Aces of the Eighth
P-51D Mustang

Eduard Limited Edition Dual Combo

1/72 scale

Reviewed by Graham Carter

It is only a look on the side of this enormous box that one finds that this is Dual Combo kit, nothing on the lid indicates this ( apart from the illustration of two Mustangs).

The box has a great illustration of two of the decals choices, “Daddy’s Girl” and "Jersey Jerk”, both in NMF with colourful noses commonly associated with the Eight AF.

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The Eduard 1/48 P-51 D kits have been welcomed with great reviews and this new 1/72 offering should attract the same accolades. Brett reviewed the initial 1/72 Royal Class release in late July this year and I urge you to visit his detailed images and review, to which I can offer no more information apart from telling you of the different inclusion/deletions from the kit as well as the massive number of decal choices.

Opening the box will reveal a 28-page coloured A4 instruction booklet which starts with a parts map indicating that some 80! parts from each kit should be consigned to the spares box. There is also a recommendation to “Please Check the Latest Version of the Instructions on www.eduard.com" . 

I had a look at this site and, as far as I could see, there are no differences from the provided instructions but you are welcome to look for yourself. There are also two sets of masks and two colour PE frets that will greatly enhance an already wonderful kit.

Then there are the two full sets of parts in four large dark grey sprues packed in pairs in clear resealable sleeves, along with two transparency sprues in their own sleeves. There are no wheel well masks, 3D prints or fancy badges included in this edition.

Markings

Then there is the massive decal sheet for the twelve examples with two smaller sheets of stencils and generic markings. As always these are beautifully printed with great register and density and commendably narrow carrier film.

Some nose decorations come in several parts to get around nose contours and some will need a colour applied under the decal, such as the two illustrated on the box lid. Most of them are in NMF overall with different tones as indicated in the diagrams.

The choices are as follows :

1. P-51D-5, s/n 44-13321, HO*, “CRIPES A´MIGHTY 3rd”, Maj. George E. Preddy Jr., 487th FS, 352nd FG, Bodney, Great Britain, July 1944 with a blue nose and B&W ID stripes for the invasion,

2. P-51D10, s/n 44-14221, WD*A, “RIDGE RUNNER”, Maj. Pierce W. McKennon, 335th FS, 4th FG, Debden, Great Britain, April 1945 with a red nose and trim,

3. P-51D-10, 44-14733, CS*L, “Daddy´s Girl”, Capt. R. S. Wetmore, 370th FS, 359th FG, Great Britain, March 1944 with a  green nose and blue rudder

4. P-51D-20, 44-72218, WZ*I, “Big Beautiful Doll”, Lt Col. John D. Landers, CO of 78th FG, Duxford, Great Britain, March 1945 with a checkered nose and blue rudder,

5. P-51D-5, 44-13316, G4*C, “Nooky Booky II”, Leonard K. Carson, 362nd FS, 357th FG, Leiston, Suffolk, Great Britain, June 1944 with a red/yellow checked nose , Olive drab upper surfaces and B&W ID stripes underneath,

6. P-51D-?, 44-15152, QI*T, “Jersey Jerk”, Maj. Donald Strait, 361st FS, 365th FG, Great Britain with a red and blue checked nose and blue rudder,

7. P-51D-10, 44-14223, CL*M, “KATYDID”, Lt. Col. Elwyn G. Righetti, CO of 55th FG, Wormingford, Great Britain, December 1944 – March 1945 with a green/yellow checkered nose and blue rudder,

8. P-51D-10, 44-14164, E2*D, “Detroit Miss”, Lt. U. L. Drew, 375th FS, 361st FG, Little Walden, Great Britain, September - October 1944 with a yellow nose and B&W ID stripes under fuselage and part of wings,

9. P-51D-5, 44-13761, MC*I, “Happy Jack´s Go Buggy”, Capt. Jack M. Ilfrey, 79th FS, 20th FG, Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, Great Britain, autumn 1944 with Olive Drab upper surfaces and black and white nose,

10. P-51D-10, 44-14733, 5Q*E, “Mary Beth”, Capt. Kirke B. Everson, 504th FS, 339th FG, Fowlmere, Great Britain, April 1945 with red/white checked nose and green rudder,

11. P-51D-?, 44-13677, OS*X, “Miss Steve”, Lt. William G. Cullerton, 357th FS, 355th FG, Steeple Morden, Great Britain, 1944 with blue nose and rudder, and partial B&W ID markings underneath, and

12. P-51D-25, 44-63684, Col. Glenn E. Duncan, 350th FS, 353rd FG, July 1944 with green/yellow checkered nose and yellow rudder.

All-in-all a great selection of colourful schemes and decals to decorate your models with. The problem might be having to make a choice! This is where the Overtrees kits come into their own, or you could share them with kits from other manufacturers. Each choice is illustrated with a full page colour drawing showing decal locations and colour notes with reference to Gunze Aqueous and Mr Color. The final pages contain detailed stencil placement drawings and a catalogue of accessories that will further enhance this amazing kit.

Decals are printed perfectly by Eduard.

Stencils are supplied on two smaller decal sheets.

As usual the instructions are wonderfully clear with each step shown accompanied by colour notes. I would thoroughly recommend deciding which ones you wish to build and then firstly remove all unused parts from the sprues and mark the booklet with a highlighter so that you have a clear guide as to which steps and parts you will be using. So, if “Big Beautiful Doll” is your choice, then go through and highlight every step which applies to choice “D”, indicated by a D in a blue square. Each decal choice is identified by letters so take note and care!! Once this is all attended to, then you will have a painless and enjoyable build. I am sure some truly great replicas will result from this wonderful kit and it comes highly recommended to those of you with an interest in this iconic warplane.

Eduard again meets the demands of modellers with a wonderful kit of this iconic aeroplane that sets new standards of parts, decals and instructions.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2024 by Brett Green
Page Created 12 September, 2024
Last updated 13 September, 2024

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