1/48 P-51B DingHao restoration

[M.F.Lunder]

Hi guys, 

 

Over forty years ago, my father brought me the Monogram 1/48 P-51B as a gift. It was my third and first aircraft model. I think it kicked off my love for Mustang,（the following photo is from internet）

 

He pionted out that "DingHao" on the plane meant very good in Chinese. I didn't believe him for sure, at the pre-internet time and in non-opened China, only to find out that he was right much later.

 

My father passed away on Sept.14.

 

I know I never throw that model away, but it took me several days to find it in one of the boxes in the model stash. I decide to rebuid the kit, in my father's memory.

 

Ｉgave it a wash and check the parts. It's missing 3 of the gear doors and the tail wheel. As I want to use and much original parts as possible, my worry is that if I can clean the clear part, but I will try my best.

 

As I once thought I had lost the old kit, I already started another Mustang, this time from Tamiya. I looks like the old kit will take more time to restore, I am going to build both kits simutaneously.

 

I used Aires cockpit, it took quite some time to dry fit the parts. 

The interior was painted with AK's RC028 interior green.

 

It's slightly lighter that the Gunze C351, as shown in the following pic, another Mustang I am building.

 

I also have AK's US interior set, there is a "yellow-green", as following on Arma's Mustang, but it looks wield, I later e-painted it with RC028.

 

The Aires interior parts are painted and lightly weathered.

 

 

The main wheel well is also from Aires, I've read that it's more like a A well than B, but I just use it as it's the one available. There is no better ways to paint the YZC ribs so I end up to hand paint them with my shaky hand, I hope the later weathering will hide the defects.

 

Next is filling the panels on the wings, one is down, two to go,..

 

The above is the first few days work. I hope you like it. Please fell free to give any commnets.

 

Bye,

Chris

 

 

 

[M.F.Lunder]

Hi guys, 

Just a little bit update.

 

The aires wheel well was a problem. When the wing was glued to the fuselage, the upper part of the wing didn't match the fuselage. I had to open the glued right wing, thinned the wheel well roof and the upper right wing part quite a lot, then glue them back together. It took me days to do the job. Some fixing and sanding is still needed.

 

The recess area on the flapis wrong, so it was filled with plastic card and sand smooth.

 

After checking with blace paint , the bare metal area was paimted aluminum.

 

As well as other small parts...

 

In the mean while, I opened the fusepage of the old kit. I forget what glue I used but luckily they didn't glue the parts to well, not model glue I think.

The cockpit detail is actually better thean I expected, so I decide to keep them. Adding a instrucment panel is mostly enough.

 

I don't know what Maj.Howard had eaten that day, aka why I painted him like that...

 

Thanks for watching, 

Chris

 

Edited January 4, 2024 by M.F.Lunder

[M.F.Lunder]

Hi guys,

 

This is not really a update, we sent father to his final resting place yesterday.

 

Today I tested rescribing the panel lines. I used the raised ones as templated, it worked OK as the plastic was soft. The piece on the right is the rescribed one,

 

Bye,

Chris

[Geoff M]

Sorry to hear about your father.  Prayers for your comfort.  Modelling can take your mind off things for awhile.

 

 

[M.F.Lunder]

20 hours ago, Geoff M said:

Sorry to hear about your father.  Prayers for your comfort.  Modelling can take your mind off things for awhile.

 

 

 

Thanks for your kind words.

Also, by doing this project, I got the chance to relive our times together.

Chris