P-51D Passion Wagon

[Dotcom]

Hello all,

long time no posting, but now I have a couple of models finished or soon to be finished.

Also I finally got around to make a simple soft box in order to improve on my pictures quality. The lighting is still not bright enough in my opinion but the result is a big step forward from the previous bench pictures.

Model is Capt Charles Weaver's 'Passion Wagon' from 1944, an early P-51D model where the dorsal fillet at the fin root was not yet installed.

Kit: Tamiya P-51D, scale 1/48

Aftermarket: Ultracast P-51D Early Tail

Decals: Kits World 'Passion Wagon'

Apart from some seatbelt detail and the tail the build was pretty much out of the box. The checkered nose is the kit decal while the spinner is painted. The color had to be toned down a bit in order to match the decals. All paint is Gunze acrylics.

Now that I look at the pictures the exhaust stains look a tad to light. I didn't wanna ruin the noseart but the starbord side will get some heavier staining.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures and any comment is welcome!

Cheers, Andy

Edited to correct tail conversion manufacturer

Edited November 17, 2014 by Dotcom

[longmc]

Nice build! I have this one on my to do list as well!

[falcon20driver]

Beautiful Mustang!

[SpitfireGuy]

Nice Mustang!!

I have these decals for my 1/32 Tamiya kit. Was on the fence between this one and a 332bd FG bird. Leaning towards this one.

Like your build a lot

Zach

[Dotcom]

Thanks guys!

Cheers, andy

[Joel_W]

Dotcom,

I'm really impressed that you did such an early version of the P-51D without the dorsal fin. Just seeing a "D" not in NMF is certainly an oddity in the modeling world. your paint scheme, really looks quite good, as does the decaling. And your weathering just shows as an operational P-51D that has been well maintained. Nicely done.

Joel

[Dotcom]

Dotcom,

I'm really impressed that you did such an early version of the P-51D without the dorsal fin. Just seeing a "D" not in NMF is certainly an oddity in the modeling world. your paint scheme, really looks quite good, as does the decaling. And your weathering just shows as an operational P-51D that has been well maintained. Nicely done.

Joel

Thanks Joel! Weathering was quite lightly, with a burnt umber wash (Vallejo) and some drybrushing with silver. Exhaust stains with brown (underneath) and black pigments, all sealed in flat coat. A trick that works nicely is to post-shade the panel lines with clear flat, just that they are the slightest touch more flat than the rest of the panels. Silver drybrush comes last of course, needs to shine ;-)

Cheers, Andy

[Jinxter13]

Absotively posilutely freakin awesome build, and a great subject...imagine how much longer WWII would have lasted had NAA not decided to build the "Mighty Mustang", and then dump the Allisons and marry the Mustang with the Merlins. A stroke of pure luck and great genius.

Edited December 3, 2014 by #1 Greywolf

[flip marchese]

PASSION WAGON according to first hand accounts printed in Kookberra was dark green. the underside was a pale color. remember that the factory scheme had shifted to NMF during B/C production.

[Dotcom]

The topic of the correct color of Passion Wagon has long been a subject of discussion in several modeller forums.

You see about half of the finished models in Olive Drab and the rest with varying shades of green and olive.

The decal maker even opted out by naming the color MOD (Matt Olive Drab) but printing the instructions in a much greener shade than OD.

While I did not have access to the reference you mention, several pictures online show the original plane in a color that to me looks sufficiently close to the Gunze Olive Drab I used. There remains also the element of uncertainty how well these 70 year old b/w and color photographs represent reality, a problem known to every modeller.

No matter how much research you do, some details will always come up after you're done!

Cheers, Andy