Page 14 - Model Airplane International - Issue 175 (February 2020)

KIT BOX

1:48

AIRFIX

www.airfi x.com

N
NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANGORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG
Airfi x/Materials: IM/Kit No. A05138/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £20.99

irfix have finally seen fit to bestow upon and two different versions of windscreen. Stores wise
us a non-filleted variant of the vener- you get a pair of triple Bazooka tubes, two 500-pound
able P-51D Mustang. We always knew bombs, along with both the paper and metallic ver-
it would be coming at some point, due sions of the wing mounted drop tanks. The only thing
A to the breakdown of parts from when that is missing that I can see, which would have to
their new tool Mustang was released in 2017. This be sourced elsewhere is a non-cuffed propeller and
now opens up further possibilities with regards to decals.
markings options, of which the P-51 Mustang was There really nice engineering decisions to aid
never short. construction and detail, such as weighted tyres,
When the D variant of the Mustang was introduced fully posable fl ight surfaces and nicely rendered
it featured an all new teardrop canopy and a cut- harness detail on the pilot’s seat. There are one or
down rear fuselage. When we say cut-down it was two ejection pin markings that will need dealing with.
literally that, with the rear fuselage frames being cut The most prominent of which are on the cockpit
lower down and shaped to match the new canopy sidewalls. But they don’t run over any details and will
whilst also being smoothly faired into the tail section. be very easy to deal with. Should you wish to pose
When issued to combat units however, stability is- the aircraft in fl ight, wheels up, one-piece undercar-
sues were discovered. Which in turn led to the fi tting riage doors are also provided, as well as individual
of a fi llet which ran down the spine of the fuselage doors for when the undercarriage is deployed, easing
fairing into the tail. This was fi tted in the fi eld at a unit fi tment no end and yes there is a pilot.
level and taken up as a modifi cation on the produc- Looking at the surface detail on the fuselage, it is
tion line. also nicely done with fi ne recessed panels lines and
This latest release is built upon a solid foundation, fastenings. I would have liked to have seen more
using the P-51D Mustang kit released from Airfi x in rivet detail on the fuselage to compliment the panel
2017, which has been well received by modellers lines, but that’s a personal preference and not a criti-
all over the globe. With a well-appointed cockpit, cism. Panel lines and rivets on Mustang wings are a
undercarriage bay and surface detail. There’s not a fi ercely argued topic and one I’m not knowledgeable
lot to dislike with this offering from Airfi x, coming with enough to engage in, but as per the fuselage, what’s
the fi ve sprues from the original issue and one newer there is done well.
sprue depicting the earlier style tail section, wireless The decal sheet is extremely well done, incor-
tray and wireless that sits atop the large fuel tank to porating a vast array of stencils, instrument dials,
the rear of the pilot. national markings and invasion stripes, as well as
Having the fi ve original issue sprues means you two eye catching schemes for the well known yellow
can build from this boxing nearly every variant of the nosed ‘Lou IV’ and the blue nosed ‘Cripes A’Mighty
tear drop style Mustang. As you also receive two ver- 3rd’. To wraps things up we have the now familiar,
sions of the fi lleted style tail section, 2 styles of tyres, new style instruction sheet. Which is easy to follow
2 exhaust versions 3, different versions of canopy and features a full colour paint guide.

VERDICT

It’s inevitable that this kit will be compared to the latest Eduard offering, but to do so is like comparing apples and oranges. This kit is squarely aimed at the
mid-level builder, with ease of construction taking precedence, along with the lower price point making it more accessible to the younger builder, whereas the
Eduard kit has a higher price point, along with a far more complex construction. This kit is a great rendition of the early P-51 D Mustang and I for one would
highly recommend it. (Nigel Poole)

14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2020

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