1:48 North American P-51 D Mustang - Wheel Bay Foam Mask (for Eduard Kits)

The Mustang with the bubble canopy

The D version is the one most people picture under the name Mustang: the cut-down rear fuselage, the bubble canopy with all-round view and six machine guns in the wings. The Merlin engine built under license by Packard gave it performance at high altitude and drop tanks gave it the reach to escort bomber formations all the way to Berlin. That is exactly why it became the symbol of long-range escort.

A wide bay, a wide problem

The wing of the Mustang hides the landing gear in roomy openings that are obvious at first glance from below. Inside there is usually a different shade than on the outer surface, and the transition between them has to be sharp. An insert of soft foam presses into the opening, braces itself and reliably closes the bay off while the surroundings are being sprayed. It is not sticky, leaves no residue and, handled with care, lasts more than one build.

In brief

• the size matches the openings in the wing of the P-51 D fighter
• made for 1:48 scale and for kits from Eduard
• the soft foam is inserted by hand and holds without glue and without tape
• the package contains no paints, decals or landing gear parts

The best order of work is simple: first finish the inside of the opening, wash included, let it cure, and only then insert the foam and spray the camouflage or the polished metal. Anyone finishing a metal surface will appreciate that no mist gets under the insert to lighten the flat shade inside. On polished surfaces that matters more than elsewhere, because every later repair shows up on them at once.