Proper P-51B question

[quickhorse]

I am totally new to this...so I hope I'm in the right spot and doing it correctly??? also this my first post.

I am building Tamiya's P-51B Shangri-La. In doing some basic searches on the internet most color pictures show the airplane paint with an obvios sheen. I see most people's completed builds done in a dead flat. What's the proper paint scheme? I have the model in the decaling mode now with a a coat of future. The future coat looks close to several of the color pictures available on the web. I am confused.

P.S. I know many people consider this model very easy to build, and I agree, however this is the most exasperating build I done since my 40 year break in scale modeling. I have had to repair and or touch up more stuff on the model than anything I have built since coming back to hobby two years ago. I guess that saga can be for another post. Right now I want finish this evil build and want to know what final finish to use.

[Chuck1945]

Welcome to ARC

The camouflaged P-51B aircraft left the factory with a matt finish. However cleaning and some polishing/waxing was often done by ground crew in the hopes of added a couple more knots to the airspeed. Avoid a glossy finish, but a satin (semi-gloss) would be ok.

[John Krukowski]

Welcome. I'd go with the wartime photographic evidence every time, as we modelers have a tendency to add more "realism" than the real ones ever had.

John

[rpeck]

I was building a P-51 a while ago and had some photo's of the one I was doing.

I was thinking that the plane had a gloss/waxed finish to it with the photo's to prove it.

Well I was looking at one of the photo's to make sure of something when I notice the ground was wet and thought that the resson it was glossy was because it was wet from rain or from a good washing to look nice for the photo's.

So check the ground if it shows in the photo to see it the plane's glossy finish is from being wet or being waxed.

Hope this makes sence.

Rick

[Jennings]

If the choice is between the way it looks in a photo of the real airplane or the way modelers have depicted it, I think I'd be inclined to go with the photo of the actual airplane. But that's just me

J

[quickhorse]

I was building a P-51 a while ago and had some photo's of the one I was doing.

I was thinking that the plane had a gloss/waxed finish to it with the photo's to prove it.

Well I was looking at one of the photo's to make sure of something when I notice the ground was wet and thought that the resson it was glossy was because it was wet from rain or from a good washing to look nice for the photo's.

So check the ground if it shows in the photo to see it the plane's glossy finish is from being wet or being waxed.

Hope this makes sence.

Rick

Thanks for all the help. I am very new to this. I'll try to attach a one of the pictures I have looked at. Also if you do a google search of Don Gentile one of the most famous and common color picture is Mr. Gentile sitting on wing near the the engine and that picture and it appears to a fairly glossy OD and a somewhat flat nuetrel grey. Scratch the "attach a picture." I'll have to study up on that....I thought I could just copy and paste.

So far I have heres a list of some of the calamities that have befallen me during this build:

1. Suck a finger in a decal while soft.

2. Wile touching up the paint underneath that I tore the roundel next that with masking tape. I even de-tacked the tape to be safe. Obviously not enough.

3. Oerlayed a roundel over that...that kills the great finish on model due to thickness.

4. Tried decal stripes on the flaps...big mistake. Strip flaps start over.

5. Layed the model aside while correcting the flaps and a errant piece of masking tape found it's way on the the wing roundel...tour that decal getting off.

6. Had to touch up some paint while repairing above boo-boo. lost my pre-shading.

7. Realized I used the wrong victory banner decal...fixed that you can see a slight shadow where the old was.

8. Got everything back on road some satisfactory...I butterfinger the model, it the hit the side of bench and knocked off the canopy and one rear window. Of coarse the canopy tore some paint coming off. Of course lost the aftermarket gun sight.

9. All repaired and I noticed a fuselage seam...must have been jarred in the tumble...not enough glue. everything is repaired up to this point. I can pick out all the flaws and thats somewhat disappointing. I'm reamaining positive and chalking it up as a learning exprience.

Thanks all for helping and happy Thanksgiving.

[greatgonzo]

I have ploughed through Shangri-La pictures and in my opinion they show flat finished camo. One or two make it possible to go on the shiny side but I would say it is just to much light there. I surely won't go for the 'polished plane' theory with this craft.

The red part - more likely (glossy -ish paint, not polishing ).

