dai phan

Greetings... This project is finished. As usual here are my takes... PROS: 1. The best P-51B in 1/48 scale. 2. Detailed cockpit and wheel bays. 3. Excellent fit and engineering. 4. Dropped flaps. 5. Optional open or closed canopy. CONS: 1. Propeller assembly is finickly to assemble. 2. Propeller shape is not accurate. 3. Flaps have identation that must be filled should they be placed in the down position. 4. Clear parts do not fit well. The worse is the leading edge light. 5. Oversized and thick decals.

The engine cover does not fit as the cross sectional area is too small for the Tamiya kit. It does not appear to be resin shrinkage at all. Either there is calculation error or it is intended for another kit (Monogram, Accurate Miniature) that are in 1/48 scale. The nose panel appears to be 1/57 scale. Dai

Hello all, I am completing the Tamiya 1/48 P-51B with the Aires engine set. While the end results look nice, comparing with the kit top fuselage panel indicates the engine is severely undersized. I wondered why the model looks a bit short. Kit's part is on the left. Any comments? Dai

More on the tail serial numbers (slightly out of register) and the problem with the severely undersized Aires engine... Dai PS: Does Aires have the kit to check out the dimensions I wonder ???

Greetings everyone... Just tack fit everything together for some photographs before the final assembly. Tamiya's fit is so good that things can be held togther without glue. I had to order a replacement Life Like decals as the Solvaset solution has distorted the white band. Be careful as the decals are thin and prone to distortion from Solvaset. I use the yellow serial numbers from the Foxbot stencil sheet as the Life Like is wrong in color (lime yellow). Tamiya got the color right but wrong in the spacing (too close together). It is challenging to line up all 5 numbers but the res

Must be because they are very thick, low resolution, poor color and un-usable. Dai

Hi all, I have a few Kits World decals and the quality is so poor that they could not be used. The colors are wrong with very poor resolution. They look like decals in the 60's. I wonder if my samples are isolated or this is they way they are. Hard to imagine such quality with today's expectations. Dai

Hello everyone... The P-51 stencil set has arrived. However all for the D version so I have to use what I can. There is one P-51C stencil on the left side of the aircraft but not the same as on the photo so it is of no use. The real thing has fewer text lines than the decal offer. There is no yellow stencils that I was hoping to use as on the actual photo of the B, there are some on the fuselage. Dai

Hi all, Fine tunning the engine assembly and waiting for the stencil sheet. Dai

Okay here is an interesting discovery. The Aires engine assembly to way undersized when compared to the kit's outline . You can see how short the Aires offering is. Either Tamiya is way oversized or the Aires is way undersized. Quite a huge difference ! Kit's is on the left. Now I know why the plane looks to be very short nosed. Dai

Howdy all, Finish decaling the main part. Life Like provided the stencils for the D version rather than B so I had to order an after market. Dai

Greetings, Start to decal the model today. I use the Life Like decals as the kit's offer is way too thick. The VF-T on the kit's offer is way oversized and the Life Like is undersized. The Kits World's offer is correct but such poor quality that cannot be used (you can see the dots). KW’s decals are subpar with colors being off and poor resolution. I am shocked they are even on the market. For the Life Like, strangely the fighting cock emblem has the correct yellow while the serial numbers on the tail takes on a lime yellow zinc chromate in color. Quite odd. Correct may be? Dai

Howdy all, Disaster for tonight's session. I started to decal the propeller and I mistook the decal liquid film as Microset and applied onto the model !!! The damn thing looks so much like the Microset bottle and I wondered why it is so thick ! By the time I found out the decal and paint job on the propeller is ruined. Sand, repaint, regloss and re-applied the decals. I used the Tamiya's decal as I ruined the Lifelife decal. Thank the Lord I did not do this mistake on the main airframe !!! Dai PS: I have the Ultracast correction propeller and a spare set of Lifelike de

Greg, I find it very odd they STILL have these sub-standard decals in the offerings. Reminded me of the old Monograms kits. I used the kit's decals in my last Tamiya Spitfire build. I wished I have not as they look really bad on the model. Dai

Hello all, The Tamiya's decal sheet is way too thick so I got the Lifelike decal replacement. I am very surprised with Tamiya' high quality standard, they still stick with low quality decals. I also got an underwing stores from Verlinden to see if there is anything I can use. Dai