@magnusf Thank you Magnus. This is high praise indeed, coming from one so skilled 
Great to see another finished build squeezed into your hangar there Russ, great work on the 109!
Cheers, D
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Here, here, Russ. She’s a beauty. You have inspired me - my next wing-thing will be factory fresh.
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@AussieReg Thankyou D
She sure was a tricky beast 
@JPTRR Thankyou Fred
Aiming to finish the other Big Three subject that I started way back when, before the year is out! 
Friends, I present to you my attempt at Airfix’s 1/72 P-51D Mustang.
This kit was kind of a hangar/shelf queen for me, sitting around, since 2020’s big three campaign on the old site, so it’s good to finally get her on display.
I had hoped to make this finish #3 for 2021, but alas, real life and various interruptions got in the way, so let’s make it #1 for 2022!
She’s finished in the Red Tails of the Tuskegee Airmen squadron markings as per the kit’s box. Weathering is, like all my planes, kept light, so just pre-shading and panel wash, with a few subtle areas of dry brushing with silver for chipping on various edges. 
Hope you like…
Thanks for looking 
Something a little more naval next time, and hopefully sooner, rather than later 
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@Russelle That’s an eye-catcher for sure! Red tails and wing tips and yellow wing bands - can’t go wrong with that 
! I think you and I have discussed the Airfix Mustang before, I didn’t like the softish plastic but it really looks like a Mustang when finished!
Even if I’ve done the same kit myself, I chickened out on the NMF and did a green one instead 
! What have you used for the NMF? I plan on doing one of my Arma Hobby B’s in NMF and just found that my Vallejo “Metal Color” bottles have gone bad, they have become grainy and clog the airbrush. Haven’t decided if I should order a bunch of new ones or try something completely different!
Magnus
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Yes, I do! The Stang came out really well, Russell! Especially that NMF finish. I never get it that good.
Still have some Tamiya and Eduard P-51 in my stash. Wonder when I get around to build at least one of them …
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@magnusf thankyou so much for your kind words Magnus!
Indeed this is a classic Airfix kit with all the inherit quirks therein: soft plastic; thin parts that come apart in your hands at the slightest touch, eg control column and aerial; landing gear that’s warped… And the yellow band decals and red nose decals were done away with to be painted on instead 
still, there’s enough there to build a nice model… Definitely need to park an Arma B alongside it, maybe RAAF colours 
Believe it or not the paints are all Humbrol enamels: the NMF is their metalcoat polished aluminium over a pre shade of black… Was really happy with how the finish came out
@BlackWidow Thank you too Torsten! I was a bit nervous applying the polished aluminium Metalcoat from Humbrol, but it went on really nicely and looks the part!
It would be great to see you take on the challenge of a side by side build of the Tamiya and Eduard kits…
Looks great Russel and nice job on the NMF. Some very crisp masking evident 
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@ Russelle: I had the honor of meeting and chatting-it-up with one of the Tuskegee Airmen at Pearl on December 7th, 2015. I wish I could have pulled-up the images of your beautiful ‘P-51D Mustang’ on my iPhone back then. I think he would have gotten a real kick out of that!
—mike
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@justsendit Thankyou Mike 
What a fascinating conversation that would have been…
I can only hope that I’ve done them justice
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Dear Friends, I present to you my attempt at Airfix’s 1/72 Grumman Martlet MKIV.
She’s finished in the colours of Lietenant Denis Mayvore Jeram, Operation Torch, No 888 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, HMS Formidable, November 1942.
This has been a relatively quick build for me (71 days) and is finish #2 for 2022
Weathering is, like all my planes, kept light, so just pre-shading and panel wash, with a few subtle areas of dry brushing with silver for chipping on various edges.
Hope you like…
Edit: well, some vandals broke into the hangar and tore off the ailerons and after a quick repair new photos were required… (Thanks go out to Tim and Magnus for help with getting this correct )
Thanks for looking!
Back to D33 There’s a glacier that needs catching!
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Looks good Russell, didnt realise the airelons could be positioned like that…
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@litespeed Don’t be facetious
@Russelle You’ve got a case of droopy ailerons, when one goes up, the other one goes down, they never go both at the same direction at the same time (that’s reserved for flaps only!) !
Apart from that: looks like a really nice Wildcat! Both you and I have had our ups and downs with the Airfix kits but this one looks the part and none of that slight “softness” that many of them suffer from is apparent, at least not in the photos! I like the FAA/USN combo of markings and camo.
Magnus
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hehe, nor I it seems @litespeed : Airfix’s instructions are a tad ambiguous on that front, as they give the option for them to be “drooped” but don’t mention that is for the wings folded option… 
Thank you @magnusf Yes, definitely one of Airfix’s better efforts and can be built up to a nice little model, droopy ailerons not withstanding…
This morning before work, vandals broke into the hangar and broke off both ailerons, so they’re going to need to be re-attached at the correct angle-watch this space 
Update: Repairs have been completed and a new photo shoot booked soon
Excellent build but I don’t see space for the gun turrets and superstructure 
Your next build perhaps?
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True that! Was tempted to fit a VLS in somewhere but needed it on Dauntless 
… Let’s just see what washes up
All fixed
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