The P-51 Mustang is one of the most famous fighters of WWII and history was made in 1942 when the Rolls Royce Merlin engine was grafted onto the early Mustang to create the legend that it became.
The P-51H came too late for WWII but before the end of the war, the RAF had ordered one airframe for testing but that order was cancelled soon after the Japanese surrender.
So, what if the A bomb didn't work as expected and needed more time for development and there was no real certainty of what to expect from it?
The Japanese where very reluctant to surrender after the two bombs so, if there had been no nukes, they probably wouldn't have surrendered when they did.
That would probably mean invasion of mainland Japan and a much longer war so, if this happened , the British would've probably had the plane delivered. I know, jet engines were the new thing by then and as such, it would still take some time for the technology to mature so, there was still the need for new and better prop fighters.
What if the British did test the P-51H and went further, doing the same thing they did to the early Mustang but this time using the Griffon 130 engine? And while at it, they removed the .50Cal MGs and threw in 4 Hispano 20mm cannons for some more bang?
This has probably been done before but i don't care, this one will be mine. 

I'm using the RS models' 1/72 P-51H kit with some Special Hobby and Xtrakit spitfire bits.
Started on the interior, seemed a bit too bare on the sides so i just cut some small styrene bits and added small details based on pics of the cockpit. Nothing much, just to make it a bit busier.

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Then started the interior color research, no pics of the P-51H's cockpit anywhere... i'd started by going with the green but then i remembered i've seen a lot of them in green and a lot in black so, i finally found something saying late war and post war Mustangs had their cockpits painted black.
This kit has a one piece canopy so, i chose black... It's been painted, just a black cockpit with some drybrushed and painted details.

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I'll have to modify another Italeri NATO modern pilot for this one, and IMO, the figure itself doesn't really look like a modern fighter pilot... the flight gear is modern type but that doesn't look like a modern helmet and it has what seem like goggles on the top of the head so, at the most, Korea war era? 
Anyway, i'll cut him up and do my best to make it work, i don't have any proper WWII pilot figures that i can use and i don't really want to steal a figure from another kit.

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I have to find another source for good 1/72 figures as PJ productions closed it's business and i can't seem to find another brand that has decent 1/72 pilots available. If anyone has any pointers, please let me know.
This will be a simple build so i'm hoping to get this done fairly quickly but we all know how that story goes...

 

Nice! I did an RNZAF P-51H a while ago (as an M variant), but kept the hardware OOB:


1:72 North American P-51M "Mustang", aircraft "E/NZ5850" (a.k.a. "Lulu Belle") of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 3 Squadron; Nissan Island (New Guinea), May 1945 (Whif/RS Model kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 North American P-51M "Mustang", aircraft "E/NZ5850" (a.k.a. "Lulu Belle") of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) 3 Squadron; Nissan Island (New Guinea), May 1945 (Whif/RS Model kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

At least one P-51H was delivered to the RAF for testing and evaluation. I recall a build article in (I think) SAM a few years ago but may be imagining that.  Certainly recall a magazine ('Aeroplane'?) article with pics.  Will need to pop into the loft to check.

EDIT: more on 'lightweight' RAF Ponies at https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078770-raf-p-51h-mustang/.  Mentions the 'Aeroplane' article.  I've clearly muddled up my 'Mustang V' candidate variants!

EDIT 2: and I'm now pretty certain I'm wrong about a SAM article.

Anyway, your build to be a Tiger Force fighter, alternative to the Tempest II and dH Hornet?

That's a sweet build, Thomas! Love the scheme.  

Quote from: kitbasher on February 07, 2025, 01:28:02 AMAt least one P-51H was delivered to the RAF for testing and evaluation. I recall a build article in (I think) SAM a few years ago but may be imagining that.  Certainly recall a magazine ('Aeroplane'?) article with pics.  Will need to pop into the loft to check.

EDIT: more on 'lightweight' RAF Ponies at https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078770-raf-p-51h-mustang/.  Mentions the 'Aeroplane' article.  I've clearly muddled up my 'Mustang V' candidate variants!

EDIT 2: and I'm now pretty certain I'm wrong about a SAM article.

Anyway, your build to be a Tiger Force fighter, alternative to the Tempest II and dH Hornet?

I was going by what i read on the Secret Projects Forum: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/mustang-xp-51f-g-j-prototypes.12426/page-2
(BTW, there's Kitnut617's Mustang X build posted on this thread)
Seems like they had an F and some say a G model was also shipped to the UK but there were no tests done with it.
Anyway, i did say mine was modified by the Brits but i also like the idea of this model being adopted by the Australians as they did place an order for some P-51H models but cancelled right after the US cancelled theirs.
But last night while thinking about it, i decided to make this one a prototype like the Mustang Mk.X. as i have the necessary markings and that way i won't be complicating the backstory with production and in-service details. I have another one of these kits and the Modelsvit 1/48 kit in my stash so i can use other ideas on future builds.

Quote from: kitbasher on February 07, 2025, 01:28:02 AMEDIT: more on 'lightweight' RAF Ponies at https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235078770-raf-p-51h-mustang/.  Mentions the 'Aeroplane' article.  I've clearly muddled up my 'Mustang V' candidate variants!

I love the way all the BritModeller JMNs are getting all screwed up about number of prop blades, height of the fins etc. They should adopt OUR way of thinking and just build the kit ANYway they like! 

I've got an RS P-51H kit that I'd like to make one of the earlier 'lighweights' out of, I love the look of the almost horizontally sliding canopies that the Fs, Gs and Js had. 

