N.A. Mustang P-51S, U.S. Navy, Korean War (DONE! PICS on Page 3)

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks!!! If I can keep my wits about me this might have some actual paint on it later. 



Current state of the "union" (which is holding steady so far!  ) .

Just have to let it sit a little while so I don't bump anything then I'll slather a little more glue in a few spots to shore things up.... then let it set awhile again before I prime it.

I'm contemplating trying to mask the windscreen/canopy. Not my favorite thing to do but I want the paint to match up so it would be nice. The plane body gets primer, then black spray paint, then will be brushed with the blue color. I could do them seperately but I'm afraid that when I gloss the plane body that... the lack of glossing the framing on the canopy.. will have it the wrong color so I'd like to at least TRY to mask it. Being this bubble canopy, it doesn't get much simpler, so at least there's that. . .. 

Gotta glue on the tail-wheel doors, too.   

[TheChronicOne]

Things are moving rapidly, now. In fact, I'm going to try go get this finished.

I've painted the windscreen/canopy. Just need to fix one tiny section w/ a toothpick where I went wide with paint then may need to do a tad bit of touch up.

Mixed up the paint... my blue wasn't quite dark enough so I added some black in with it (decided not to spray black, I think this is the better option).

Two, maybe three more coats, then I can gloss it and let it sit for 45 minutes then I can put on transfers which will be a delight because there are only like.....15 of 'em. 

[DogfighterZen]

Looking good!

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks, homie!

BUUUUUt... of all the stupid things... I never stopped to dry fit the canopy and file and sand it and the cockpit area and now... AFTER I've painted it all... the damn thing fits on like a PIECE OF #^E%&%$^*&#%^$%^#%&.    Fitment isn't even close.huge gapes all along the entire thing... front, back, and both sides.

So of course now I'm filing with files on this stuff and there goes the paint and.... I've already filed off too much off the fuselage... SIGH.  Why does this stupid stuff ALWAYS happen right at the end?!  It's my own fault, of course, but damnit, its frustrating.

I don't know if I'll finish this tonight after all.

Not giving up, though.    Hopefully something will "give" and suddenly, magically, it fits right then I can get back on track. If not for this, I would have cleared this thing about 30 minutes ago and would be putting on transfers within the next 20 minutes.


Hooo wee, I can say one thing, though. I got all the coats on and I think I nailed the shade of blue and it looks great!!!! Nice and flat, no brush strokes or chunks of malarkey on there. 


Place your bets now on how many times I snap the pitot tube off.... 

[TheChronicOne]

You know what... to hell with it.  Life is too short.

The entire canopy/windscreens is TOO WIDE by a pretty decent margin ANYWAY and there's no way to possibly fix this so ya know what??? I'm going to just patch it up and let it ride.

Now I know why there is a healthy aftermarket canopy biz.  This same exact BS happened on the last plane I built. Different manufacturer, but same exact problem... it's as if the folks that made the airplane proper, and the folks that made the canopies, didn't talk to each other or even live on the same continent.

Stay tuned... going to spend about another 10 minutes "fixing" this mess then it's off to clear..   

[TheChronicOne]

Tee heeee!! Got a little crazy wit' me clear and sprayed too heave and got some runs. Luckily two are on the bottoms of the floats and one on the bottom side of one wing so I'm not sweating that at all.

I think it'll need another coat, though, oddly enough .. . .

I'll put that on in about 10 minutes then later I'll try to put on the transfers. 


I think this color really suits the ol' Mustang! With the glossy finish it's going to be nice. 

[seadude]

Just from the few posts on "this thread page only", it sounds like you are rushing this project. That's not a good thing to do. Believe me, I know as I've done it multiple times in the past. When you rush build a model, eventually, you wind up making mistakes. Relax and take it slow.   Why the hurry?

[TheChronicOne]

You're exactly right.. after I got them pontoons on I went into hyper-drive. Sometimes I forget everything I've learned and let things get out of whack.  When I ran into the canopy fitment problem that's when I went off the rails.    Such a stupid mistake and the thing is... I NORMALLY don't forget to do this.

