Me 509

[NARSES2]

So here's the RS Me 509 which I'm not 100% sure how I'll finish yet although I have ideas.

Box and contents

[su27rules]

 

[Captain Canada]

Cool I was just looking at those on West Coast Hobby's site !

[Caveman]

How about put it in some bell cobra markings?

I am remembering (possibly incorrectly) that there was a mid engined p51 proposal? My minds eye is basically seeing that Box art but in polished bare metal and stars and bars.

[NARSES2]

Cool I was just looking at those on West Coast Hobby's site !

Going together well at the moment Capt. I'll let you know as I go along what the rest of the fit is like.

How about put it in some bell cobra markings?

I am remembering (possibly incorrectly) that there was a mid engined p51 proposal? My minds eye is basically seeing that Box art but in polished bare metal and stars and bars.

Yes, the Mustang MTB was a British (Rolls Royce) experiment. Unicraft do a kit (conversion) for it and it's one of their buildable ones.

I'll be doing her as a Hungarian aircraft and the back story will have them being built in Hungary by the same company that produced the Me 210's under licence.

[Dizzyfugu]

How about put it in some bell cobra markings?

I am remembering (possibly incorrectly) that there was a mid engined p51 proposal? My minds eye is basically seeing that Box art but in polished bare metal and stars and bars.

No, you are correct. IIRC, it was even a British proposal (maybe even with a Griffon?). I know that there is a 1:72 resin conversion set for it from a small company here in Germany - had the set in my hands at a convention, but the seller would not let me open the box in order to inspect the parts' quality. 

Looking forward to see what becomes of this one. Have the plan to convert a HUMA 309 into an individual 509 some day, through a cockpit transplantation. This plan is older than the RS Models offering, though, but I already have the HUMA kit stashed away. Earmarked for the 1946 GB, maybe...? 

[Librarian]

Just amazed how many kits have cropped up of an aircraft that never left the drawing board...Luft46 is a seriously successful hobby.

[The Wooksta!]

How about put it in some bell cobra markings?

I am remembering (possibly incorrectly) that there was a mid engined p51 proposal? My minds eye is basically seeing that Box art but in polished bare metal and stars and bars.

No, you are correct. IIRC, it was even a British proposal (maybe even with a Griffon?). I know that there is a 1:72 resin conversion set for it from a small company here in Germany - had the set in my hands at a convention, but the seller would not let me open the box in order to inspect the parts' quality. 

Looking forward to see what becomes of this one. Have the plan to convert a HUMA 309 into an individual 509 some day, through a cockpit transplantation. This plan is older than the RS Models offering, though, but I already have the HUMA kit stashed away. Earmarked for the 1946 GB, maybe...? 

The resin conversion is likely a reboxed Unicraft one, as that's the only conversion for the mid engined Mustang FTB.  The conversion is typical Unicrap, being badly cast lumps of ill shaped and brittle resin shot full of airholes with a surface texture best described as "painted with a toilet brush and dipped in cat litter grit".  One of the members elsewhere on site has just created his own masters for casting for the first time and his results are far superior by an order of magnitude to the abysmalness Unicrap dishes up. All for sub-Merlin standard tat at CMR prices.

TBH, Dizzy, you could do a lot better yourself scratching it from an Airfix F51 kit.  I'm sure you could find 72nd or approximate drawings somewhere online.

Here you go:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RR_FTB_Mustang.jpg

[Crackingjob]

With its short nose and tricycle under carriage, would have been ideal on an aircraft carrier.....Germany Navy??

[NARSES2]

Innards complete, assembly can commence.

Had an interesting one yesterday. The wheel hubs are RLM 66. Now I use the same colour for tyres, so a nice easy job for a change ? However I feel quite guilty for some reason as it was too easy  Maybe I get some odd satisfaction from trying to get as neat a demarcation as possible when painting hubs and tyres freehand with no masking ? I know I do with cockpits even when I know you will see nothing of the work put in on the finished build. I'm certain it all goes back to the days when I painted 15mm wargames figures ? 

Anyway in order to salve my conscience I may well give it a wash of black and see if that brings the hub details out.

[Gondor]

Maybe paint the hubs gloss?

Gondor

[The Wooksta!]

German wheel hubs should be gloss black.

[NARSES2]

Maybe paint the hubs gloss?

Gondor

I was actually thinking along similar lines, but doing the hubs matt and the tyres a satin varnish.

German wheel hubs should be gloss black.

Really ? I always thought late war hubs were RLM 66, it's also what RS recommend. May go down that route then. Mind you being a Hungarian built example why am I that concerned ?  Mind you Hungary did seem to follow the paint schemes that were used by the original users when they licence built types.

[NARSES2]

Maybe paint the hubs gloss?

Gondor

I was actually thinking along similar lines, but doing the hubs matt and the tyres a satin varnish.

Done and the difference is quite stark.

[NARSES2]

Have fitted the innards and they go in quite nicely providing you take your time, particularly with the nose wheel bay roof.

The kit fuselage is moulded with some raised guides for both the nose wheel bay roof and the cockpit tub. You need to take a little bit of care with the roof and make sure it's not pushed too far forward otherwise it interferes with the fuselage fit. Ask me how I know ? Anyway second attempt was much better and once that was dry the cockpit tub simply slotted into the provided guides as did the instrument panel.

Test fit of the fuselage halves after sorting out the nose wheel roof was very good 

The only problem I can see is getting enough weight into the nose in order that she'll sit on her nose wheel. We shall see, but she may need a base.

Anyway I can now start on the main assembly.