Crown 1/144 scale P-51D Mustang

I've been been meaning to feature an example of an early Japanese-made kit for some time now and have picked this one as typical of the genre.

Crown's Mustang from the early '60s shows just how far our Oriental friends have come in the art of injection-molded plastic models!

The kit consists of 23 parts molded in a medium gray plastic plus a poorly-shaped clear canopy. It's one of a fairly extensive series of 1/144 scale WWII aircraft from Crown, all being of similar quality - crude! Surface detail is represented by too-prominent raised panel lines while the control surface outlines are heavily engraved.

The general outline seems to be mostly okay but the leading edge sweep angle of the horizontal stabs is much too great and the scoop under the fuselage lacks separation from the lower wing surface. Details, you ask? What details? The cockpit is nothing but a gaping hole - there's not even a seat to help fill it up. The landing gear is crude with entirely inaccurate door shapes and the gear wells are mere depressions lacking any detail whatsoever. Ordnance is provided in the way of two crude 500 (?) lb. bombs and six equally crude HVARs. Of course the fins on both are *way* too thick, and those on the rockets are arranged in a + shape rather than the correct X when viewed from the rear. Better to leave it all off but there are no drop tanks, which would make for a very bare Mustang indeed. On the plus side, optional parts are included for an 'in-flight' model (even though there's no stand or pilot!)

The decal sheet is extremely basic, containing just four ill-proportioned national insignias - not even a serial number to say nothing of unit markings or nose art. There isn't much available in the way of aftermarket decals in this scale but Minicraft once commissioned Scalemaster to do a sheet that included four colorful P-51Ds along with a number of other WWII USAAF aircraft. That sheet is long out of print and hard to find now, and there are better 1/144 scale Mustang kits to use it on anyway.

The instructions are printed on the back of the kit box and offer only the most basic guidance; there are no painting suggestions whatsoever.

Of interest to rabid collectors only, this kit should be available on the secondhand market for no more than a couple of dollars or so. It's an interesting example of the early days of plastic modeling but not suitable for the serious modeler.

As always, till next month, "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to".
Be sure to visit Al's Place while you're surfing the 'Net!