1:72 P-51 III MUSTANG

The British Mustang third version in a small scale

In the Royal Air Force the designation Mustang Mk.III belonged to the machines the Americans listed as the P-51B and P-51C. They were the first Mustangs with the British Merlin engine, thanks to which an average reconnaissance fighter became an escort fighter able to operate at altitudes above ten kilometers. The only thing the British objected to was the original canopy with its massive framing, so on most machines they had a bulged cover fitted, known as the Malcolm hood, which substantially improved the view to the sides and to the rear.

The glazing is the most sensitive place on the whole model in a small scale. In 1:72 the frame is so narrow that tape applied by hand either overhangs it or fails to close it, and an irregular line then spoils the impression of an otherwise well built machine.

Contents: masks for the outside of the glazing, cut to the shape of the parts of one particular kit. They are applied to a finished, polished canopy, pressed down, and the surplus fuselage areas are covered with tape or liquid mask.

A small scale puts the emphasis on a thin coat of paint. In this scale the frame is only a few tenths of a millimeter wide, and a heavy coat widens it visually, which shows immediately when the model is viewed from above. Spray with thinned paint, therefore, and build the coverage up gradually.

The aircraft model is not part of the package; the set is built as an accessory for a plastic kit bought separately.

Models in 1:72 are also often built in series, and a pre-cut sheet shortens the preparation of each further one to a few minutes.