Sheet #

Superscale 72-687 for P-51B Mustang

Price:

$6

Units:

357 FG & 20 FG

Review By:

Scott Van Aken

Notes:

 

The P-51B was the first high altitude version of the Mustang. The original aircraft, with its Allison engine was a world-beater at low altitude, but the Allison's high altitude performance was pretty poor. Anything much higher than 15,000 feet was about all the Allison could handle. 

Plugging a British Merlin into the P-51 made all the difference. At last, a proper performing engine at both high and low altitudes. Most of the Merlins used for the Mustang were built under license by Packard in the US. As a side note, aero engines are one area in which the British have always  excelled. The Merlin is just an example. They also developed superb turbojets that the US used for decades and were the first to have a really successful turboprop.

Anyway, this particular sheet is for two planes, one from the 357th and the other from the 20th Fighter Group. 

The 357th bird is 'Little Kitten' and has  the usual red and yellow checkered nose band. It also sports a yellow rudder and remnants of invasion stripes under the fuselage. It is painted in OD over Neutral Grey (where Superscale got the FS 36440 is beyond me as I think it is a bit too light).

'Shoot, You're Faded' is the other P-51B and from the 20th FG. It is in overall natural metal. Both of these aircraft feature a Malcolm Hood that gave much better vision than the standard canopy.

This sheet is much unlike earlier Mustang sheets. It not only gives only two aircraft (instead of the 4 or 5 of older sheets), it gives a full data suite for both planes. you'll have a fine time adding all that stuff to your small scale Mustang!

Review copy courtesy of my long suffering credit card!

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