E-Z Build P-51D Mustang
 

Accurate Miniatures, 1/100 scale

Reviewed by Brett & Sebastian Green

Accurate Miniatures' 1/100 scale P-51D Mustang is available online from Squadron.com

Accurate Miniatures has recently launched the 1/100 scale E-Z Build series, a new line of kits aimed squarely at younger and beginner modellers, .

Kit No. 1003 in the E-Z Build series is the P-51D Mustang. In common with conventional model kits, the 22 plastic parts are attached to two sprues. The unique aspect of this kit is that all the parts are pre-painted and have markings already in place.

Detail on the kit is petite for such a small scale. Panel lines are recessed and acceptably fine. Smaller parts include drop tanks, shrouded exhausts, separate undercarriage doors and even an in-scale aerial mast.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Indeed, despite the diminutive size of the kit, there are few compromises to detail. The undercarriage legs are moulded with the spoked wheels and hollow oleo scissors in place, and they are very fine.

Cockpit detail is limited to a floor with a seat on the bottom and a radio shape on the shelf. It is sensibly painted black, so nobody is likely to discover the absence of an instrument panel and control column, especially if the supplied pilot is installed.

A single clear part is also included. The canopy frames are crisply painted, eliminating many modellers' most loathed chore.

The set is rounded out with a black plastic base and self-adhesive name plate.

The uncompromising attitude carries through to the paint finish. Even the tiny hub of the tail wheel is painted silver with a crisp demarcation from the black tyre. The paint job on the model is smooth and flat. Markings are very well done. They appear to be sprayed, as there is no suggestion of carrier film.

Construction Notes

The kit looked good on the sprues, but I was curious to see how well it went together.

I called on my seven year old son, Sebastian, to help me with the build. He was delighted to be asked

I let Sebastian loose with the sprue cutters, demonstrating the method of holding the flat side of the pliers against the part for a clean cut. Most parts were left with some remnants of the sprue connector, so I cleaned these up with a hobby knife. The good news is that only one part was damaged while being removed from the sprue - a small wedge from one of the inner gear doors. Not bad for a seven year old.

For the sake of speed, we used super glue to assemble the parts. First, the pilot was glued into the cockpit using super glue applied with the end of a toothpick. The cockpit "tub" was secured to one sidewall and I test fitted the fuselage halves. It felt tight, so I handed the parts over to Sebastian who squeezed them closed without the need for glue. The fit was very good along the centreline, with the only visible join being at the base of the fin on the starboard side.

The wings were next. I applied super glue to the leading edges and the locating holes, and Sebastian pressed them into place. Once again, a nice fit and no major visible seams.

Sebastian now assembled the drop tanks and glued the one-piece propeller assembly to the nose.

From here on, the detail parts were a bit tricky for the small hands of a seven year old. I finished the kit off, first installing the drop tanks, then the realistically thin undercarriage legs into their small and tight locating holes. The main gear covers required a delicate touch too.

The canopy and antenna mast completed the job. Total time spent on this enjoyable joint project was around an hour.

I was pleased and surprised how good this little kit looked when finished. It is every bit a Mustang.

Here is Accurate Miniatures 1/100 scale kit displayed next to Tamiya's 1/48 scale offering.

Accurate Miniatures' 1/100 scale E-Z Build P-51D Mustang is well detailed, impressively finished and a fast build.

I would suggest that young modellers from the age of ten and up should be capable of building this kit entirely by themselves. Of course, the use of sharp tools such as sprue cutters and scalpels should be clearly demonstrated and responsibly supervised.

For younger children, these models will represent an ideal joint project with a parent.

More experienced modellers may also wish to build these kits for display, or even as an aid to forced perspective in model photography.

Sebastian and I have built a couple of 1/72 scale Hobby Boss kits together over the last year. Sebastian's analysis was that the Accurate Miniatures kit was "a bit more challenging" (his own words) due to the smaller parts. Even so, the result is a surprisingly sophisticated and authentic replica straight from the box.

"Hey Dad", said Sebastian this morning, "you said you had another one of these kits. Can we build that now?'

I can't imagine a better endorsement for Accurate Miniatures' E-Z Build series.

Recommended.

Thanks to Accurate Miniatures for the review sample.

Accurate Miniatures kits are available worldwide through hobby retailers and from Squadron.com

Review and Images Copyright © 2007 by Brett Green
Page Created 26 June, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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