75% of my problems are me forgetting important steps, then rather than dealing with them properly, half the time I try to "make up for lost time" by hurrying things. 

That said, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I've been known to drag out a 2 hour project-segment to a week or more trying to achieve perfection. It's like that classic rock song...... "One extreme to the other. " Some times I find the perfect balance and everything goes right... other times... well.... 

I can say one thing.. I am very distracted and on the verge of being really hacked off (work and money things.... I'm waiting on a severly late, rather large check that I NEED desperately and after almost 3 weeks I'm about ready to choke the life out of someone). I made the smart decision, the last couple of days, to not try to get anything done whilst in this type of mood but today I was determined to "not have a bad day" and try to carry on as normal. Try as I might, it's not going as I'd like. Then earlier I heard about Mrs. PR19 and that made me sad.. I should have put everything away at this point but then the "My God, you're close to being finished.... just press on" thought process took over.

Sheehs... it's a mess inside my head sometimes. If it helps to explain some of it, I have that Adult ADD stuff that makes it a monumental task sometimes to focus and slow down. Some days I can do real well, other days it gets the best of me and nothing goes right.

Thank you for stopping in with the words of support and good advice.      I will aspire to heed this advice and slooooowwww dowwwwwwn.    I'll get to the promised land eventually, you all are helping me become a better builder all the time so at least there's that. 

[TheChronicOne]

OK... here we go. I let this dry up more time than necessary by trimming transfers. Good stuff!

It looks good to me! I wanted it to be glossy as heck and it CERTAINLY IS.      It could easily be defined as TOO glossy and I'd likely agree but I'm fine with it. I may consider toning it down with my satin clear but I'll make that decision after I put the transfers on and then maybe again after I seal them in. After I do that this thing may reflect bullets and be seen inside from the inside of a bowling ball... we'll see.... 

Some good news is that even after the gloss I still think the color of blue is "correct."    I'll take all the good news I can get. . . . 

Grand total of transfers is 17 and that's not too bad at all. This should be a breeze and these transfers look fantastic.    This is often one of my favorite parts of the build.

[Tophe]

Looking good!

I have the same feeling...

[TheChronicOne]

Many thanks!!  I'm currently puttin' the decorations on and it's shaping up!!

I almost messed up and skipped this, but, I thought I'd stop and do an ericr tribute with a "primary colors seaplane" pic:



I tried to find that thread but fell short... 

Anyway... another half hour or so and I'll be done with this one. 

[Tophe]

Wonderful!
There may be a winner there! (not of the war but of the model contest)...
Ericr's topic is at http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,40517.510.html

[TheChronicOne]

Niiiiice. 

I'll post this glossy all-blue version there as it fits in so well, I think he'll like it. 


As far as an update, however, I deemed this to be way too shiny and decided to spray it down with satin coat. In my opinion, it made it look better than ever!!!! I will show pics later but right now it is drying...  I don't dare lay a finger on it right now.

Transfers all worked well aside from the fact that they didn't "slide" very well.. I think that's because of the severe-gloss.   

I winded up deleting two of them because once one was on the fuselage..... I noticed it read, "F4U CORSAIR" etc etc. Well.... it's so small no one would really be able to read it, but that boat won't float, so they had to go.

[TheChronicOne]

Ain't no story. It's a post-war Navy P-51 on floats, serving in the Korean war as a rescue craft.

















For once, I didn't plan it, but this last picture seems to be the best.

What can I say..... I'm thrilled with it. These things always look so much better in person especially considering my crappy camera coupled with my crappy photography skills. I mean.... this thing looks like something out of "Flipper." 

As much as I whined, this truly was a fun build.       

[zenrat]

Gorgeous.  You wouldn't have thought you would have to weight the tips of the floats would you but my Sea Shepherd Swordfish was the same.
Every seaplane I build form now on is going to get the floats weighted.