P-51 Mustang "Beguine" -Second model, based on the Arma 1/72nd kit conversion

 

(Photo from the SDASM photostream)

(The completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/03/mustang-beguine-racer-converted-arma.html

 

As you may be aware, this is the second Mustang "Beguine" -based on the Arma kit- being built for a friend in this occasion. In parallel I am building another one for me, based on the Academy kit:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/01/p-51-mustang-beguine-racer-academy.html

As my sphere of interest does not encompass this kind of plane (unless they can be converted to civil planes, as in this case) I have to declare my very scarce knowledge (to say the least) on the specific type. To me, the Arma kit looks like a "superkit" (it is sold as an "Expert Set"), an attempt to produce the ultimate Mustang. Others, with more knowledge than me, may judge to what point this was achieved. I was already more than happy with the Academy kit, but others may have accuracy peeves regarding it, small or not. If the Academy kit completely satisfied my needs, the Arma kit greatly exceeds them. For a 1/72nd scale kit, there are a lot of parts (some are alternate ones), and detail galore. dozens upon dozens -maybe hundreds-  of decals (mostly minute), a small photo-etched set, elaborate instructions, very clear parts and vinyl masks complete the set. Not sure why Arma provided vinyl masks, which are vastly inferior to paper ones, and are known for detaching themselves during priming and painting, or even before that. I hastily purchased a paper mask set to replace it (Note: a modeler added in the comments below that Arma had supply issues with the paper masks, hence the option of the vinyl). There are many parts, and many alternate ways, so the instructions -a very good quality print- reflect that complexity, and you really have to pay close attention, and try to understand what's going on, not always easy in small size drawings. To me they look in a few instances just a tad confusing, but again, the kit is a complex one. Still, I guess that for most modelers the amount of parts and the complexity are a total joy. Being that is it may, the modifications needed to convert this to a racer will eliminate quite a number of parts, for example the whole lot associated with the belly radiator, all the bonga-bonga items, most of the complex detail behind the seat (the racer had the aft windows deleted, so no detail will be really visible there), and some cockpit detail that no one will be able to see, especially if the closed canopy is chosen (which will be the case here). As with the Academy kit, the belly radiator has to be removed, the wings clipped, wingtip radiator pods added, the aft windows as mentioned above deleted, all military references removed (guns, racks, lights, antennas, etc.), but in this case the fin extension comes as an alternate part, so you don't have to fabricate it (if a LERX is a Leading Edge Root EXtension, could this be called a FREX -Fin Root EXtension?). The tail wheel and prop have to be replaced following photos of the racer. In this kit you can pose the flaps down. 

There is not a single sink hole, short pour, mismatch, or trace of flash. It looks, indeed, as close as to the "perfect" kit as it gets (but we know that's an impossibility).

As mentioned, the kit allows you to pose the flaps down, but all photos of Beguine I have (minus one, taxiing) show the flaps up, and instead the elevators are seen down, something the kit doesn't provide for, but that could be easily achieved. As the intended subject of this kit is not "Beguine", there is no fault on part of the manufacturer.

As I started the build I found sometimes difficult to extract the parts from the trees, because of the location and thickness of some of the gates. Some of these gates may be a bit invasive, or too close to detail, or placed on a kink of the part, making cutting and then cleaning a somewhat demanding operation. Extracting the parts from the trees and cleaning them was more difficult than with the Academy kit, no doubt; but on the other hand the surface detail is excellent, and the parts show a great level of finesse. The fit is good and the engineering of the locating devices sound. The fuselage sides, instead of the traditional pips and holes, use an interlocking, alternating tab system, a bit like when you prepare vacuformed parts to be glued together. 

High quality, comprehensive instructions, vast decal sheet (won't be using it), very clear transparencies with alternate parts, photo-etched fret:

Two styles of canopy, and open or closed options:

Superb detail:

The gates are a bit intrusive in places, and the thick tree runners, being too close to the parts, hinder sometimes the extraction of the parts:

I don't think any modeler would be disappointed when the level of detail is realized, and again a number of alternate parts to satisfy variants:

Myriads of tiny decals:

The vinyl masks, far inferior to paper ones and very prone to detach, are the only crappy content of this kit. An Eduard paper set was purchased to substitute them.

