1:48 P-51 D Mustang

The escort that flew as far as Berlin

The D version gave the Mustang a teardrop canopy without a rear decking superstructure and with it all-round visibility the previous variants did not have. A Merlin engine built under license at Packard and a tank built in behind the pilot pushed the range so far that formations of bombers could be escorted along the whole route, not just part of the way to the target. From the spring of 1944 the balance of forces over Germany turned because of that, and the machine with the long nose became a symbol of that change. Of all the Mustangs it is exactly this variant that is built most often to this day.

Where an unwanted step arises

A stuck-on marking never lies completely flush with its surroundings. The carrier film has a thickness of its own and in raking light a fine edge around the whole circumference gives it away. In 1:48 scale it is clearly visible on the large surfaces of the wing, above all after matting down. A stencil creates no edge, because after removal only paint remains. Anyone who wants a smooth surface without subsequent sanding and revarnishing gets it most easily this way. The difference can, after all, be recognized by touch as well; it is enough to run a fingernail across the area.

How the films are worked with

The parts are cut in advance to the frames of the cockpit from a particular kit, so tracing and hand cutting are dispensed with. The pieces for the inner side of the canopy allow the framing to be painted from inside before the cockpit is closed. The stencils of the markings are stuck onto a dried base shade and oversprayed with a paint of your choice. In the envelope are the films alone, nothing else. When sticking them down it pays to press the film with a wooden stick, so that it seats right into the passage between the frame and the glass.