Lt. Johnny Cloud - Navajo Ace (P-51 Mustang)
A 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!
The sprues feature some decent-looking details. Could be better, but could also be much much worse.
Clipped out the main parts for the cockpit and the fuselage. Standard operating procedure really.
A quick coat of Tamiya X-71 cockpit green and we’re ready for some details.
Interior cockpit assembled and painted.
The fuselage buttoned up. Now... decisions need to be made regarding the engine.
The propeller motor works, but should this be “in flight” or “taxiing on the runway”? Hmm...
By popular demand... in-flight it is. So I guess the wheel wells need to be closed up.
Ahhh putty... how I’ve missed you. The fit is a bit... loose.
After some sanding, Lt. Johnny Cloud is ready to take his seat in the cockpit... courtesy of an Airfix pilot figure.
In place... with a bit of panel line under shading to start.
Canopy dipped in Future. Glued in place.
First 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...
More sanding and another coat of paint. Not perfect, but good enough I think.
Touch 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.
I 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.
A 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.
An 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.
White cotton clouds fluffed and glued in place. Push the button and the prop spins! Yeah! That's it!
Comments
3 May 2024, 20:49 -
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."
