Kit: No R7224
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: High Planes Models, +61 260 76 196, hiplanes@corryongcec.net.au
Price: $19.76
Comments: Injection molded, 28 parts (2 cast metal, 2 vacuum-formed, 6 resin), decals
Pros: Great subject, colorful markings
Cons: Soft material, sparse detail
High Planes Models has released the 1979 version of the RB-51 air racer in its gorgeous "Michelob Light" markings. This is one sharp-looking Mustang. With lightly engraved panel lines and a lot of flash, this High Planes kit is molded in a soft, light-blue plastic. The injection-molded seat, control column, and control panel that make up the sparse interior are coupled with a resin gear bay, wheels, exhausts, and radiator intake lip. Separate injection-molded flaps round out the airframe. Two vacuum-formed canopies are provided, as well as white-metal main-gear struts.
The instructions advise the builder to add view blocks for the radiator and rear-cockpit bulkhead. A piece of nylon stocking glued to some plastic sheet made for a quick radiator. I also opened the carburetor intake on the top of the nose, installing a view block there as well. High Planes correctly instructs the modeler to check the fit of the canopy prior to gluing the fuselage halves together. I added a .020" shim to improve the fit, and after much trimming and fitting, I still wasn't pleased with the canopy's fit, so I cut it and installed it in the open position. Having two canopies certainly helped during that operation.
The contrarotating prop is one of the main attention-grabbers for this airplane, and it required a lot of trimming and filing of both the individually molded prop blades and the split spinner. Fitting the resin gear bay was a challenge, requiring much plastic to be ground away from the wing interior and the gear bay to be thinned almost to breakthrough. The wings required some filler at the tips, as did the wing root fairings. High Planes' injected plastic is easy to shape and sand. I decided to build the Red Baron with its inner-gear doors and flaps dropped. I removed some material from the root fairings to thin down the areas where the flaps retract.
After a good scrubbing and polish, the model was ready for paint. I used Testor gloss white and guards red. Decaling the model requires great care if you pose the flaps down. The Red Baron script is applied above and below where the wing crosses the flap upper and lower surfaces and across all four gear doors. I measured and cut the flap sections out of each decal, then taped the gear doors in place and applied the decals over them, trimming each for the correct fit. The decals have a spotty gloss finish, and the instructions show thin red prop-tip decals, but High Planes doesn't provide these markings. Mine came from the spares box.
I added the natural-metal panels by the exhaust and the interior of the flaps using Bare-Metal Foil. Beware - the foil's adhesive will lift the decals if you are not careful. I'm not telling which one I lost. Installing the gear struts requires drilling holes in the resin bay insert.
I spent about 25 hours on my RB-51, split about equally between fit and finishing. Careful cleanup and fitting is essential but is rewarded by an accurately shaped model. This High Planes kit was easy work. In the end, I have a wonderful model of a unique airplane to add to my collection. I highly recommend you try one of their "NASCAR of the Sky" kits - they are guaranteed to stand out in your model case.
- Chuck Davis