[quickhorse]

I have ploughed through Shangri-La pictures and in my opinion they show flat finished camo. One or two make it possible to go on the shiny side but I would say it is just to much light there. I surely won't go for the 'polished plane' theory with this craft.

The red part - more likely (glossy -ish paint, not polishing ).

Thank you. I just read my most recent reply. I'm embarrassed by the grammer and mispells. I will promise I will re-read everything before I hit send....I was trying to get my earlier post done while my wife was hurrrying me to get ready for Thanksgiving. However I hope everybody can see through that and make reasonable heads or tails out of it.

Anyway when you mean camo you mean solid OD on top and not a 3 camo scheme?

Thanks.

[B-17 guy]

I was trying to get my earlier post done while my wife was hurrrying me to get ready for Thanksgiving.

I know that feeling very well, you are not alone there.

Anyway when you mean camo you mean solid OD on top and not a 3 camo scheme?.

Yes, solid OD over neutral grey

Edited November 26, 2010 by B-17 guy

[rpeck]

So far I have heres a list of some of the calamities that have befallen me during this build:

1. Suck a finger in a decal while soft.

2. Wile touching up the paint underneath that I tore the roundel next that with masking tape. I even de-tacked the tape to be safe. Obviously not enough.

3. Oerlayed a roundel over that...that kills the great finish on model due to thickness.

4. Tried decal stripes on the flaps...big mistake. Strip flaps start over.

5. Layed the model aside while correcting the flaps and a errant piece of masking tape found it's way on the the wing roundel...tour that decal getting off.

6. Had to touch up some paint while repairing above boo-boo. lost my pre-shading.

7. Realized I used the wrong victory banner decal...fixed that you can see a slight shadow where the old was.

8. Got everything back on road some satisfactory...I butterfinger the model, it the hit the side of bench and knocked off the canopy and one rear window. Of coarse the canopy tore some paint coming off. Of course lost the aftermarket gun sight.

9. All repaired and I noticed a fuselage seam...must have been jarred in the tumble...not enough glue. everything is repaired up to this point. I can pick out all the flaws and thats somewhat disappointing. I'm reamaining positive and chalking it up as a learning exprience.

Your welcome.

I have done some of those also but remember your sentance "I'm reamaining positive and chalking it up as a learning exprience"

that is well said.

Rick

[quickhorse]

So far I have heres a list of some of the calamities that have befallen me during this build:

1. Suck a finger in a decal while soft.

2. Wile touching up the paint underneath that I tore the roundel next that with masking tape. I even de-tacked the tape to be safe. Obviously not enough.

3. Oerlayed a roundel over that...that kills the great finish on model due to thickness.

4. Tried decal stripes on the flaps...big mistake. Strip flaps start over.

5. Layed the model aside while correcting the flaps and a errant piece of masking tape found it's way on the the wing roundel...tour that decal getting off.

6. Had to touch up some paint while repairing above boo-boo. lost my pre-shading.

7. Realized I used the wrong victory banner decal...fixed that you can see a slight shadow where the old was.

8. Got everything back on road some satisfactory...I butterfinger the model, it the hit the side of bench and knocked off the canopy and one rear window. Of coarse the canopy tore some paint coming off. Of course lost the aftermarket gun sight.

9. All repaired and I noticed a fuselage seam...must have been jarred in the tumble...not enough glue. everything is repaired up to this point. I can pick out all the flaws and thats somewhat disappointing. I'm reamaining positive and chalking it up as a learning exprience.

Your welcome.

I have done some of those also but remember your sentance "I'm reamaining positive and chalking it up as a learning exprience"

that is well said.

Rick

Thanks Rick.

On a unrelated note. I'm trying to upload my picture for my profile and upload some pictures of my WIP on the P-51b. I get "see the system adminstrator message when I try to upload. I'm so new at this and any advice is welcome.

PS I am going with a "waxed flat" look for my P-51. Thanks all for the help.

[quickhorse]

Thanks Rick.

On a unrelated note. I'm trying to upload my picture for my profile and upload some pictures of my WIP on the P-51b. I get "see the system adminstrator message when I try to upload. I'm so new at this and any advice is welcome.

PS I am going with a "waxed flat" look for my P-51. Thanks all for the help.

First build test photo

[quickhorse]

First build test photo

another test...I'm like a kid with a new toy.