Hasegawa

1/48 P-51D Mustang, ‘American Aces'

Kit Number: 09779, Re-release

Reviewed by  Rod Lees, IPMS# 10821

MSRP: $38.95 Web Site: http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/welcome.asp This is a re-release of Hasegawa's excellent Mustang; the kit has been around for about 15 years if my memory serves, and stands well among 1/48 ponies. The history of the P-51 is so over told that I shall refrain from even thinking of going there. (Recently I did, against my will while picking up some paint in the modeling aisle at Hobby lobby, have to endure a guy trying to impress his girlfriend with the "Cadillac of the air" speech, including such comments as "The P-51 had 50mm cannons that made it a great tank killer". It was hard not to laugh) There have been myriad P-51 kits for our building pleasure: Aurora's P-51H from the late 1950's, Hawk's version from about 1968, (Chrome plated and standard), which has been re-released on occasion by Testors; Monogram's kit from about 1978 (which is still an excellent kit in it's own right; it just has a few fit "issues"), Otaki (never built one), Tamiya's version (which I really like) and this one (which is claimed to be the most accurate in appearance). I have built every kit listed above, often repeatedly (as in the Monogram kit), and have my favorites. This kit from Hasegawa is equal in my eyes to Tamiya's version.

Hasegawa's kit comes with two types of propellers, (cuffed and uncuffed), two types of exhaust stacks (covered and open), and various ordinance (Paper tanks, aluminum teardrops, 500 lb bombs, bazooka tri-tube launchers, and 10 rockets with separate stubs with integral rails. (not seen frequently; it is easy enough to cut off the rails). The .50 Cal muzzles are all miniscule individual items; only the inboard two weapons should be exposed, so they are optional for installation on the outboard locations. Molded in gray, there are 162 components, and 10 clear items. All are in individual bags. Markings are for Capt Ted E. Lines, 335FS/4Fg (the subject of my build), and Lt Col Glenn T. Eagleson, 353FS/354FG (very plain natural metal with an eagle and yellow nose). The interior is respectable as is; careful finishing results in a nice looking cockpit through a closed or open canopy. Decals are provided as options for the engraved instrument panel; I painted it black with drybrushed white and found the detail exceptional. The seat has molded on belts and harness, which looked good when painted and drybrushed. The rest of the kit was as I remember; excellent fit, no filler required with the exception of a touch on the lower radiator and nose carburetor intake parts. Assemble the spinner but do not put on the prop blades yet. A bit of wet sanding, a gray primer coat, and it was off to paint. I opted for a closed canopy; masked off, and shot the anti-glare panel Testors ModelMaster spray olive drab; this took care of the canopy interior framing as well. After it had cured, I sprayed the nose and spinner with a white base coat (Krylon) followed by Tamiya bright red spray. In retrospect, I should have sprayed the nose first then the anti-glare panel, but oops… still got the required results. After all that dried, it was masked and I shot the rest of the model Tamiya Silver leaf. Once cured, decals were applied. With the exception of the invasion stripes around the wing fillets and the wing stripes at the extreme trailing edge, I had no requirement for setting solutions. These decals were some of the best kit items I've used in a while, up there with Eduard's decals in their kits. Opaque and thin, they settled down well. I opted for the paper tanks; they were simple enough and fit well on their pylons. Last thing tackled was the propeller and spinner assembly. I followed the instructions this time, which would have you trap the spinner on a spindle on the cowling with a groove to accept the prop blade bosses. I had not used this feature in the past, as I like to have my props removable (I usually use two types of tubing, nested together in the spinner and the nose of the cowling). I didn't care for this bit of engineering, as you can inadvertently cement the spinner and blades in a permanent position. However, being cautious, I was able to have the spinner moveable after assembly. It does make it so you can set the pitch on the blades before they dry, and being separate items are easier to paint than if they are integral with the spinner. The main gear is a good tight fit, and the rake of the struts is perfect. (Too many pony models have the gear "stiff-legged" directly out of the bottom of the wing; in reality the gear has a definite forward camber to the strut with the wheel/tire being forward of the leading edge; If you look down from the top of the model, the wing leading edge should be approximately in line with the axle.) The radiator cooling trough can be installed in any position; the Main wheels/tire assemblies are ok, but better aftermarket items are available. The tail gear is separate from the tail wheel, a nice touch. The main gear interior approximates the actual item, but is shallow and closed at the aft end, where in reality it should have ribs back to the main spar assembly. There may be aftermarket resin replacements for those so inclined… I am not. The inner gear follow-up doors are nicely detailed, but if you want them closed as in a "tight" hydraulic system that has not bled down yet, the fit will be a challenge. Engraving is almost perfect; not overdone, and the kit is NOT covered with fake "Rivets" everywhere. Clear parts are exceptional and fit flawlessly; I was even able to install the wing navigation lights without losing them! Overall, this kit still rates in the upper end of the scale; it compares favorably with the Tamiya kit in appearance, and is well worth the effort! My thanks to the masters of modeling art at the Hasegawa Company and their USA importers, Dragon USA for this review kit!

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