oortiz10 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 (edited) Greetings everyone! This is the second Tamiya Mustang of the series and my third overall, but I didn’t go OOB with this one. (Click here for Part 1) This time I used Ultracast’s sweet fillet-less tail conversion. I got it on the cheap at a swap meet and figured this would be a good build to use it on. It’s pretty much idiot proof. (That’s a given since I was able to use it rather successfully.) Just make one cut along an existing panel line, glue it on, and viola! The only other aftermarket parts I used were a True Details seat and Aeromaster decals. I also scratched some piping for the tanks, and a piece of packaging plastic replaced the gunsight’s reflecting glass. Speaking of the decals, their instructions call for a straight line on the anti-glare panel, but these pics (Pic 1 and Pic 2 show that HJGB’s panel was painted with a wavy line. A detail I had to go back and fix.) Also, Pic 2 shows what look like Invasion Stripes on the underside of the wing although the decal instructions don’t mention them. To that end, I painted my build with under-wing and half-fuselage stripes. One of the main criticisms of my last build was that it was too clean. Specifically, that the Mustang needed some exhaust staining. Although the pix I found of “Jumpin’ Jacques†didn’t show a lot of staining. Taking a look at the pix above, and this pic, you can see that “…Go Buggy†didn’t have much (if any) staining either. I did take the suggestion of adding a more obvious wash to the tire treads, but it’s not very visible in the pix. The painting was done with Alclad’s Duraluminum as a base coat. Panels were picked out with different shades and mixes of Alclad colors. MM emamels were used for the rest of the painting. Weathering was done with Flory’s washes, pastels, Pigma Micron pens, and the salt water technique. There isn’t much more to say that hasn’t been said, so let’s get on to the pix… Con't... Edited March 25, 2013 by oortiz10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oortiz10 Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 Part 2... Please feel free to share your comments or criticisms. Usually I post in the Display Case but I’d like to get your feedback on this build. Your thoughts are welcome, please fire away! Thanks for stopping by and taking a look. Stay tuned for Part 3 of the saga… -O Special thanks to Max and Scott for their help with this build. Cheers guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trekracer20 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Wow, that's a great-looking mustang. The weathering is fantastic in my view, and the painting of the olive drab looks great without being overly stylized. My only criticism is that whenever I see a P-51 this well-done, I wish more than ever that the wing panel lines were filled in to complete the really great work. As it is, you've build a really great model and I'm looking forward to the next. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Great looking Mustang again "O"! My only critique goes back to the exhaust staining, because they ALL have it. Even if the pic you posted doesn't show any, there should be at least a hint of it along the fuselage sides. To do this is really easy or I wouldn't mention it again. Get the Tamiya pastel set with the "Oil Stain" in the tri-pack, then rub a streak according to references that go straight behind the exhaust stacks, then down at an angle as it goes over the wings. The really good news is that if you put it on too strong or don't like it, you can rub it off with water or maybe Windex if that won't work. I would also dirty up the invasion stripes on the belly behind the radiator and oil cooler a bit more. In many pics that I have of this area, it's usually pretty grimy down there. I really like how you chipped up the green paint on the wing roots. It looks very natural and convincing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oortiz10 Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thanks for looking at my second Mustang. The compliments and feedback are much appreciated. ...I wish more than ever that the wing panel lines were filled in to complete the really great work... trekracer20, yeah, I went 'round 'n' 'round with the thought of filling in the wing panels. I know I should since it's more accurate, but I finally decided against it. Since all three Mustangs were originally gonna be in NMF, I thought that not filling the panel lines would help me avoid struggling with achieving a smooth surface under the paint. Filling in the panels is something I'm considering for future builds, but not on this trio. ...exhaust staining...there should be at least a hint of it along the fuselage sides...dirty up the invasion stripes on the belly behind the radiator and oil cooler a bit more. OK chuck, these are for you! The belly's a little dirtier than the pix show. The staining didn't translate well in the photos. Anyway, thanks for lookin'. Again, feel free to share your thoughts. Cheers, -O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 OK chuck, these are for you! The belly's a little dirtier than the pix show. The staining didn't translate well in the photos. Anyway, thanks for lookin'. Again, feel free to share your thoughts. Cheers, -O MUCH better!