I like the idea behind this 

If the Bomb hadn't of worked, or if the Japanese had fought on then it's quite likely these late developments of the Mustang and the P.47 etc would have been used if only because none of the available jets would have had the range necessary to get from Okinawa and back.

Which opens up the possibility of WWII period tankers refuelling them en route.

Lancasters? Yorks? Stirlings? B-24s? 

Quote from: NARSES2 on February 07, 2025, 05:53:25 AMI like the idea behind this 

If the Bomb hadn't of worked, or if the Japanese had fought on then it's quite likely these late developments of the Mustang and the P.47 etc would have been used if only because none of the available jets would have had the range necessary to get from Okinawa and back.

That's one of the reasons i'd thought about because the early jets didn't have the "legs" necessary and both the US and UK were not keen on having one land or crash on Japanese soil and allowing them to get their hands on the tech. With the way the air war was going in the Pacific, prop planes would've been less risky and the Japanese could hardly do anything about it.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 07, 2025, 05:57:42 AMWhich opens up the possibility of WWII period tankers refuelling them en route.

Lancasters? Yorks? Stirlings? B-24s? 

Would the early jets be able to fly at the low speeds necessary for in flight refueling? If so, that's certainly a possibility.

Quote from: DogfighterZen on February 07, 2025, 06:35:01 AMWould the early jets be able to fly at the low speeds necessary for in flight refueling? If so, that's certainly a possibility.

I'm sure they could, most tankings these days are at 200-250 kts and they'd have to fly that slow to land anyway.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 07, 2025, 08:01:46 AM

Quote from: DogfighterZen on February 07, 2025, 06:35:01 AMWould the early jets be able to fly at the low speeds necessary for in flight refueling? If so, that's certainly a possibility.

I'm sure they could, most tankings these days are at 200-250 kts and they'd have to fly that slow to land anyway.

Here's a piece of Pathe Newsreel to show that they not only could, but actually did!  https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/84134/

Yes, that's Flight Refuelling Ltd's trials Lancastrian tanker and a modified RAF Meteor Mk IV being tanked.

I think that was in 1947 though, a little late to sort out the 'Japanese Problem'.

A couple of P-51s have been built with Griffons for Air Racing. At least one used an H model tail.
I recall there has been a kit for at least Precious Metal, and somebody has built it with military markings and guns.

Quote from: Rheged on February 07, 2025, 09:01:12 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on February 07, 2025, 08:01:46 AM

Quote from: DogfighterZen on February 07, 2025, 06:35:01 AMWould the early jets be able to fly at the low speeds necessary for in flight refueling? If so, that's certainly a possibility.

I'm sure they could, most tankings these days are at 200-250 kts and they'd have to fly that slow to land anyway.

Here's a piece of Pathe Newsreel to show that they not only could, but actually did!  https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/84134/

  
Thanks for the info, gentlemen! 
Kit, the title of the video says 1949 so, very late for WWII, even if it had gone into 1946. My idea would have the Mustang XX prototype being ready in late 1945. I believe it would give the RAF and Rolls Royce enough time for the conversion if they got the first H airframe delivered around June 45. They did the Mustang X conversion in less than 3 months in 1942 so, with the experience gained with the Mustang and the Griffon engine on Spitfires during the war up to 45, i think they would be able to do it in about the same time or even less.
There are details to consider if one wants to be a rivet counter and some of those would probably cancel the whole Griffon Mustang idea back then like the extra 300 pounds of the Griffon and all that would do to the lightweight H airframe, the center of gravity would probably shift forward a bit and that would've needed some work to correct if possible within a reasonable time frame... all the real world stuff that doesn't really matter in our world...

Quote from: perttime on February 07, 2025, 11:42:09 AMA couple of P-51s have been built with Griffons for Air Racing. At least one used an H model tail.
I recall there has been a kit for at least Precious Metal, and somebody has built it with military markings and guns.

I am aware of the Griffon Mustangs, they're gorgeous! And i also remember seeing one like you're describing, i believe the kit was the High Planes kit. It was posted on here, just not sure if it was a user of the forum who posted it as a topic or if it was linked in one of the "Whifs found on the..." topics.
I guess that if anyone had doubts that the conversion could be done, those two show otherwise but again, it may have been a bit of a stretch during wartime and maybe seen as unjustified for not being enough of an improvement over the original Merlin V-1650-9 or the -11, intended for the L model that was never built.
Those racer Mustangs were heavily modified and those changes we

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News for this build, i received the Montex masks set for the canopy and wheels today. Maybe that will give me a mojo boost for the weekend, seeing that i'm coming down with a flu or something similar and my body feels like it's been hit by a bus...

Only a bus mate ..won't be that bad then ..if it was a freight train then you'd be in trouble 😆
Keep warm bud and drink copious amounts of coffee and water 

Quote from: Wardukw on February 08, 2025, 11:56:06 PMOnly a bus mate ..won't be that bad then ..if it was a freight train then you'd be in trouble 😆
Keep warm bud and drink copious amounts of coffee and water 

Thanks, Phill! 
Yep, this time i got lucky and it didn't hit as hard a freight train..  Took a pill last night before going to bed and i'm feeling better today, surely not as sore so this one wasn't even a school bus... maybe one of those smaller shuttle buses...
Anyway, didn't get anything done besides getting a few bit off the sprues and cleaned up, which is something this kit needs, careful cleaning of the flash and mold lines on most parts.
I'm hoping to be able to get some work done on this one today.