Subject: Re: Gallery submission
From: "Steve Bamford ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 22:11:52 -0700

Hi Chaz,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks for sending it in.   

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com
 
Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [email-masked] 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 3:58 PM
  Subject: Gallery submission

  Gallery Template #08

  Tamiya 1/48 P-51D 

  by Chaz Nims
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here 

  Most of you are probably familiar with the Tamiya P-51D. This was my first time to build one. I had a few improvements in mind for the basic kit. 

  The first thing was using the True Details cockpit interior. The fit was not bad, but I failed to thin the sidewalls enough and had to do some repair work to make the walls not look ridiculously thick. The only other thing I didn't like was the big support beams going from the floor to the top of the seat that are molded into the True Details set. I don't recall ever seeing those structural beams on pictures of a P-51. Everything else about the set was quite good, including a nice gunsight.

        Click on images below to see larger images
       
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg 

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 

       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg 

  I also wanted to add a spring inside the canopy to attach the radio antenna wire to. I made my spring by wrapping brass wire around a piece of fine brass tube. When the coils were done, I removed the tube. I used pliers to bend a little hook on one end to attach to the seat headrest, and I used a tiny wire eye bolt (a model railroad detail) inserted into the other end of the open spring coil. I tied my antenna wire to the eye bolt.

  I improved the gun barrels by replacing the plastic with 1/32" brass tubing for the gun barrel inserted into 3/64" brass tubing, representing the cooling jacket and/or blast tube. The inboard gun on each side does not protrude from the wing like the remaining guns. Only a blast tube shows. 

  Finally, I had read a lot about P-51's having the sheet metal between panels on the wings filled and sanded smooth so the wing could be painted silver for reduced drag. I used silver paint with a touch of gloss gray for the wings, and used Alclad for the natural metal. This makes the wings look slightly different from the fuselage, flaps, and ailerons.   

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here 

  Aeromaster decals were used, and Solvaset seemed to work pretty well on them this time. The pictures were taken indoors with flash and tripod, using an Olympus 4000C digital camera.

        Click on images below to see larger images
       
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg 

       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg 

       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 08.jpg 

  Photos and text © 2004 by Chaz NIms

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