P 51 Mustang from Betexa

dimas Karabas

dimas Karabas

Member
Mar 13, 2005
29
0
16
Toronto, Canada
papermodelcanada.50webs.com
I am working on P 51l from Betexa:

Mustant P 51
Scale 1:32
Betexa publishing

General impression is very positive. The kit is printed on thick, glossy paper with very vivid colors and detaliing.

This is my first model from Betexa and the reason I wanted to try it was that the fuselauge of the plane is printed as one part. There are no formers either.
I thought this to be a somewhat challenge to see what is accutally goting to turn out from this....:)

I must admit that I underestimated my confidence and ened up with a lot white spaces between the parts that I had to paint over.
I also did not understnd the assembly of tail unitil it was tool late. More on it later.
Since this model had no formers, I printed a couple from Halinki P 51 and used them instead. I used one in tail secion and nose.
The bottom line is that P 51 is a great model, however, you must be careful in your chice of glue, I tried Willcoll and it was just a nighmare. The paper is so thick it would not absorb the glue. I ended up using a Russian made Moment. It is a rubbery glue that is used for general purposes.
 
I built this one some years ago. Problem is the cardboard stuff which feels very much as if they mixed some finely ground blackboard chalk into it. Also it has got a tendency to de-laminate quickly. Europeans may use "UHU Alleskleber" for it, which works quite fine once you mastered this kind of glue and it´s tendency to leave fine webs of glue everywhere.
Best thing to do about the Betexa P-51B is to scan it and print it onto some classic modeling cardboard first. Once you understtod the construction you may also build the original kit.
There is a fine, computer-drawn P-51B in british markings from Maly Modelarze available too, which looks has like it been done very well. Building report to follow. Someday...

Greetings, Martin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom