P-51D Mustang -- Plastic Model Airplane Kit -- 1/48 Scale -- #855241

After putting together my first Revell kit- P-40B Tiger Shark and being extremely disappointed about the quality of that model kit, I was a little shy about giving Revell a second chance. Well, I'm glad that I did, because after building this historical classic in the Big Beautiful Doll colors I was pleasantly delighted! The positives: This kit goes together extremely well, without the need for filler- just smoothing down of the glue joint. The quality of the molded parts are very good, considering the mold was manufactured in 1977- very little flash, very little sink, no ejector pin stress marks and minimal part-line miss-match. The decals are excellent, as you can see from the photos of my build, they look painted on. The cockpit was reasonably detailed, along with the pilot and the inclusion of molded in seat belts on the seat. The bubble canopy is crystal clear, except that mine had a couple of small scratches on the port side. The bubble canopy is designed to enable it to be displayed open or closed and the wheel assembly is nice and sturdy. Wheel wells are included in this kit, unlike the P-40B Tiger Shark that just had holes through the lower wing sections. The kit offers two sets of decals for different aircraft. The negatives: Because of the age of the kit, there are no recessed panel lines for highlighting, just raised lines and rivet details, which can be lost when smoothing joints down. The air flow exhaust flap when assembled is floppy and just hangs down, so I permanently glued mine into a position I was happy with. It would have been nice if the ailerons / flaps were separate assemblies that could be modeled in the down position showing the internal structure for contrast. Regarding the squadron recognition letter / number decals, I believe their scale to be incorrect and larger than the actual plane. Overall Conclusion: This kit is a joy to build, goes together well, looks great when complete and is unbeatable value at $11.99 for what you get inside the box. Revell have redeemed themselves with this one and I want to buy another one already so that I can paint and decorate it in the second version of colors and decals that are offered. If you're a beginner...it's a must, just be patient with the decals! If you're a more seasoned builder, it's still worth buying to fill in some quick build times and you can always add some extras to enhance it. You won't be disappointed!

The Good: Price, good decals, moderate number of parts The Bad: Small blemish on the canopy, fuselage halves not fitting exactly. This was a very fun kit to build and paint. The result was well worth the effort. This kit has a moderate number of parts, not a beginner kit, but not an advanced kit either. My kit had a small manufacturing blemish in the canopy. Also, the fuselage halves did not align properly - one side was slightly wider than the other. A bit of sanding and putty mostly solved the issue. Overall, a simple kit that turned out looking very nice.

This was the first model that I purchased when I began modeling about a month ago. Its a great kit by revell, very appropriate for adult beginners, and includes wonderful decal designs that can be challenging to the beginner, but necessary to gain experience needed. It looks wonderful when its fully decorated. Parts fit perfectly, even the landing gear was nice and solid (which isnt always the case with revell models). Highly recommended.

I have built multiple of these kits over the years. It is a great model for getting started into modeling. There is a low part count and simple construction. The only thing I have to say about it is the cockpit details (molded on the fuselage haves). Also the flaps and other features are molded in place. While they are well done it doesnt leave a lot of options in how to display the model.