P-51 Mustang III - Vasilios Vassiliades - 'Vass' (1920-1945)

[zaxos345]

Good morning guys, after a short period of relaxing i continue this informal tribute to the Greek pilots that flew with foreign Airforces. This time is Vasilios Vassiliades - VASS.

You can read his story here Vassiliades Vassilios - Vass

For this project i am using the Tamiya's 1/48 P-51 Mustang III

Some of the aftermarket that are going to be used..

Being waiting for a Part's set for the aircraft i started from the rear wheel. Tamiya gives this one

I wanted to make something like this one

Finally this came up

Next i removed all the interior details from the fuselage and wings in order for the resign parts to take their place. A lot of dry fit is going to be needed!!!

This is the very good in detail resign wheel well that Vector provides.

After that having seen and compared those two photoes...

I realized that when the Malcon modification took part on the Mustangs a small fillet was added in the area where the canopy rolled in order to add the rails for it. So i added also, my intention is to also try to replicate this small rail, we will see...

Thats all for now, until the next update

All the best

John

 

[TimEwers]

Very cool but what kind of compressor is that under your desk I saw sil-air on it.

 

[zaxos345]

Thanks Tim, yes it is a Sil-Air 20D

John

 

[Wayne Little]

great start John!

 

[zaxos345]

Thanks, guys sorry for the changes at the photoes but the photobucket behaves strangely these days!!!

John

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking forward to this one.

 

[Wurger]

With all here.

 

[dirkpitt289]

I always look forward to seeing another Mustang built. I look forward to seeing the progress

 

[brucejscott]

That is some nice looking plastic. I shall watch your build with interest as I am thinking about picking up this very kit.

 

[Airframes]

Great start John, looking forward to seeing it progress.

 

[gbr-22]

I'll be watching with anticipation Giannis!!

 

[zaxos345]

Good morning guys, A bit more time for modelling so i am trying... Continuing my work next project was to replicate correctly the throttle quadrant, as Aires had the early one. So i modified the one Part gives (this one is also wrong i think) and finally i placed it to position.

Next it was stick time, i added some details and i also replicated the control locking mechanism.

Then a quick dry fit...

Afterwards i replicated the manual hydraulic pump, off she goes...

The position of the pump showed me that i had incorrectly opened the fuel gauges holes on the floor, so i closed the wrong ones and i opened new.

I was very happy with the progress until a question i made to Britmodeller changed some things...

''Only aircraft in the serial blocks FB350-399, HB900-961 and KH421-640 had the rear fuselage tank fitted, aircraft in the serial blocks FB100-124, FB125-349 and FX and FZ serialed aircraft did not have fuselage tanks and therefore no red filler cap.''

That means that the aircraft i am building had no fuselage tank installed, so i had to modify the Aires resin...

My effort will be to replicate this, but this will be done later...

It was time for the landing gear, the kit provides this

So i tried to make them a bit better...

I put the plumping for the brakes and i painted them with Alclad

Later on i placed the missing part of the plumping, which was some kind of plastic

Thats all for now gents, hope to be able to post progress soon, thanks for looking

John

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Excellent work my friend. One point on the landing gear - the legs were the silver colour, made from paint, aluminium powder and clear laquer, but the yoke from the leg to the wheel axle was a darker colour, being a cast piece, more of a metallic grey.

 

[zaxos345]

Thanks guys, Terry any photo? i just want to understand the part you are talking about.

John

 

[Airframes]

Leave it with me John, and I'll scan and post something later. The area I mean is the part held in your tweezers, which curves up into the main gear leg, where the oleo itself joins the axle stub and yoke to the main leg.

 

[Crimea_River]

Excellent work John!

 

[Airframes]

Here's some colour pics (from Roger Freeman's 'Mighty Eighth in Colour') showing the variations in tones, some no doubt due to dirt and possibly brake dust. The part in question is the joint at the base of the leg, leading down to the wheel axle, where the pilot's foot is on the wheel in the first pic.
The monochrome pics show the contrast and, finally, a pic showing the same parts on my 1/48th ICM kit.
Hope these help.

 

[zaxos345]

Good evening guys, after some time (it is hot here and most time is spent at see 8)8) ) a small update. After removing the tank from the resin i had to build the IFF receiver. Two unlucky attempts but finally i think i managed it.

Also i made the small part where is going to be placed. Here you can see it after a dry fit.

Now how am i going to manage and get it in there is another issue. Next i build the battery and you can see how it is going to be placed into the cockpit.

Rudder pedals....

...And finally the rails for the canopy. A big party here!!!! A 0.5Χ0.3mm strip with 28 small disks punched with a 0.5 mechanical pencil. Totally 56 for both rails, not to mention how many i lost during the process but i think that it deserves the time! Just to note down that the disks were glued in position with the clear fix from Humbrol.

Now some minor details have to be fixed and i hope to proceed with the painting procedure soon enough.
Thats all folks, hope you like it so far

John

 

[Wurger]

However pay your attantion to the way these rails were attached to the fuselage. It wasn't going a such way you showed in the pic above. Here and example....