P-51D Mustang Part 3

EagleCals Decals

1/32, 1/48 or 1/72 scales

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Eagle Cals #140 P-51D Mustang Part 3 is available online from Squadron.com

The release of the new 1/32 scale Tamiya P-51D has been a blessing for fans of the Mustang as it has prompted a veritable flood of new decal releases.  This is beneficial for two reasons.  Firstly, decals that have been around since the late 60’s and early 70’s are being re-leased with the benefit of more meticulous research and far better printing technology, and secondly, Mustangs that have never been seen in decal format are popping up.

Eagle Editions Ltd are one of the decal manufactures who are embracing this new trend and have recently released three new Mustang sheets in their EagleCal range, EagleCals EC#139, EC#140, EC#141, and EC#141, with a fourth one, EC#142 to follow shortly.

Each sheet carries markings for three machines.  Combine these sheets with the previous EagleCals Mustang releases and you soon realise the Eagle Editions are into Mustangs!

EagleCals EC#141 Part 3

This sheet provides you with markings for a further three UK based machines, two from the 8th Air Force and one from the 9th Air Force, two with fin fillets and one without. 

The details of each option are as follows:

• P-51D-20-NA serial number 44-63607 flown by Lieutenant Colonel Glenn T. Eagleston of the 9th Air Force’s 345th Fighter Group, 353rd Fighter Squadron.  The machine is in overall natural metal finish with an olive drab anti-glare panel and yellow spinner/nose group markings.  It also wears black theatre recognition bands around its horizontal stabilisers.  The information on placement guide calls this machine “FEEBLE EAGLE” but again, I could find no images of the machine wearing the name although the machine is referred to by that name on several websites.  The decal for the eagle nose art is beautifully reproduced!

• P-51D-20-NA serial number 4472308 “RIDGER RUNNER III” flown by Major Pierce W. McKennon of the 8th Air Force’s 4th Fighter Group, 335th Fighter Squadron.  Ah, a little nostalgia here as these markings were in the box for the ancient 1/32 scale Hasegawa P-51D kit!  The machine is in standard natural metal finish with an olive drab anti-glare pane.  It wears the 4th Fighter Group’s red spinner and nose markings as well as a red outlined white rudder – a note re the rudder markings, some references give the marking as a black outline whilst others say red.   Either way, you have to paint it as no decal is provided.  The white for the rudder though is thankfully supplied as a decal which will make the replication of the marking easy, simply spray the rudder red (or black) then apply the white decal.  The machine also wears “angle of attack” markings on its wings.  These are provided as deals in both red and black – your choice!!  No black band Theatre markings are worn.

• P-51D serial number 44-13704 “Ferocious Frankie”.  Another 8th Air Force machine it was flown by Major Wallace Hopkins of the 361st Fighter Group’s 374th Fighter Squadron.  An early P-51D lacking the dorsal strake, it is in overall natural metal finish with and olive drab anti-glare panel.  It wears the Group’s yellow spinner and nose band as D-Day recognition markings on the undersides of its wings and fuselage.  D-Day markings are also worn on the upper surfaces of its wings and fuselage but these have been (lightly) over sprayed in olive drab

Two sets of national insignia as well as a single comprehensive set of stencil data is provided with each option having a separate and correct data block.

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Thumbnail panels:

The placement guide is A-3 in size and folded in four so that when you open it up you have full A-4 sized illustrations.  A left hand side full colour profile is provided for each option with the markings keyed by letter to those on the decal sheet.  Smaller plan views are provided for upper and lower surfaces.  The stencil data placement guide is a line drawing and it too is full A-4 sized.  Notes for each option are also provided and these include a brief history of each machine’s pilot.  The placement guide appears to have been printed using a good quality laser printer rather than the normal printing press. 

The decals themselves are produced by Cartograf, and very well produced they are!  Everything on my sample sheet is in perfect register and there is an absolute minimum of carrier film surrounding each subject which is excellent as the film tends to show up when applied onto a natural metal finish subject.  The decals themselves look very shiny and somewhat thick.  I feared that they would be resistant to settling solution but a link provided off the EagleCals website to a review of their new Mustang sheets on the Osprey Publishing Modelling News website shows that they will work and work quite well. 

Are they accurate?  EagleCals are well known for their meticulous research and the research for these four new sheets was done by Mark Proulx.  There is however a disclaimer printed on the placement guide – “The colour schemes depicted are the artist’s interpretations of the available photographic references only.  The final decision resides with the modeller.”  From what I can find of the three subjects in my library and on the internet though, Mark and EagleCals have done an excellent job on these.

The decal sheet and placement guide come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

The sheets are also available in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale.

This is an excellent new release from EagleCals.  It provides you with top quality decals and supporting material to model three different bright and colourful P-51Ds.

Thanks to Eagle Editions for the review samples

EagleCals decals are available from Eagle Editions Website

Preview Text Copyright © 2011 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 4 October, 2011
Last updated 5 October, 2011

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