[HotTrap429]

Hi all. On a whim I recently bought a 21st Century P-51B Mustang. As a follow up to my 1:48 scale SpecCast Corsairs and my first 1:48th scale HobbyMaster F2A Buffalo, I was a little leary as to what I'd get. Luckily, I was pretty pleased with my purchase. Not being a 1:48th scale collector, I suddenly find myself starting to enjoy this larger scale. Here is my review of my latest addition. Since I am not a Mustang "expert", I am only commenting on this plane from personal observations. I'm not a "rivet counter" and I really don't want to offend anyone here. So if someone has previously reviewed this model, I sincerely apologize for duplicating your efforts.

COST: I paid $11.95 from an on-line retailer for this model. Shipping was $8.00. This price is reasonable considering the plane is 1:48th scale. In comparison, my local hobby shop sells 1:72 scale EasyModel planes for $12.99. Since my nearest TRU store is 45 minutes away, I have to rely on on-line retailers.

PANEL LINES: The panel lines are molded recessed into the model. In my opinion they are not excessively deep. I would have preferred them being less noticeable - like the ones on HM's Buffalo, but these don't detract from the overall appearance of this plane. The panel lines do not have a wash nor are they inked in.

COLORS / MARKINGS: The colors are accurate and beautifully applied. The upper surfaces are painted in a brownish - olive drab with streaks of medium green near the nose. This gives the plane a unique coloring. Under surfaces are painted neutral gray. The painting shows areas where the darker undercoating shows through. This gives the plane a weathered look. The spinner and cowling band were painted a flat dark brick red which seems too dark so I repainted it. White stripes on the wings and horizontal stabilizers are faded to again give a weathered appearance. The other markings appear to be tampo printed and they fill in the recessed panel lines nicely. Overall, this plane looks surprisingly sharp and attractive for such an inexpensive model.

MODEL ACCURACY: As noted, I am not an "expert" on the P-51 Mustang. But I am familiar with the plane enough to know this mold is a fairly accurate representation. 21st Century added some great extras like 2 extra fuel tanks, 2 bombs, optional canopies (birdcage, birdcage open, and Malcom hood), and optional position landing gear. Tires are molded with tread detail. I love the moveable wing flaps (mine are down) and detailed cockpit. The exhaust stacks are extremely detailed as well. Overall, this is one fine looking Mustang!

OPINION: I like this model a great deal. Assembly was easy and straight forward with no problems. I wish it was die cast metal, but for this affordable price, I'll not be too fussy. If you want only die cast metal models in your collection, then this plane probably is not for you. Some negatives are there is no stand to display the plane in flight. A pilot figure would have been a plus as well. Some glue leaked on the plane's underside but I scraped it off. I understand join lines are on all planes but on a plastic plane I don't like them. It doesn't take much to sand them out but I did not want to do this and damage the paint. I also thought the general detailing was sparse so I repainted the red nose a brighter red and added some weathering details such as silver chipping to the wing leading edges and walkways. The radio mast was the wrong green so I repainted it as well. I kept the Malcom hood in my spare parts box and may replace it later on. I think the radio mast will have to go then but I'm not sure. Help? So basically, if you are looking for a nice 1:48th scale P-51B Mustang and don't want to spend a fortune, then I recommend this plane.

PICTURES:

[STARMAN 352ND]

I like your review and i think these P-51B looks mighty fine.
JP

[Captain Eddie]

Thanks, Trap-makes me want to go buy one!

[hworth18]

Good review HotTrap! I have this P-51 and I think it is great especially for the price paid. Now you'll have to get the other 1/48 birds to go with it.

[jlspec]

Nice review. I have noticed that the 1/48 models in general have more and/or paint detail than the larger 1/32

[Cruver Collecter]

Nice, long and indepth review. Those are the ones I like to read.

[trex0770]

Good review HT! Nice pictures, looks great for the price.

[Epapazian]

Excellent review. I especially like your weathering effects. You're right about that antenna mast, though. It needs to be replaced with a more realistic one.