P-51D Mustang

Legion Straps into the Bubble, Almost

Legion’s 1:72 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – Robert Williams, “Duchess Arlene,” 100th Fighter Squadron, 332th Fighter Group “Tuskegee Airmen,” Ramitelli, Italy, 1944

Looking to build out their WWII aerial armada, Legion recently indicated plans to roll out six different takes on the war-winning “bubble top” P-51D Mustang. We’ve elected to bring in three of the six aircraft models they plan to produce, leaving a handful on the table for others to stock. While they all look terrific, our experience has been that certain models, among them Chinese and RAF-based versions, haven’t sold all that well for us, so there’s no reason we should expect anything different with these offerings. The three US-based P-51Ds shown here are slated to hit the tarmac early this summer.

Legion’s 1:72 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – James Tapp, “Margaret IV,” 78th Fighter Squadron “Bushmasters”, 15th Fighter Group, Iwo Jima, April 1945

Pricing hasn’t changed, meaning you can still pick up each for the nominal sum of $49.99.

Legion’s 1:72 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – Glenn Eagleston, “Feeble Eagle,” 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, 1945

Update: We’ve heard from a number of collectors that the upcoming P-51D Mustang comes with a misshapen bubble canopy. While not apparent in the original set of photographs we received in the marketing material, it becomes rather obvious in the photo below. Frankly, even the tail seems a bit stubby as compared with the real aircraft and the wings seem to exhibit less curvature when displayed against the real deal. We brought these observations to the attention of our distributor and they informed us that the mold is essentially done and little can be done about it.

I’m not certain how they came up with this configuration when the bubble top canopy has been photographed by experts around the world for decades on end. So, we’ve cancelled our opening order but decided to leave the products up on our web site in the oft chance that Legion decides to pull back and re-work these models so they better reflect the “D” version of the Mustang.

Side view of an actual P-51D Mustang. After comparing the two images, it looks as if Legion molded the bottom of the canopy onto the fuselage instead of attaching it to the base of the bubble canopy. Supposedly, the Legion replica is based upon a previously-built mold, which obviously wasn’t inspected very closely for accuracy.

Takeaway: Save your money. If this is Legion’s attempt to portray the North American P-51D Mustang, then they need a better set of prescription glasses because it misses the mark by a long shot. A proper eye chart and better reference material might be in order.

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Product Spotlight: Celebrate General Chuck Yeager’s Upcoming 94th Birthday in Style

 

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“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”

– Chuck Yeager

As legendary ace, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, nears his 94th birthday this February, Hobby Master decided to pay him hommage with a replica of his P-51D Mustang, “Glamorous Glen III.”

Stationed in the United Kingdom at RAF Leiston, Yeager flew P-51 Mustangs in combat with the 363d Fighter Squadron. He named his aircraft Glamorous Glen after his girlfriend, Glennis Faye Dickhouse, who became his wife in February 1945. Yeager had gained one victory before he was shot down over France in his first aircraft (P-51B-5-NA s/n 43-6763) on March 5th, 1944, during his eighth mission. He escaped to Spain on March 30th with the help of the Maquis (French Resistance) and returned to England on May 15th, 1944. During his stay with the Maquis, Yeager assisted the guerrillas in duties that did not involve direct combat, although he did help to construct bombs for the group, a skill that he had learned from his father. He was awarded the Bronze Star for helping another airman, who had lost part of his leg during the escape attempt, to cross the Pyrenees.

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Despite a regulation prohibiting “evaders” (escaped pilots) from flying over enemy territory again, the purpose of which was to prevent a second capture from compromising resistance groups, Yeager was reinstated to flying combat. He had joined another evader, bomber pilot Captain Fred Glover, in speaking directly to the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, on June 12th, 1944. With Glover pleading their case, they argued that because the Allies had invaded France and the Maquis were by then openly fighting the Nazis alongside Allied troops, if Yeager or Glover were shot down again, there was little about those who had previously helped them evade capture that could be revealed to the enemy.

Eisenhower, after gaining permission from the War Department to decide the requests, concurred with Yeager and Glover. Yeager later credited his postwar success in the Air Force to this decision, saying that his test pilot career followed naturally from his having been a decorated combat pilot, along with having been an aircraft mechanic before attending pilot school. In part, because of his maintenance background, he also frequently served as a maintenance officer in his flying units.

 

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Hobby Master’s January Slate Now Uploaded

Hobby Master's 1:48 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – Lt. Col. John Landers, “Big Beautiful Doll,” 78th Fighter Group, December 1944

Earlier today we were able to post all of the new January releases planned by Hobby Master. Among the notable new offerings is this 1:48 scale replica of “Big Beautiful Doll”, perhaps one of the most iconic replicas to arise from the WWII conflict in Europe. piloted by John Landers, he is credited with downing 12-1/2 aircraft, making him one of the most feared aces on the USAAF roster.

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Hobby Master's January Slate Now Uploaded

Hobby Master's 1:48 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – Lt. Col. John Landers, “Big Beautiful Doll,” 78th Fighter Group, December 1944

Earlier today we were able to post all of the new January releases planned by Hobby Master. Among the notable new offerings is this 1:48 scale replica of “Big Beautiful Doll”, perhaps one of the most iconic replicas to arise from the WWII conflict in Europe. piloted by John Landers, he is credited with downing 12-1/2 aircraft, making him one of the most feared aces on the USAAF roster.

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