SEAC Mustang

[NARSES2]

Well here's my first build for this GB.

RAF Mustang Mk IV of 34 Sqd Malaya late 1945.

As some of you will know in my alt WWII scenario France fights on from it's overseas bases and after the USN disaster at Midway the Allies agree a Pacific first policy. Well that all means that the UK manages to hang on to most of southern Malaya and a lot of western Burma. By late 1945 Anglo/French forces are pushing up into central Burma and southern Indo China. (Eventually they will finish the war in southern China)

Well in mid 1945 34 Sqd swapped it's rather aged Hurricane IIC's and it's ground support role and got brand new Mustang IV's and bomber escort duties. This was easier then it sounds on paper as most of the existing personnel were rotated home and it was virtually a brand new squadron that took these duties on. So they spent the rest of the war escorting the increasingly heavy Liberator, Dominator and latterly Windsor raids on into Indo China and China it'self. As the Japanese opposition decreased they were more and more released onto sweeps looking for targets of opportunity and by the end of the war had acquired the nickname of "Junk Busters". Squadron members will say this came about because they sank so much enemy riverine traffic, other squadrons have been known to say something different  

Anyway the kit is the new Airfix one with the Freightdog conversion for the lower nose plus the Freightdog drop tanks. The conversion fits beautifully   and the tanks are lovely pieces of resin. Markings are from the Airfix Hurricane IIC for the national markings and squadron codes. The serial is off a Techmod Mustang III set, as is the Sqd Leaders pennant and the few stencils and other bits used are from the Airfix kit it'self. I really enjoyed this kit even though there were a couple of little idiosyncrasies which I've mentioned in my Blog.

Chris

[rickshaw]

Looks nice, mate.  Which kit is it?

[PR19_Kit]

Looks nice, mate.  Which kit is it?

'.....Anyway the kit is the new Airfix one with the Freightdog conversion for the lower nose plus the Freightdog drop tanks.......' 

That looks great Chris, and VERY believable backstory too. I like the idea of Windsor bombers on the SEAC scheme. Hmmmm..... 

[Captain Canada]

What colours did you use Chris....or is that on the blog ?  Either way, I'm going to have to go over there and see what you have to say about the kit. I had heard here that the wheels wells were wrong or something, but it still looks like a lovely kit.

Great job on it. Now I really want to build one, and maybe in those same colours !

[kitbasher]

Very smart Chris - but a surprise to me.  I'd convinced myself this would be natural metal, black codes and roundel blue stripes in the manner of late bubble-top Thunderbolt IIs.

[Tophe]

Congratulations, for the model and for the story explaining it

[Go4fun]

A great build and a great story to back it up. I'm sure the JMNs will love it if you take it to a show.

[NARSES2]

What colours did you use Chris....or is that on the blog ? 

Standard Xtracrylic RAF dark earth/dark green/med sea grey

I'd convinced myself this would be natural metal, black codes and roundel blue stripes in the manner of late bubble-top Thunderbolt IIs.

Although I do have "historic" reasons for maintaining camo in my scenario the real reasons are that a) this is probably my favourite scheme of all time, and b) I'm useless at NM finishes 

[loupgarou]

Very nice plane and interesting story-

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Believable backstory and a cracking little model!

[Captain Canada]

Sometimes you have to come back and revisit a model as it's just that right...... And I needed the type of paint 

[andrewj]

Lovely model and backstory , great finish , looks just right , but you need to tack the front of the sliding canopy down . Hope to see many more models like this ,

Andrew