F-51D Mustang

My 5th model of 2025 is Airfix’s F-51D Mustang, which I’ve selected to build as part of my current Korean War project. 

I found this a very nice kit to build. Although I had a number of different after market decals for both US and Commonwealth UN markings, I decided to run with the Airfix set and finished it in the colours of Mustang 44-74625/FF-625 of 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron stationed at the forward operating base at Hoengsong, South Korean in 1950.

I used my new favourite silver paint, Vallejo’s Liquid Metal, for most of the aircraft and added Vallejo’s standard aluminium acrylic to provide lowlights to the wings. This was a mistake as not only do I think the effect detracts from the overall finish, subsequent masking of the red wing tips removed some of the aluminium! Time to acquire the rest of the Liquid Metal range. The decals went on very nicely, and to be honest, this was probably what finally swayed me to go with Airfix’s and not the aftermarket ones, you know what you’re getting with the new Airfix kits. In view of my feelings towards the paintwork, I finished the model with a layer of satin varnish.

The aircraft features the nose markings ‘ROTATION BLUES’ on the starboard side cowling, presumably after the record of the same name which was popular in the US at that time.

As a result of the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the squadron was moved from the Philippines to Taegu Air Base, South Korea in July. At Taego, the squadron exchanged its Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star jets for propeller-driven North American F-51D Mustangs which were more suited to the ground attack and support role. I thought, therefore, that it would be OK to use one of Academy's standing F-86 pilots with helmet rather than the WW2 dress figure supplied with the kit.

Next up will probably be a Chinese T-34 followed by a North Korean MiG-15 … I fancy a piece of armour!

Mustang IV

I’ve finished this Airfix starter kit of the Mustang IV ‘out of the box in the colours of aircraft KH774 GA S, 112 Sqn. 239 Wing, RAF Cervia, Italy, flown by Ft Lt Ellis F Blanchford between Feb 1945 - Dec 1946

I decided on 2 changes to the Airfix scheme: firstly I omitted the yellow leading edge on the wings as other resources shed doubt that S.GA had this applied. Secondly, I painted the spinner red and white as it should have had rather than black, assuming that Airfix did not want to provide two extra colours in their starter set! 

Overall, this was a lovely build but I did miss the extra decals you get with the full version of the kit. I also got too blasé at the beginning -  putting the decal on the wrong side of the control panel and messing up the undercarriage fittings! Fortunately you can’t even see the control panel and a scalpel and superglue fixed the undercarriage in no time 😊

The Mustang IV (P-51K) was the last version of the Mustang to see service with the RAF. This incorporated a number of improvements, including a bubble hood and an increased armament of 6 x .50" machine guns.  

112 Squadron’s use of shark teeth dates back to July 1941, when inspired by the unusually large air inlet on their P-40 Curtiss Tomahawk, the squadron copied the shark's mouth logo painted on some German Messerschmitt 110s seen earlier in the war. 

After supporting the 8th Army during the campaign in the Western Desert and victory at El Alamein, the squadron moved to Tunisia, Sicily and then in September 1943 to Italy. Receiving Mustangs in June 1944 the squadron provided air support to the Allied armies in Italy for the rest of the War, during which, 112 Squadron had brought down 206 enemy aircraft and destroyed a further 62 on the ground. After a period of occupation duties in northern Italy, the Squadron was disbanded on 30 December 1946.

North American Mustang F-51D

Mid M18 Hellcat build, I had a bit of a break with an alfresco ☀️ construction of the Airfix North American P-51D Mustang. I first built this kit as the Red Tails “Lollipoop” back in May 2020 and had forgotten what a lovely little kit it is. This time however, as you may notice from the pilot’s attire, I’m going for something very different.

Here is my Airfix 1:72 scale Mustang F-51D, with a difference, completed … this is from my next project inspired by Roland White’s lesser known but excellent book “Phoenix Squadron”. More on that later, meanwhile …

In early summer 1971, the Guatemalan F-51D Mustang squadron deployed to a rough jungle strip at Tikal, close to the border of British Honduras. Less than a year earlier, the unit’s aircraft had been repainted in an effective camouflage known as the ‘invasion scheme’.