P-51D Mustang Wheel Well and Cockpit Sets

A.M.U.R. Reaver, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

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A.M.U.R.Reaver is a Russian aftermarket company that specialises in etched brass detailing sets for aircraft models.  At the moment its range is small:  three 1/32 and five 1/48 scale sets, including these two sets intended for the Tamiya and ICM 1/48 P-51D Mustang kits.

The cockpit details are provided on a single photo-etched fret containing nearly 50 parts.  Attachment points are small, which means removal from the fret and subsequent clean up should be relatively straightforward.  The parts are well detailed, with smaller features highlighted in relief.  Some of the larger parts will require careful folding, but the fold lines are clearly scribed and the instructions are very helpful in this regard.

The set contains replacement parts for all kit sidewall detail, as well as rudder pedals, radios, and several different instrument panels and gunsights.  According to the A.M.U.R.Reaver website, these variations cater for P-51D variants between the D-5 and D-25 production blocks.  However, given subtle changes between production blocks as well as differences between individual aircraft, I recommend checking your references carefully to ensure you are incorporating the correct details for the aircraft you’re modeling.

The wheel well set addresses one of the few errors of Tamiya’s (and most other manufacturer’s) 1/48 P-51D kits – the simplified wheel well, particularly the back wall.  Tamiya portrays the wall as forming the rear edge of the gear bay opening when in fact it didn’t begin until some distance further back, at the main wing spar. 

A.M.U.R.Reaver’s replacement wheel well fixes this problem.  Some modification of the kit parts is required in order to achieve this – relatively modest if you’re using Tamiya’s kit, but more substantial if you’re using another company’s 1/48 P-51D kit.  After this surgery, you’ll be handling some big-ish pieces of brass that require complex and precise folding, so I wouldn’t tackle the set without a dedicated photo-etch bending tool and previous experience in working with this media.  But if you’re comfortable working with photo-etch, and patient, you’ll be rewarded with a detailed and accurate wheel well that with careful painting should look gorgeous. 

The inclusion of hydraulic plumbing details is a welcome touch, although these parts are very fine and will be easy to damage.  They’ll also require careful painting to overcome the two-dimensional nature of etched brass – a point that is spelled out in the instructions.

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A.M.U.R.Reaver’s instructions are a highlight of both sets, being well set out, clearly illustrated and – importantly – large enough to be easily read and followed.  I recommend examining them closely before you start any cutting or gluing.

To order, send an email to rust1968@gmail.com

While aftermarket detail sets for 1/48 P-51D kits aren’t thin on the ground, it’s always good to have more choice.  This is especially so for the wheel well set, which is a nice alternative to available resin products from Vector and Aires.  I also like A.M.U.R.Reaver’s inclusion of alternative parts in the cockpit set, which gives you both flexibility and increased accuracy in relation to the particular P-51D you are modeling.

On the basis of what these sets offer, I hope that A.M.U.R.Reaver will add some more sets to its range in the near future.

Highly recommended to modelers with some experience in working with photo-etched metal.

Reference

Bert Kinzey, ‘P-51 Mustang in Detail and Scale, Part 2 – P-51D through F-82H’ (Squadron Signal Publications, 1997)

Thanks to A.M.U.R. for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2013 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 6 June, 2013
Last updated 6 June, 2013

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