In Box Review of Accurate Miniatures 1/48th Scale
U.S. North American Aviation P-51B Mustang
Kit no. 3418
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1994
I paid $24.50 for my kit back in the 90's at a local shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1994
I paid $24.50 for my kit back in the 90's at a local shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.
The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which, in its earlier variants, had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I).
The replacement of the Allison with a Rolls-Royce Merlin resulted in the P-51B/C (Mustang Mk III) model and transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, allowing the aircraft to compete with the Luftwaffe's fighters.
The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 two-stage two-speed supercharged engine and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2/AN Browning machine guns.
From late 1943, P-51Bs and Cs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF Second Tactical Air Force and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944.
The P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theaters. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft.
At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang, by then redesignated F-51, was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters, including North Americans' F-86, took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber.
Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After the Korean War, Mustangs became popular civilian warbirds and air racing aircraft.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
First flight: 26 October 1940[1]
Introduction to service: January 1942 (RAF)[2]
Status: Retired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force, Chinese Nationalist Air Force, numerous others
Number built: More than 15,000
Unit cost: U.S. $ 50,985 in 1945
Variants: North American A-36 Apache, Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X, Cavalier Mustang
Developed into: North American F-82 Twin Mustang, Piper PA-48 Enforcer
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.
The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which, in its earlier variants, had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I).
The replacement of the Allison with a Rolls-Royce Merlin resulted in the P-51B/C (Mustang Mk III) model and transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, allowing the aircraft to compete with the Luftwaffe's fighters.
The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 two-stage two-speed supercharged engine and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2/AN Browning machine guns.
From late 1943, P-51Bs and Cs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF Second Tactical Air Force and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944.
The P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theaters. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft.
At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang, by then redesignated F-51, was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters, including North Americans' F-86, took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber.
Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After the Korean War, Mustangs became popular civilian warbirds and air racing aircraft.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
First flight: 26 October 1940[1]
Introduction to service: January 1942 (RAF)[2]
Status: Retired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)
Primary users: U.S. Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force, Chinese Nationalist Air Force, numerous others
Number built: More than 15,000
Unit cost: U.S. $ 50,985 in 1945
Variants: North American A-36 Apache, Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X, Cavalier Mustang
Developed into: North American F-82 Twin Mustang, Piper PA-48 Enforcer
THE KIT:
Accurate Miniatures was based in Charlotte, NC. I don't know if they still exist.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a P-51B shooting down a German He-111 in a 5 aircraft group.
The P-51B is olive drab over a gray undercarriage, with white fuselage code G4 star and bars B. It has a red and yellow spiner, red and yellow checkerboard nose and "Chicago Gun Moll" on the side of the nose. It has 27 bombing mission marks and 2 German kill marks under the cockpit.
There is a yellow serial no. 36556 on the rudder.
The German He-111 going down on fire is in 2 shades of green splinter over a light blue under carriage. It has the fuselage code black HK + white L black R.
One side pane of the box has 2-paragraph histories of the P-51B in 5 languages. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language, including English.
Accurate Miniatures was based in Charlotte, NC. I don't know if they still exist.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a P-51B shooting down a German He-111 in a 5 aircraft group.
The P-51B is olive drab over a gray undercarriage, with white fuselage code G4 star and bars B. It has a red and yellow spiner, red and yellow checkerboard nose and "Chicago Gun Moll" on the side of the nose. It has 27 bombing mission marks and 2 German kill marks under the cockpit.
There is a yellow serial no. 36556 on the rudder.
The German He-111 going down on fire is in 2 shades of green splinter over a light blue under carriage. It has the fuselage code black HK + white L black R.
One side pane of the box has 2-paragraph histories of the P-51B in 5 languages. Each is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language, including English.
The other side panel has the kit's features: Recessed panel lines, over 60 parts, detailed explanatory instruction sheet, protected clear parts, detailed painting instructions, aircraft history, optional tires (unweighted and weighted), fully detailed cockpit and wheel wells.
Contains one unassembled plastic model kit. Suitable for ages 10 and above. Cement and paint not included.
Additional materials required are: Basic modeling tools (hobby knife, cement, tape etc.), Paints: olive-drab, neutral gray, interior green, and basic model colors: black, white, silver, red, green, orange, aluminum, gun metal and Burnt metal.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 32 feet 3 inches
Span: 37 feet
Powerplant: Packard Merlin V 1650-3, 1380 hp V-12
Speed: 449 mph at 42,000 ft ceiling
Armament: four .50 cal. machine guns
This is all said in English and French.
Accurate Miniatures' street address in Charlotte, NC and their office in England are provided.
Contains one unassembled plastic model kit. Suitable for ages 10 and above. Cement and paint not included.
Additional materials required are: Basic modeling tools (hobby knife, cement, tape etc.), Paints: olive-drab, neutral gray, interior green, and basic model colors: black, white, silver, red, green, orange, aluminum, gun metal and Burnt metal.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 32 feet 3 inches
Span: 37 feet
Powerplant: Packard Merlin V 1650-3, 1380 hp V-12
Speed: 449 mph at 42,000 ft ceiling
Armament: four .50 cal. machine guns
This is all said in English and French.
Accurate Miniatures' street address in Charlotte, NC and their office in England are provided.
The bottom of the box has a large color photo of the model made up in the box art scheme.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 4 dark gray trees and a clear tree in 3 sealed clear cello bags, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The decal sheet and the clear tree are beneath a shelf in the tray that has a 4-view of the box art scheme on it.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, printed on both sides in 17" x 11" page format, folded twice to fit the box.
It has 4 assembly steps on it, with a lot of text, painting instructions with a suggested listing of hobby paints by Model Master, Humbrol, Floquil, Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya, Polly S and Aero Master brands with FS numbers for the paints listed.
The bottom of the reverse side of the sheet has a decal placement guide as a 4-view of the box art scheme.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees however.
The 1st dark gray tree holds: the fuselage, exhaust--pipes, spinner etc. (10 parts)
The kit contains 4 dark gray trees and a clear tree in 3 sealed clear cello bags, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The decal sheet and the clear tree are beneath a shelf in the tray that has a 4-view of the box art scheme on it.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, printed on both sides in 17" x 11" page format, folded twice to fit the box.
It has 4 assembly steps on it, with a lot of text, painting instructions with a suggested listing of hobby paints by Model Master, Humbrol, Floquil, Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya, Polly S and Aero Master brands with FS numbers for the paints listed.
The bottom of the reverse side of the sheet has a decal placement guide as a 4-view of the box art scheme.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees however.
The 1st dark gray tree holds: the fuselage, exhaust--pipes, spinner etc. (10 parts)
The 2nd dark gray tree holds: the fuselage tail section, a 4-bladed propeller, air scoops, cockpit floor, consoles etc. (11 parts)
The 3rd dark gray tree holds the wings (3 parts)
The 4th dark gray tree holds: a 3-bladed alternate propeller, drop tanks, spinner, seat, radios, main wheels and their hubs, landing-gear legs, alternate exhaust-pipes, elevators, tail wheel and more consoles etc. (50 parts)
The clear tree holds: the canopy, dashboard etc. in a clear sealed cello bag (10 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents. There is no pilot figure. Details are engraved. flaps are solid.
The decal includes stencils and seat belts.
The decal includes stencils and seat belts.
Highly recommended.