1/72 Italeri F51-D

 Mustang FAS

by Rafael Colindres

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This is a model of the F-51D Mustang in 1/72 from Italeri.  The kit is quite good and needs very little effort to make it shine. The model represents a Mustang F-51D from the Salvadoran Air Force (FAS) and was also used in the 1969 war against Honduras that was called "the soccer war".  The model at issue (407) and wears a dark green camouflage and on clear gray. I began with a base aluminum that was sealed with Future and the rivets recreated, all the standards are painted.  The model was painted using enamel colors from Humbrol and sealed with Microscale acrylic matte.  For more realism, several details were done from sprue and added the model to better represent the characteristics of the Mustang from that time period.  Some things that were added in the cockpit include (handles, oxygen tanks etc) as well as the main fuel tank being eliminated and the pilot's seat was modified.  The flaps, the ailerons and the rudder were separated. The gunbay in the left wing was opened and the guns and belts of the ammunition were added.  The engine cowling was also opened and a copy was created with styrene and was constructed.  The model does not require putty and the fit is quite good.  This model represents one of last Mustangs that participated in air combat.  On July 17 of 1969 Douglas Captain Varela was shot down by a Corsair F4U-5N landing of the Honduran side of the border where he was massacred by the Honduran forces and his remains weren't repatriated to El Salvador until the year 2005.

Rafael 

Photos and text © by Rafael Colindres