22
with a dry cloth. Squeegee repeatedly to get as much of the water
out from under the decal as possible. Allow the decals to set
overnight to finish drying. Once dry, they will be solidly adhered to
the model.
Rudder Number Placement: The spacing between the individual
rudder numbers is different on the left and right sides of the
airplane.
This is the way it was on Don Gentile’s original
“Shangri-La”, due to the USAAC marking specs and how they
related to the rudder hinge line. On the model, you need to space
the numbers approximately 3/8” apart on the left side of the rudder,
and approximately 1/4” apart on the right side, as shown here.
COCKPIT DETAILS (Optional)
Nothing dresses up a scale model more than some cockpit details.
For a “sport scale” model like this P-51B MUSTANG, you don’t
need museum-class scale details, but some simple “eye candy” to
fill the space under the canopy. This kit includes a sheet of easy-
to-use cockpit details printed on heavy card stock. There’s an
instrument panel, a pilot seat back, and a radio box. While these
paper items may seem too simple and unimportant at first glance,
they really do add a lot to the looks of the finished airplane, (see
photos), yet are very simple to make and install.
Instrument Panel: Carefully cut out with a sharp hobby knife or
scissors, cutting precisely on the edge lines. Glue in place in the
airplane with spray-on craft glue, epoxy, or ordinary white glue.
Pilot Seat Back:
Carefully cut out with a sharp hobby knife or
scissors, cutting precisely on the edge lines. Glue the seat back
print to a piece of scrap balsa or plywood (1/16”-1/8” thick). Trim
the wood to match the outline of the seat back. Paint the wood
chromium green or primer gray. Glue in place, with another piece
of 1/8” sq. scrap balsa for support.
Radio: Carefully cut out with a sharp hobby knife or scissors,
cutting precisely around the perimeter lines. DON’T cut off the
white 45
O
assembly tabs - cut right on the lines. After you have it
METHOD i - EXTERNAL: You can route the antenna along the
inside of the fuselage to a point just behind the canopy. Drill a
3/32” dia. hole through the top of the fuselage at that point and
poke the antenna through the hole. Anchor the antenna to the top
of the fin with a rubber band hooked over a T-pin that is glued
securely into the fin.
METHOD iI - INTERNAL: Purchase a length of nylon pushrod
tubing to use as an antenna holder. Slide the antenna inside the
tube, stringing it out as straight as possible. Then, mount the tube
in the aft portion of the fuselage, sticking it through the holes in the
formers. Glue the tube securely to the fuselage structure.
DECAL APPLICATION
The decals supplied with your P-51B Mustang are sticky-back
Mylar
®
with a very aggressive adhesive. They are NOT water-
activated transfers. These decals are not die-cut and need to be
cut from their sheets with a sharp hobby knife or scissors.
A
straight edge makes this easier when straight lines are involved.
Trim as close to the image as possible. Use the box art and other
photos of the full-scale "Shangri-La" to learn the correct placement
of all the decals.
Putting sticky-back decals on a model can be tricky, especially
medium to large size ones like some of those in this kit. If you
don't do it right you will end up with unsightly air bubbles trapped
underneath the decal. The best method is to put large decals on
"wet". This technique involves using a "soapy water" mixture to
float the decal on the surface of the model until you get it in
correct position, and then use a squeegee to press the decal
permanently in place.
The soapy water mixture can simply be water mixed with a very
small amount of dish soap, or SIG Pure Magic Model Airplane
Cleaner, or Fantastic
®
, or Windex
®
, or 409
®
type household
cleaners - they all work great. For a squeegee, we recommend
the SIG 4" Spreader #SIGSH678, or simply use some scraps of
sheet balsa. You will also want to have some soft paper towels or
clean soft cloths (old tee shirts are great) handy. We, also, suggest
that you have some narrow (1/8" width or less) trim tape handy for
making temporary guidelines to help in aligning the decals.
First, spray the surface of the model where the decal is to be
placed with a soapy water mixture. Then, carefully peel the decal
completely off the backing sheet, being careful not to let the sticky
side double over and adhere to itself. Then, spray the adhesive
side of the decal as well. Lightly position the decal in place on the
wet surface of the model. Do not push down! The liquid allows you
to slide the decal into the desired final position, as long as you
don't press down on it.
Once you have it in position, gently
squeegee the excess liquid out from under the decal, starting from
the middle and working out towards the edges. Mop up the liquid
Hard-to-find pictures of both sides of the rudder of the original “Shangri-La”, taken after
Don Gentile’s unfortunate crash on April 13, 1944.