1/72 NA-73X

[jfgesquire]

So, in 1/72, I have the Special Hobby Mustang Mk I, the Academy P-51 and the Italeri hodge-podge with an Allison fuselage.

The Special Hobby kit actually gives you two complete fuselages and wings - so I'm not going to let them go to waste! One set will be built as the boxed Mk I (which still requires alot of work, like the wide carb intake needs to be sanded thinner).

The other set will be built as the one A-36 sent to the RAF for testing. There is a great picture of it carrying some bombs with the brakes opened up. Does anyone make 1/72 PE dive flaps? I would like to build this on a stick (seeing as I only have one set of landing gear anyway, though I could probably scratch them pretty quickly.)

The Academy kit is almost perfect out of the box and builds a nice P-51 - although I want to do all these Allisons as British, so technically it will be a Mk IA

So the Italeri thing was left - do I try to make a Mustang II/P-51A out of it, or do I make the prototype?

Well, actually, even though the prototype was allegedly never fitted with guns, here is a clear picture of it on its back with the gun ports in the wing!

The Italeri kit actually has the these inserts in the kit!

So, my choice was made! But what about the "D" wing? Oh my, oh no, I have to sand and fill and rescribe??? Oh the horror!

Actually, after about 10 minutes with a file, I realized that I had made the right choice.

So I've cut the flaps and filled them, sanded off the wing/aileron fairings, smoothed out the spinner and pretty much have the game plan set.

1. reprofile the carb intake

2. rescribe panel line in front of cockpit to be vertical instead of slanted

3. scribe fillet panel around wing

4. heat smash a new windscreen (I looked at the Falcon NA-73X windscreen in 1/48 and it looks wrong as it extends too far down on the sides, the NA-73X screen was very small)

5. find substitute exhaust

6. something something with the radiator intake

Some questions that seem rather illusive:

1. picture of wing center section and radiator intake in closed position - it almost look as if it is COMPLETELY closed when closed, but the profile pic isn't conclusive. Does the wing become concave in front of the scoop on NA-73X???

2. color of the cockpit - natural metal, aluminum lacquer or some early cockpit green?

3. wings DO NOT appear to have been puttied and painted but instead are natural metal. IF so, then - - - - A-HA! All Mustangs did not come with puttied and painted wings!!!!

Which leaves me to find a Mk II - I think the only dedicated Mk II kits in 1/72 are the old Frog kit and the High Planes Models "kit". I already know what I get with the Special Hobby P-51's so I'll pass on their P-51A kit.

So - I need encouragement to finish this rather ambitious project of building the NA-73X, Mk I, Mk IA, A-36 and MK II in 1/72 - Help!?!?!

Edited September 28, 2010 by jfgesquire

[jfgesquire]

progress pics:

[jfgesquire]

No, I'm not fixing the wheel wells!

Edited September 28, 2010 by jfgesquire

[HOLMES]

Very Nice work so far.

I look forward to this BEAUTY being built by you Sir.

Looks like a neat COOL project

..keep US updated ..

HOLMES