1:72 P-51 D Very Long Range - Space Set (for Arma Hobby Kits)

Seven hours over the ocean

In the spring of 1945 fighter groups began operating from an island just captured halfway to the Japanese home islands and escorted heavy bombers to the target and back. The flight lasted over seven hours, mostly over water and with no landmark, so navigation and fuel management decided the outcome. The machines were given additional tanks and modified equipment for instrument flying.

Two sets, two executions

Two cockpit sets are made for this kit. One is aimed at the ordinary execution of the machine, the other at the long-range version, which has additional items in the cockpit connected with long flights. So they differ in content and in nothing else, and the choice depends on what is in the box with the kit. Check first which execution you are building and only then order the set.

A practical note on the build

The layered parts are not self-adhesive: the backing paper beneath them is only moistened, the part is lifted off with tweezers and stuck down with PVA glue onto a dry and degreased surface, and no decal softener is used on them. It is best to apply the base cockpit shade, let it cure completely and only then work with the film, because fresh paint would be dented under the pressure of the tweezers.

This can be complemented with a printed seat with cast belts or with replacement exhausts. A photo-etched set for the same machine aims mainly at the exterior.

The last piece of advice concerns the order of buying. Deal with the cockpit only once you know which markings you will be using, because it is the machine you choose that determines whether the long-range execution is the right choice.