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarkC Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 someone said the point of this part of the forum is to pick faults - well I dont agree. I know myself a really 100% top notch model and this is it. Finish and especially the ultra realistic weathering - well all of these do it for me. loving your work here Oortiz - noted that the paper drop tanks are in as new finish - because they were a one time only use -- well well done. You gotta be proud here ! yeah sorry for not picking faults like some say is the point of this forum - but not for me. I rather look at this fine inspiring work - and its really really getting the juices flowing - so thanks for the fine work and superb pictures. best Mark Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Cooper Posted March 29, 2013 Share Posted March 29, 2013 It's a good job, Oortiz. Could I ask what you used for flat varnish, please? It looks to me that you've managed to achieve a great matt finish and that's something I always struggle to do. With so many good P-51s around at the moment, I'm leaving my half finished one in the box! Cheers Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oortiz10 Posted March 29, 2013 Author Share Posted March 29, 2013 Hi Ian, Thanks for looking at my build. I'm glad you enjoyed the pix. In regards to your question, I use Testors' Dullcote Lacquer. The stuff in the big square bottle. This Stuff I mix it 1:1 with lacquer thinner and mist it on very lightly. That way I can knock down the finish on the decals and paint while carefully controlling the sheen of the NMF. Again, thanks for lookin'. IF there are any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Cheers, -O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChernayaAkula Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Beautiful! :wub: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dmthamade Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Another great one!! As for the exhaust stains, on the Mustang they don't need much. A little bit beyond that dark panel is enough, as you have it. Looking forward to the next pony build. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Looks superb! Hope you don't mind, I want to use this as a reference for some slight weathering on my current 1/72 Tamiya Mustang build! I was going to leave it unweathered as usual, but I have a box of the Tamiya weathering eyeshadow with the 'oil stain' colour, and it looks like it's not so difficult - and the little you've got there adds so much to the final appearance! Inspiring! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Another great build for us plastic manglers to look at and learn from. Very, very nice Senor Ortiz....if you intended for this one to be one for others to try to emulate....you've accomplished that and more . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Milo Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Love the finish of your Mustang! What also impresses me are the pictures. What kind of camera do you use and what settings? Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
latormentabritanica Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Another great build. Glad to hear about how you changed the fillet. I have a few P-51's I'd like to build that call for no fillet, but I chicken out. If you're looking for pointers, I would suggest you flatten the tires out so they show the weight of the aircraft while on the ground. You can see this in most photos. The way I do it is by holding the wheels with tweezers over a candle. Once it starts to soften up a bit, I push the wheel straight down onto a table. It will begin to flatten and bulge, just like the real thing. Take it easy so you don't melt it too much and destroy the detail. It will take about 10-15 applications of candle heat to do it right, but it's worth it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oortiz10 Posted April 13, 2013 Author Share Posted April 13, 2013 ...What kind of camera do you use and what settings? Rich, I have a Sony Alpha 100 and I use the stock 18-70mm lens. I mount the camera on a tripod and set it for Aperture Priority mode. I can set the depth of field, and I let the computer figure out the shutter speed. For most of the pix I used a f/stop of f/10 as a "central point" and adjusted the f/stop up and down, depending on the depth I wanted for the shot. The shutter speeds ranged from around 1 to 3 seconds. Because of the slow speeds, I use a remote trigger to keep from causing any camera shake when pushing the button. For lighting and background, I placed the kit in the Micromark Light Box my wife gave me as a gift. Anyway, hopefully that answers your questions. If there's anything else, let me know. I'll see if I can answer it. ...If you're looking for pointers, I would suggest you flatten the tires out so they show the weight of the aircraft while on the ground.... latormentabritanica, Thanks for the tip about the tires. I do sand a flat spot onto my tires, but a slight bulge might look a bit more realistic. I've thought about using some resin replacements, but sometimes they look too flat. Besides that, my modeling budget is super tight, so I don't have a lot of cash to spend on aftermarket stuff. Your DIY tip might be the way to go in the future. Thanks for lookin' and thanks for the feedback! -O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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