Revell P-51 Mustang Model Set 1:72

Price (approx): £7.00 (Mar 2011)
Kit Ref: 04148
Review by: Geoff Coughlin

Our thanks to Revell Germany for supplying our review sample: www.revell.de The Package

This set is clearly aimed at younger modellers and those maybe putting a toe in the water to try out the hobby. With this in-mind, it comes with pretty much all you need to get going: kit, paint and glue. Clearly you will need more tools but at least with a modelling knife and a sanding stick you can pretty much build, paint and finish a realistic-looking P-51D Mustang from WWII.

The glue is good and the paints included are: black, grey and green. The green is a rough match to the one appropriate to the decal scheme. I’m not sure what the grey is for as this is an Aluminium ‘silver’ P-51D and you’ll need to source a yellow paint yourself for the rudder.

The Kit

The kit isn’t new, in that it’s not as refined as many of the newer-tool Revell kits in 1:72 scale. Instead this one has raised panel lines and some quite heavy riveting across the airframe and wings. I think it’s likely that the mouldings go back to a time long, long ago when kits came in plastic bags and sold for 2/-. There is some flash (excess plastic) around the edges of some of the parts like the fin and tailplanes but this is easy enough to remove.

Click on image to enlarge.

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The detail is a bit hit and miss to be honest, with a simplified seat and cockpit interior. You can always add some scratched detail or you could opt for a newer tool kit from other manufacturers, though you may need to pay more. Wheel hub and undercarriage detail is basic.

Transparencies

The kit canopy is quite thick and the windscreen is integrally moulded with the main rear-sliding portion. This could be cut, but I think its thickness may prove difficult to remedy. One way to do this is to trim down the leading edge of both parts once you cut it using a razor saw. This can then give the illusion of being thinner than it actually is.

Instructions

This is a simple kit and hence the instructions are equally simple and straightforward. There’s nothing complicated in the fold-out staged plan supplied.

 

Decals

 These are probably the highlight of this package in terms of quality. Nice thin carrier film and they appear good quality, are in register and look as though they will go down well onto a gloss surface before you apply the finishing varnish of your choice. Some nice stencil data is included and this is a good touch.

 

 

Conclusion

This is a classic case of WYSIWYG – what you see is what you get. More experienced modellers are likely to opt for a more recent tooling and greater accuracy. If, on the other hand, you are just getting started, don’t have all the tools and want a bit of fun – away you go.

Fine if you are starting out and don’t have many tools.

Geoff C.