Furball Aero Design 487 FS P-51B/D Mustang Part 1, reviewed by Andrew Garcia

Furball Aero Design 487 FS P-51B/D Mustang Pt 1

KIT #:	48-094
PRICE:	$21.99
DECALS:	One option
REVIEWER:	Andrew Garcia
NOTES:	20 options plus a vinyl mask.

Furball Aero Design has released several P-51B/D Mustang themed decal sheets over the past few years. Mainly known for their superb jet aircraft decals, especially F-14A/D Tomcats in collaboration with the Reference Books from In Detail & Scale in their “Colors & Markings” series, this decal is all about P-51’s from the 487th Fighter Squadron in the European theatre. Furball has previously printed P-47D Thunderbolt decals so prop airframes are in their previous releases.

Furball Aero Design was founded in January 2012. Their goal is to provide the enthusiast and modeler with the most accurate, well researched, and interesting decal sets available on the market. Their decal sets are always packed with multiple markings options and provide the modeler with excellent value. As a long-time decal buyer, the rise in decal pries over the years is a concern. Prices were under $10.00 for a long time but that was for decal sheets one-half the size of this decal sheet with simplistic black & white instructions. The physical decal sheet measures 8 1/2 X 11 inches. For comparison most decal sheets in the past were in a 6" X 9" format. The decal sheet is printed to the highest quality standards by the Hobby Industry's leading decal printer, Cartograf of Italy. This decal was copyrighted in 2024 and released in 2025.

This release has one decal sheet and five sheets of instructions and color profiles. They are clear and excellent guides to help you finish your model. The superb decals are printed by Cartograf. They are screen printed and legendary for quality and the ability to provide fine detail including tiny stencil lettering that is legible. Color side views and complete, per airframe (!), topside and bottom decal placement and painting guides are significantly helpful because the variation in airframe painting is well illustrated by these guides.

No specific model brand is recommended or indicted. Since there are quite a few P-51B/D models in 1/48 it's appreciated to get some guidance or recommendation. There are complete stencils for approximately 4 airframes. One of the small concerns I have with some decals is they can be translucent, and the Hamilton Standard propeller logo surround is printed in white (which I think is incorrect). The Hamilton Standard propeller logo surround is actually metallic gold. This Furball release provides that color in a golden-yellow which has been the decal norm for many years. It's close enough but not a perfect color – but I’ll take it. The white background oval used in some kit HS prop logo surround looks plain wrong to me. It, the HS prop logo is clearly readable using close-up 3X optic enlargement viewer. A few companies have provided the correct metallic gold Hamilton Standard propeller logo which I appreciate but it’s rare. Perhaps it’s rare to find the correct metallic gold color used because it is more expensive?

This decal release does provide a vinyl mask to permit the modeler to accurately portray the shape of the 487th F.S. blue painted nose colors which have a stylistic curve. It's very difficult to accurately mask with tape and correctly size the symmetrically blue cowl painted area. It’s a challenging shape and size in general and this inclusion of a painting mask for the nose area is fantastic. Since some of the airframes on this decal sheet include D-Day markings Furball does sell separately vinyl paint masks titled “P-51B Invasion Stripes Masks” (FMS-48-031) to make painting D-Day invasion stripes on your 1/48 P-51B’s a breeze. Masks for full aircraft stripes are included which should work for both P-51B/C and P-51D airframe wings. This set of Invasion Stripe Masks FMS-48-031 will work with either the Tamiya or Eduard kits.

P-51D-10-NA 44-14237, HO-W, Capt. William Whisner, January 1945 “Moonbeam McSwine”

P-51D-15-NA 44-14801, HO-L, Lt. Dean M. Huston, February 1945 “The Hawk-Eye-Owan”

P-51D-15-NA 44-15629, HO-R, Lt. Alden P. Rigby, February 1945 “Eleen and Jerry”

P-51D-10-NA 44-13335, HO-D Bar, Lt. Walker Diamond, February 1945 “Twyla Sue II”

P-51D-10-NA 44-14812, HO-T, Col. William Halton, April 1945 “Slender Tender & Tall”

P-51D-10-NA 44-14716, HO-P, Capt. Malcolm Stewart II, February 1945 “The Margarets”

P-51D-15-NA 44-15041, HO-M, Lt. Col. John C. Meyer, February 1945 “Petie 3rd”

P-51D-5-NA 44-13321, HO-P, Maj. George Preddy, Late 1944 “Cripes A’ Mighty 3rd”

P-51D-5-NT 44-11330, HO-J, Lt. Charles E. Cole, February 1945 “Joanie/My Sweet Betty Kitten of Mattapan”

P-51D-10-NA 44-14778, HO-E, Lt. Alex “Tex” Sears, January 1945 “The Sheep Herder”

P-51D-5-NT 44-11330, HO-M Bar, Lt. Raymond Littge, November 1944 “E Pluribus Unum”

P-51B-10-NA 42-106451, HO-P, Maj. George Preddy, June 1944 “Cripes A’ Mighty”

P-51B-15-NA 43-24807, HO-X, Capt. Walter “Wally” Stark, June 1944 “Stark Mad/ Even Stevens”

P-51B-5-NA 42-106471, HO-M, Lt Col John C. Meyer, May 1944 “Lambie II”

P-51B-5-NA 43-36754, HO-W, Lt. William Whisner, May 1944 “Princess Elizabeth”

P-51B-5-NA 43-36754, HO-H, Lt. Ralph Hamilton, June 1944 “Frances B. Too!”