Trumpeter 1/24 North American P-51D Mustang
By Michael Benolkin
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Background
The P-51 Mustang was designed in the summer of 1940 in response to a request from the British Purchasing Commission. The British were skeptical of North American's quick design and insisted that they purchase the test data for the Curtiss P-40. The P-51D was a further development of those original designs, incorporating a more powerful engine, a teardrop (or 'bubble') canopy to greatly enhance all-round visibility and an increase to six 50 caliber machine guns in the wings. Little did the British know then that North American's design would later become the mainstay fighter for air superiority over Europe and in the Pacific theater.
The Kit
When you first look at the kit, be prepared to say WOW. I believe those were my exact words when I saw the test shots for this kit at RCHTA. As you might expect for a 1/24 scale kit, there is a lot of plastic in the box. And as you might expect from a Trumpeter kit, there is a load of detail in there as well. I just can't recall another P-51 kit in any scale that offered so many options in one box.
The kit is molded in light gray styrene with all of the details finely scribed. The flight control surfaces are molded to represent fabric covering a metal skeleton. The only way to cover the breadth of detail in this kit is by looking at each tree, so here goes:
The first tree has the fuselage halves, cockpit floor and cockpit bulkheads. You can see that the rudder is a separate assembly as is the engine compartment. The second tree covers the wings, ailerons and flaps. You can see that the gun bays are open, so guess what we'll be seeing later! Of course, the separate ailerons and flaps mean that you can position these according to your wishes.
The third tree contains the gun bay covers, the 50 caliber machine guns, ammo belts, cockpit details, main wheel wells, engine oil tank, engine compartment details, and radiator parts. Look at the molding on those ammo belts. Straight out of the box, this kit can build into a stunning masterpiece!
Moving on, the fourth tree (two provided) contains your choice of metal or paper external fuel tanks as well as your choice of bombs or rockets. Note the detail on the anti-sway mounts for the external fuel tanks.
In this next shot, here is a close-up of the ammo belts and guns. Very nice indeed.
On this next tree, we have the horizontal stabilizers, elevators, rudder, and landing gear doors. Once again, you can position your flight control surfaces as you wish.
This next tree contains the Packard V-1650-7 engine in all of its detail.
The following tree contains the main wheel hubs, propeller spinner assembly, your choice of cuffed or uncuffed propeller blades, and a variety of smaller detail parts.
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This tree carries the engine mounts, engine compartment frame, and several key cockpit parts. In the next photo, as you might expect, a model of this weight would need reinforced landing gear struts in order not to collapse on your shelf. What is interesting is that the main landing gear struts are also spring loaded and operate as on the real aircraft.
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An interesting touch in this kit is the option to enclose the engine compartment, leave it open, or with these clear parts, allow the engine to be enclosed with see-through panels like some museum exhibits. This is an interesting way to pose the aircraft ready to fly and still see all of that great detail under the hood. Yet another interesting and welcome touch are the three resin pilot figures included in this kit. The first pilot is wearing his "dress" uniform, the second is wearing his normal duty uniform, whilst the third is wearing his flight gear and a smile to match mine when I saw the contents of this kit!
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