Heller 1/72 P-51 Mustang
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Introduction
Three years ago, I received this model from my grandfather. I didn’t
have many experiences with gluing and painting models. I simply stuck
it together and painted it a silver color. When I wanted to make some
lines on wing, I used pieces of colored sticky tape.
Construction
Recently, I decided to repair it and make new camouflage. First I used
sticky tape and removed all the original color. It seemed like a new model.
Then, I started to look for some camouflages of the P-51 on internet.
The original plane was called Miss Marylin II. I didn’t have the
main markings (identification numbers, symbols), so I had to use the markings
from models which I had been making before.
When the plane was definitely free of color, I covered the holes between
plastic parts by old yellow color (it is seen on the first picture on
the left side of the wing and in the middle of elevator). I bought a new
aluminum color, because the old one was too dry. I brought a bowl of warm
water and a brush. After doing that, I started to paint the main wing.
Before painting, I had to clean the wings and a fuselage by petrol, because
the surface was oily. Then I covered the ugly white plastic with the nice
aluminum color.
The propeller was a problem. There was a fat paint layer, so I couldn’t
tear it by the sticky tape. I didn’t want to use a knife for it,
because it usually doesn’t succeed well. (It is my experience).
I let it be. Back side of the prop has been whole black and from the front
I painted the tips of the prop by yellow color. A cone got yellow paint.
When I painted whole wings from below and upper sides, I used the aluminum
color also for the front fuselage (motor cover).
Than I needed khaki color for the fuselage and tail wings. I took green,
black and gray colors and I mixed it together. I got shade, which I needed.
The upper and rear parts of fuselage, upper side of elevator and the front
side of rudder have been covered by this color. The sliding part of rudder
has been painted by yellow color. From below the wing, there were black
lines on the original paint scheme. So I cut two tapes and I stick them
on the wing. A 5mm wide line between them was covered by black color.
Than I unstuck them and two straight lines were complete. Later I did
the same lines on the upper side of the main wing. Next problems were
thin red lines by the sides of fuselage. If I paint them normally by brush,
the line will not look nice. Than I got an idea. There in a box was a
paper sticky tape. So I painted it by red color, cut the lines and stick
it on the fuselage. It looked great.
When the fuselage was almost finished (only painted), I decided to get
better a landing gear. The inside of the landing gear has been painted
by green color. The wheels remained silver and black, I only repainted
it.
After painting, I started sticking identification numbers, U. S. symbols,
squad symbols and “no step” signs. By the sides of cockpit
there is pilot’s name. When the plane was marked, it was almost
complete.
But it still didn’t look like a real plane from the 2nd world
war. So I soiled it. It is my special and original work. I used a black
chalk and a stick for cleaning ears. I made the stick dirty by the chalk
and made dirty spots all over the plane, smutty spots on the sides of
fuselage. And when a pilot wants to get into cockpit, he must step on
the wing, so by time his shoe makes the wing dirty. This is that, what
I wanted to draw attention to. The plane must look in decay. The pilot
had to step on it many times, so it’s dirty now.
Conclusion
The plane is finished. It looks much better than before, and I can put
it again to my show-case. That “repairing” took maybe four
weeks. I didn’t attend to the plane every day, so it took more time,
than I expected. I like it and I also gained some new experiences.
[Note: Václav Stržínek is a young modeller from the
Czech Republic and this is his first attempt at an online article - RNP]
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