This kit was first issued during the 1970’s. This kit really got me hooked on building models for good. It was a pretty nice surprise when I first opened the box. The plastic was crisp with great detail inside and out. I opened it on the bus on my way home.  I purchased the new release a couple of years ago and it sat in my closet for a while. I opened it and I found the plastic to be about as good as my first encounter with it. I pleasantly surprised to see that the lower cowling and carburetor air intake parts had been reworked. I took on the job of building this model in spite the Tamiya or Hasegawa kits stacked in my model stash.

Click on images below to see larger images

The construction was pretty straight forward, the cockpit detail is better than the Tamiya or Hasegawa offering, wheel wells are good looking and the gun bay looks pretty nice. The lower part of the engine is detailed and it comes with a choice of shrouded or non-shrouded exhaust stubs. Decals offer two choices as well. These were of great quality and conformed easily to the nose section. I chose to build the mount of Col. Landers. Tamiya just released also a P-51 kit that includes the same markings. Quite colourful!

There are minor fit problems that a bit of putty can take care off. I finished the model with Floquil’s Bright Silver, coated with Future Acrylic floor wax. The interiors were painted in ModelMaster interior green and detailed with black, olive drab, silver, gray, yellow and red. The pilot figure was painted with artist oil colours. This figure in my opinion is one of Monogram’s best. It deserves to be painted and displayed in the cockpit. 

Once again happy modeling,   

Ed Fuquay

Click on images below to see larger images