DONE @p.4: 1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II", Rhodesian Air Force, 1972

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you very much! This one just needs a lot of time, because everything I glued together so far is either stuck in a different place or position, or has been modified. I guess the only parts that might end up "as intended" are the stabilizers, but even this is not certain yet because they might (have to) be replaced with bigger alternatives. The same goes for the fin, even though I'd like to keep the tale OOB in order to keep up the Mustang's heritage.

[Dizzyfugu]

Still no progress here, job and family affairs kept me busy this week - I was just able to finally post pics from my latest (SF) project, so that visual evidence from the Bastang build might follow soon.

[Tophe]

You have time, till the end of September. Take your time, to make it good (I hope), as usual (I mean: your other marvels)

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, no hurry, but there are more ideas... and I like to build one project at a time. Nevertheless, things gained momentum again, and I have added pics to previous posts. And this here is the current status:


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Did I mention that lots of PSR is involved? 

Yesterday evening I also started to enlarge the fin, and I will give the Bastang bigger stabilizers - from a Heller He 112, they are a perfect match in shape and size!
The wing tips were clipped, too, in order to create a decent wing span with the (custom) tip tanks, which are now in place, too.

The(main) landing gear still causes some headaches, because I still have to cut wells into the engine nacelles. The plan is to use the P-51's OOB struts and wheels and retract the forward. They should be far back enough that it looks plausible, and there's enough lead hidden in the nose that the whole thing should stand properly on its three feet.

[Tophe]

Good!

[PR19_Kit]

That's certainly different Thomas, and since when have ANY of your builds not involved oodles of PSR work? 

[zenrat]

Looking promising Dizz.  It looks to have much more Mustang DNA than mine does.

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, there's actually a lot of P-51 in it - there are only a few external parts, so that I'd rather call this a kit conversion than a kitbashing. But almost nothing sticks in its intended place, it's odd!

[Dizzyfugu]

A little update; clear parts and props dry-fitted, I added some hardpointy and prepared the wells for the landing gear in the nacelles:


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

Wow! Much more interesting than I originally expected!

[Dizzyfugu]

New problems emerged, though!  When I tried to glue the P-51 (OOB) windscreen into place, it turned out to be much too large?? It hardly fits at all, and I am not certain if I made a mistake or if this is an inherent kit flaw? The clear part was too mide at its base and there was a considerably step at the front, this caused some serious headaches... I eventually solved this through forcibly gluing the windscreen with superglue to the fuselage, and then another, rather hazardous PSR tour followed around the nose section. The Buccaneer canopy fro the rear section was also trimmed down to fit into its opening, and this works surprisingly well.


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Reims Aviation MH.352 "Bastang II" (Whif/modified Italeri P-51D) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In the meantime I also tried to mount the main landing gear, and it will certainly look stalky! Due to the relatively low engine position the propeller blades reach very far down, maybe I'll even have to clip the propeller tips. But I still wait for the front leg(s) to lose its former coat(s) of paint in an oven cleaner bath. I hope that the Skyhawk leg is enough, because it looks perfect in size for the rest of the aircraft. Might look a bit goofy, though, also because the tail will end up pretty high and the canopy sideline raises from front to back.

I also dug through the spares box for ordnance, and I will propably end with only a pair of drop tanks under the wing roots and a pair of missile pods outside of the engines.

[TallEng]

I suppose It's to far down the line to become a Tail dragger?
That would solve prop clearances and re-inforce the Old Mustang image?
Just idle thoughts

Regards
Keith

[Dizzyfugu]

Nah, I went on purpose for the tricycle layout, and now I pull the concept through. The changes are also so fundamental that I'd have to start all over again - giving up is not an option. 

[Old Wombat]

Contra-props?

[Dizzyfugu]

No, only the front spinners. With four blades this already looks menacing. Did some more detail work on the landing gear, and this thing will - unfortunately - be stalky. The props necessitate a lot of ground clearance, and the nose, with its rising floor towards the nose tip, makes things worse. The A-4 front leg doe not work, so that I had to use the loooong J7W alternative. OMG! 

The body work is almost done now, just some minor things like antennae have to be added, and painting can start.