Note: a modeler (perhaps in contact with the manufacturer?) posted below that Arma had a supply issue with the paper masks, thus decided to provide vinyl ones until the problem is solved, rather than hold the release of the kit. Supposedly later releases of this kit would have the paper masks:

One example of the somewhat intrusive gates, also placed at times not in the best location:

Fine molding, here you can even see the aileron trim cutouts:

The kit provides two horizontal tails, with and without the fin extension. If you use the former, you have to eliminate a small triangular area to clear it, as per instructions:

The fuel tanks -as with the one on the Academy kit- are used to create the wingtip pods for the radiators. Before joining the halves, discs are inserted to avoid see-through once the ends are cut off:

Most parts are separated (don't do that if you think you may lose them) and washed:

Some of the discarded parts, either because they are alternates or not appropriate for this racer:

A bit of paint:

The holes associated with bonga-bonga in the wing are plugged with styrene:

 The wingtip pods are fashioned:

As the interior is assembled, some of the decals are used. These are very well printed, sharp, and with solid colors. But application was a bit puzzling for several reasons: many of these decals are just buttons or text and the like in color or white lettering, that go over a "box" or placard that you have to paint black. Why not provide the decals already with a black background? needless to say, these extremely small decals will make you learn what surface tension is, as they try to go this way and that, but not the way you need them to be. Moreover: some of the decal locations have molded relief already, and the decals have to somehow conform to them. Even with decal solutions the task is difficult. You could work with the existing relief and dry-brush it, adding a pinprick of color here and there, or try to remove the extremely minute detail before applying the decals, but not both. 

What at first sight looked like myriads of decals, are in fact duplicated sections (as spares), which is a good idea, since it's not easy to handle them. Some of these small decals cover very small detail (hardly visible), but when the decals need to be placed very close to each other their carriers interfere. I guess it's up to modelers what they chose to use or discard. 

The solution I found was to sparingly brush satin varnish (acrylic) over and around the decals -after applying the setting solution and once it dried- and as the varnish dried it sucked the decals a bit better over the relief, and sealed them.

Unlike the Academy kit, the aft transparencies don't rely on tabs for their location, but have a god fit nonetheless. Beware that the very thin fuselage section on top of the windows is further weakened by some holes. These windows will have to be puttied and sanded flush with their surroundings:

These areas need to to be smoothed-out, thus the section is masked using panel lines when possible and putty applied:

The cockpit pan is a good fit, still, a pass or two with the sanding stick will be needed for the fuselage to close comfortably, as like every single interior in the modeling universe, it's a bit bigger than it should be. The locating points for the instrument panel sub-assembly (two small tabs) are insufficient and poorly conceived, and will create issues, unlike the cockpit pan which has enough to be secured and aligned in place properly. An after-market prop is in the photo already assembled:

Progress has been made. The fuselage is closed, the tail feathers added. Now the gap to be filled -where the radiator area used to be- can be clearly seen:

The void is closed:

Wing tips sawed-off and reparations to install the pods:

In place:

Canopy on a first coat of primer:

The green color was applied. I didn't obtain the particular hue I was looking for, as the paint is perceived one way in the cup and differently on the model, and successive coats change the depth of the color. I will let it dry and apply a thin top coat with a slightly different hue to match a photo kindly sent to me by Jon Etherton, for which I am truly grateful:

 Finally with the top coat the particular green-blue hue was obtained:

After masking, the tip of the pods is painted as well as the canopy frame:

The inner edge of the flaps is painted metal, as the deflection will make them visible:

The Red Pegasus decals shattered. A similar set from Draw Decals -that behaved perfectly in the other Mustang- was ordered to replace it.:

Finally the decals sets -that shall replace the failed Red Pegasus one- arrived from Draw Decals:

And so it begins again...

The set -as mentioned before with the Academy kit Beguine- works really well, but the carrier is thin (which is good) and requires careful handling and no mistakes. Disregard the position of the 7 on top of the left wing, it should be all the way around, the "flat" part aiming towards the fuselage:

As clearly seen in these images from the Net:

The 7 that goes under the wing is correctly positioned in the decal instructions, though:

This inaccuracy has been pointed out before, Draw Decals may like to issue an errata in their set.

Now let's the setting solution snuggle the decals.

The completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/03/mustang-beguine-racer-converted-arma.html