1:48 P-51D

Photo-etched accessories for the P-51D, 1:48 scale

A photo-etched set for a model of the American P-51D Mustang fighter in 1:48 scale. It is not a kit but an accessory to one. Sheet metal is an order of magnitude thinner than the finest injection-molded part, so it will carry detail that in plastic would come out disproportionately massive.

The real subject

The P-51D is the most widely used version of the Mustang and at the same time its best-known form. You will know it by the cut-down rear fuselage and the bubble canopy, which opened up the pilot's view behind. The armament consists of six 12.7 mm machine guns housed in the wing. The combination of long range and respectable performance at altitude made the Mustang an escort fighter that could be counted on for the whole route to the target and back.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the items from the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not by breaking them out.
• Sand away what is left after cutting, so that the part sits down across its whole face.
• Make the bends with a bending tool or flat-jawed tweezers across the full width of the part.
• Degrease the metal before gluing and painting, otherwise neither the joint nor the paint will hold.
• It is glued with super glue applied in a minimal amount on the tip of a toothpick.

Who the set is for

For modelers who are building the Mustang in 1:48 scale and want to take the detail further than the contents of the box reach. The parts are small and working with them calls for tweezers, a sharp blade and good light. The extent of the set and the assignment of the individual parts are given by the manufacturer in the enclosed instructions, so dry-fit them and compare them with the plastic before gluing.

The package contains photo-etched parts only. The model, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.