new tool Airfix P-51 D Mustang, Mustangs at Duxford flying Legends 2012

Some progress on the Airfix P-51 and to conclude this post some of my mate Nico's excellent pics from this year's Flying Legends (click on the pic for a larger view). Finally got the wings on after a fair bit of fettling;  in the end I had to shave the lower wing/fuselage join at both ends (front/back) of the lower wing part to get the lower wing on. I elected to assemble the wing in its entirety and fettled at the wing root, taking care to maintain the lower wing dihedral - perhaps next time I should do it differently and attach the lower wing first. At the last count I've built five or six Airfix new tool Spits and two new tool Emils but this was the most difficult wing assembly of the Airfix new tools for me. The fuselage and cockpit parts went together perfectly though. However I was so intent on getting the wings on I completely missed fitting part 11a inside the fuselage - the detailed radiator - so now I've got a 'see-through' Mustang! I'll put it down to ham-fistedness and do it differently next time..fabulous little kit (again) though despite one or two quality control issues again. 

One suggestion for the wing fit I've read courtesy Mikeyw on britmodeller;  " The only fit issue I've had with this kit is the wing/under engine joint. I put this down to the top of the wheel well interfering with the thickness of the wing fillet. It was a simple cure by whittling down the forward half of the wing fillet's thickness by about half. It's not much but it allows the roof of the wheel well to tuck in enough to allow the extension of the wing/engine rear to sit in place rather than have to be stretched, glued and clamped. My general comment to Airfix would be to please use a plastic that cures a LITTLE harder. I really love the seperate rudder and flaps. How about setting the standard Airfix and make all the control surfaces as seperate parts ! "