North American P-51 Mustang (Osprey Modelling Manuals 19) [Paperback]

Jerry Scutts (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Modelling Manuals | Publication Date: May 25, 2002

Osprey Modelling Manual 19 covers the best-known US fighter of WWII - the long-range escort that made possible the USAAF’s bombing of Germany by day. This classic fighter would go on to have a significant postwar history too. With detailed step-by-step model photography, specially commissioned walkround photography, scale drawings and wartime shots, these books will provide all the details needed to model the main P-51 version, the P-51D (nearly 8,000, over half the total number of P-51s, built) and its variants. There is a full roundup of the models available on the market, details of where you can see the real thing, a select bibliography, and survey of websites of interest.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A perfect combination of easy-to-follow text combined with comprehensive step-by-step photography make Osprey Modelling Manuals indispensable reference guides for modellers of all standards and abilities.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841762679
• ISBN-13: 978-1841762678
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.3 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,517,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very frustrating, September 20, 2003

By 

M. Flegal (CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North American P-51 Mustang (Osprey Modelling Manuals 19) (Paperback)

This is one of those books that will drive you crazy. This book is full of some very well done 1/48th models of the various marks of Mustangs. Typically, they are built straight from the box with the addition of aftermarket cockpit detail sets and, in one example, a full engine. What makes this book so frustrating is that the cockpits are so well done in the book, as are the beautiful metal finishes yet they don't give much instruction on how they were done. Since the models seem to have been built by several different modellers there are several different styles of cockpit detailing and painting and most every modeler has something that you will want to emulate on your own models. Too bad, because nothing in the text will tell you how to do it. For example, there is a cockpit in there that has a stunningly good natural wood cockpit floor achieved by paint alone. Think that they'll tell you how to do it? Nope, they don't. There is a cockpit frame that has a great shadowing detail done between the natural metal frame and the glass. Nothin in the text even mantions it, much less tells you how to do it. Subtle shading around a colorful paintjob on a tail or nose and again, nothing in the text even mentions it.

In effect, the title of this book is incorrect, this is not really a modelling manual since it gives very little instruction on how to actually improve your technique. What it is is a collection of photos of some very well painted models (interestingly, little to nothing is improved on the model outside of the cockpit, some gunbays, and the one engine so that poorly fitting parts are still poorly fitting, the panel under the nose being a prime example) that will hopefully inspire you but will lead to some real frustration as to how to learn the techniques used.

I wish that Osprey would re-release this book with some informative text so that we modellers could learn how to do these things.