Lt. Johnny Cloud - Navajo Ace (P-51 Mustang)
1November 10, 2020A familiar sight in my stash, the box of a 1/72 scale Academy WWII fighter. I’ve got a few P-51’s, so let’s get going!
2November 10, 2020The sprues feature some decent-looking details. Could be better, but could also be much much worse.
3November 10, 2020Clipped out the main parts for the cockpit and the fuselage. Standard operating procedure really.
4November 10, 2020A quick coat of Tamiya X-71 cockpit green and we’re ready for some details.
5November 12, 2020Interior cockpit assembled and painted.
6November 12, 2020The fuselage buttoned up. Now... decisions need to be made regarding the engine.
7November 12, 2020The propeller motor works, but should this be “in flight” or “taxiing on the runway”? Hmm...
8November 14, 2020By popular demand... in-flight it is. So I guess the wheel wells need to be closed up.
9November 14, 2020Ahhh putty... how I’ve missed you. The fit is a bit... loose.
10November 19, 2020After some sanding, Lt. Johnny Cloud is ready to take his seat in the cockpit... courtesy of an Airfix pilot figure.
11November 19, 2020In place... with a bit of panel line under shading to start.
12November 19, 2020Canopy dipped in Future. Glued in place.
13November 21, 2020First coat of XF-16 aluminum paint on. Looks like I need to fill a few gaps and sand down a few seams a bit better...
14November 25, 2020More sanding and another coat of paint. Not perfect, but good enough I think.
15November 25, 2020Touch of black (XF-1) and red (XF-7) paint... a bit of hairspray, and some chipping. Might've been a bit of a mistake, but oh, well... At least the prop spins. Getting that perfectly centred was a bit touchy.
16January 5, 2021I didn't like how the chipping turned out, so I stripped and repainted the prop. Added the red strips to the tail and then gave it a coat of Future and a panel wash. It's a comic book subject, so I went a bit heavy on the black panel lines.
17January 6, 2021A mix of homemade and kit-based decals and we're off to the races. Just a bit of work to do on the base yet.
18January 7, 2021An easy bit of wiring. I decided to go with a battery instead of my usual 5V micro USB connector. The prop only spins when the button is held down, so it seemed like a good idea.
19January 7, 2021White cotton clouds fluffed and glued in place. Push the button and the prop spins! Yeah! That's it!
20January 7, 2021
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2 May 2024, 17:30 -
Album info
A build featuring the P-51D flown in World War II by DC Comics' fictional Native American hero, Lt. Flying Cloud (or Johnny Cloud) - the Navajo Ace, a member of the group known as "The Losers."
