LOOKING FOR: Heritage Aviation Cavalier P51 Conversion

[TheChronicOne]

I just learned this existed and I want to create one of the earlier Cavalier 'Stangs that the U.S. Army flew in the 70's.



Set of doohickeys look like this:

[kitnut617]

First off, check Cash for Kits (this is Heritage Aviation). Ian is still operating his company as Cash for Kits but when he sold all his Heritage stuff he decided to keep a few. He may have kept it. If he hasn't, Alley Cat bought all the remaining moulds from Ian.

Incidentally, those Cavaliers are not turbine powered, they still had their Merlins

[TheChronicOne]

First off, check Cash for Kits (this is Heritage Aviation). Ian is still operating his company as Cash for Kits but when he sold all his Heritage stuff he decided to keep a few. He may have kept it. If he hasn't, Alley Cat bought all the remaining moulds from Ian.

Incidentally, those Cavaliers are not turbine powered, they still had their Merlins

Thanks a million!  I will get on that. And yeah, I knew I'd not be using the new forward section of the Heritage set but that's glorious because I can save it to whif something! I'm thinking the stock stuff from a P-51D kit would work for the early Cavalier version like I want to build? Some of this stuff is hazy.. I initially read up and "learned" about these 'Stangs over half a year ago so I've most likely lost some of what I learned. I just hours ago learned of this is conversion set so it sparked interest again in a big way!!   

EDIT: I just sent him an email. THANK YOU again, kitnut. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a conversion set existed. I know that it could all be scratch built but I'm just not skilled enough to do that. Glad to be on the right track here.

[Rick Lowe]

Yep, in small scale the stock P/F-51 kit would be fine as the Cavalier Mustang II.

The Dart turboprop conversion pictured is the Turbo Mustang III/Enforcer version,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_Mustang

and there was a later version, the Piper Enforcer with a different engine again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-48_Enforcer

OTOH, if you're looking to make the Merlin engined version, all you'd really need is 4 more hardpoints and 2 tiptanks.
Not difficult, particularly as if you had ordnance on the hardpoints, you could get away with simple styrene shapes.

Finding the right size of tiptank woudn't be too hard either; if nothing's of the exact size/shape, maybe you could find a slightly longer one with the correct diameter, nose and tail taper, and shorten it?

HTH

[zenrat]

Red Roo Models do a Dart Engined conversion - The Dartstang.
They don't list it ATM on their website though.
It looks like this.

[Rick Lowe]

That's purty... in a Neo-Brutalist, Wyvern-esque way, of course... 

[zenrat]

It's slimmer than a Wyvern.  Is it sexier?  Depends I suppose on your tastes.
IRL a grand total of one was built.  It ended its days being converted back into a normal CAC Mustang.

[TheChronicOne]

Dayum that looks cool!! 

Indeed I just want to make the earliest ones with the Merlins. The Army bought three.. one was an actual P-51 from some South American country. It's easy to spot because of the original fin with the stripe.



Again, memory is failing me at this point.. but before it went to (South American Nation?  Or was it some Scandinavian nation? ) it might have been an actual WWII warbird? All I know is it was old stock that was sold to what, I believe, was an S.A.? nation then in turn bought right back by the US then the Army got 'hold of it. The other two were actual new Cavaliers. (if memory serves... bear with me) 


Hardpoints (that I can't seem to find, those just on the enforcers I'm guessing? definitely want to build some of them at some point one day, too . .. )  and tips tanks, but also the taller fin. I need to replicate these and I am no good at scratch building. I figure if I get this conversion set I can use just the parts I need and store the rest. The new fwd section, prop blades, etc.. wouldn't go to waste though!! 

[rickshaw]

Be warned that the props in the Heritage Aviation conversion kit were IMHO unusable.   I replaced them with two props from a Dart powered DC-3 on my Laotian F-82T:

[Thorvic]

Try contacting Glenn Ashley at Blackbird Models and ask when his next batch of conversions are due in.

http://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk/p-51d-cavaliar-mustang-72-1784-p.asp

[kitnut617]

It's slimmer than a Wyvern.

And it's 'half' the size of a Wyvern

[TheChronicOne]

Be warned that the props in the Heritage Aviation conversion kit were IMHO unusable.   I replaced them with two props from a Dart powered DC-3 on my Laotian F-82T:

   That is so cool! 

[rickshaw]

Two for the price of one...