ICM 1/48 scale P-51B Mustang by Sasha Miloshevic

ICM 1/48 scale
P-51B Mustang

by Sasha Miloshevic

North American P-51B Mustang

ICM's 1/48 scale P-51B Mustang with USAAF Pilots and Ground Crew
is available online from Squadron for only USD$24.76!

Introduction

This is my third model after a 15-year break, and my first natural metal finish.
It represents a Mustang operating in China, 1944.

The build took several years to complete, including a few long breaks.

Construction

It's a very nice kit, although the plastic is a bit soft. I made the seatbelts and gunsight, hollowed out the exhaust stacks, added a loop antenna from the Academy's P-38 and scratchbuilt its base.

I thinned down the antenna mast and added its lower portion and wiring inside.

For the antenna wire I used a stretched cotton swab, as it's more flexible than sprue, but I overstretched it on one end. I added an actuating rod to the cooling air door.

I also replaced the canopy with a Taurus vacuform one, not because I meant to, though.
After all the painting and weathering was done, I messed up the canopy and side windows irreperably and had to remove them, keeping only the windshield.

I managed to ruin several Taurus canopies trying to cut them out properly and fair them in.

I didn't quite succeed after all, to put it mildly, but I'm glad it's finished.

P a i n t i n g

The model is brush painted. I achieved a natural metal finish with the Model Master Metalizer drybrushing technique.

I created several shades by buffing the aluminium or not, and by mixing in some magnesium for a darker shade. Spinner is primed with Tamiya acrylic XF16 prior to drybrushing.

The NMF was sealed with a local variation of the Future floor polish, Pronto.

National insignia is from the kit and the serial numbers are from the Kits World 148027 decal (numbering and letters for NMF P-51).

I used DecoArt artists' acrylics for panel lines.

Weathering is done with oils and it's heavy as per the reference photo, but I may have overdone it in places. Oil layers were sealed with Pronto.

Thumbnail panels:

I used Humbrol Satin Cote for final coating, and Humbrol Matt 49 for the anti-glare area.

Conclusion

This build took too long to finish and was frustrating towards the end, but it's a valuable experience and I'm satisfied with the overall result.

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