that was used to cover these holes in the winter. So basically, I'm down to bare plastic and have to replicate the holes.

I've created the pattern on my computer and reduced it to the right scale. Next, I'm going to try to print it to decal paper and use that. Will let you know how it goes.

Wayne Little · 04-01-2009, 08:03 AM

That sounds simple enough...good luck with it!

Airframes · 04-01-2009, 12:32 PM

Yep, looking forward to the results. Ah, computers, they do have some uses....

Crimea_River · 04-02-2009, 12:31 AM

More progress pics. Painting has begun. Using Testors silver as the natural metal base.

Darker panel at the exhaust stacks:

Prop and nose now red, drop tanks painted although I'm not going to use these since evidence is against likelihood of these types of tanks being used by the 15th AF in Italy:

Wheels on and anti-glare paint on the nose done. Pressed some rivet holes in the top of the nose where all the detail was removed during sanding.

Wheels are Aires resin. Strut details are Eduard Photoetch:

Radiator louver open with actuators installed using sprue. Maybe a little thick.

Tail wheel broke off during handling so I reinforced it with a cut staple drilled into both pieces and superglued. Good opportunity to turn the wheel with the rudder.

Yet to do: decals, continue detailing the wheel wells area, weather, attach canopy and the little bits, detail machine gun bay. Lots more to come. Wheel wells at present before hydraulics to be added:

109ROAMING · 04-02-2009, 02:39 AM

Coming along well!

Wayne Little · 04-02-2009, 07:38 AM

yep....agree with Daniel !

Wurger · 04-02-2009, 08:53 AM

With all here.

03-31-2009, 12:04 AM	#1
Crimea_River Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Calgary Posts: 389	Old Monogram 1/48 P-51D Revamp Hi all, Thought I'd post this W.I.P. This is an old Monogram P-51D in 1/48 I bought on sale about 7 years ago that was sitting in my cupboard until about January this year. Although dimensionally accurate, this model had some issues - poor fit at wing roots, a lower removable, very thick engine cowl that covered a not very detailed engine and badly warped wings with very little dihedral. Lots of fixing to do! Plus, I decided on representing the earlier D model without the fin extension so some butchering was in order. So I figured, what the heck, let's butcher it all the way! I decided to cut the flaps and lower them. This, along with a 3" finishing nail wedged up inside the wing halves,helped to remove the warp, although not completely: I decided to practice some scratch building techniques on this guy so went wild on the wheel wells. I ground out the molded detail with my Dremel and replaced all the ribs with cut plastic card and added coolant and oil lines made of wire. Unfortunately, I ground out so much that the front edge of the port lower wing half disappered at the junction with the wheel well. Oops! It's replaced with plastic card and you can see it in the below photo: The detail at the wing roots where the flaps meet it is pretty complicated. After research of many photos, I replicated this area with plastic card: Here's the modified tail with the fin extension removed and the gaps filled. Rudder was also cut out and put into a turn position: I didn't get progress photos of the cockpit but it's detailed using an Eduard coloured photetch set. Pictures later Which brings us to the present. I've stopped detailing the wheel well for a bit and have started finish painting. I'll add all the hydraulics after the wheels are installed. Here's the paint scheme I'll be doing: More to come as I make more progress. Last edited by Crimea_River; 03-31-2009 at 12:08 AM.

03-31-2009, 12:37 AM	#2
109ROAMING Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,006	Sweet! Looking good __________________ "When all else fails read the manual"

03-31-2009, 01:23 AM	#3
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,068	Nice work mate! Looks like your example is suffering from the age of the moulds, but you seem to be on top of it. Looking forward to the next installment. BTW, I never did understand why Monogram provided a separate lower cowling, as all it shows is the supercharger intake trunking. Perhaps it was their way of trying to get the underside nose profile right - just a shame it needs filling around the gaps though! __________________

03-31-2009, 01:39 AM	#4
Heinz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 6,742	Looking great! __________________

03-31-2009, 06:45 AM	#5
Lucky13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A Swede living in Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 15,149	Looking good mate! __________________ JAN "Felicis Tredecim" "I´m going back to the front to relax" "THE BLACK CATS FLIES TONIGHT" "Find your enemy and shoot him down - everything else is unimportant!" "When you're out of F-8's... You're out of fighters!"

03-31-2009, 07:32 AM	#6
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,520	__________________

03-31-2009, 04:22 PM	#8
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,068	Do you mean the breather vents, either side of the lower nose? These are the ones that are five or so rows of holes. If so, on mine, they were moulded-in, but not very well. I used a pin to create small 'dimples', and then, after painting, used a dark wash to fill the depressions. Looked passable in this scale. __________________

04-01-2009, 08:03 AM	#10
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,520	That sounds simple enough...good luck with it! __________________

04-01-2009, 12:32 PM	#11
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,068	Yep, looking forward to the results. Ah, computers, they do have some uses.... __________________

04-02-2009, 12:31 AM	#12
Crimea_River Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Calgary Posts: 389	More progress pics. Painting has begun. Using Testors silver as the natural metal base. Darker panel at the exhaust stacks: Prop and nose now red, drop tanks painted although I'm not going to use these since evidence is against likelihood of these types of tanks being used by the 15th AF in Italy: Wheels on and anti-glare paint on the nose done. Pressed some rivet holes in the top of the nose where all the detail was removed during sanding. Wheels are Aires resin. Strut details are Eduard Photoetch: Radiator louver open with actuators installed using sprue. Maybe a little thick. Tail wheel broke off during handling so I reinforced it with a cut staple drilled into both pieces and superglued. Good opportunity to turn the wheel with the rudder. Yet to do: decals, continue detailing the wheel wells area, weather, attach canopy and the little bits, detail machine gun bay. Lots more to come. Wheel wells at present before hydraulics to be added:

04-02-2009, 02:39 AM	#13
109ROAMING Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,006	Coming along well! __________________ "When all else fails read the manual"

04-02-2009, 07:38 AM	#14
Wayne Little Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Adelaide Sth. Aust. Posts: 12,520	yep....agree with Daniel ! __________________

04-02-2009, 08:53 AM	#15
Wurger Siggy Master Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Poland Posts: 13,974	With all here. __________________

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