I tried to build the Airfix F-51D earlier this month, and ended up FUBARing it. (I have not yet been able to successfully build an Airfix kit. This is probably a much greater reflection on me than on Airfix.) I wasn't too disappointed, as I only paid $10 for it at a swap meet, and it had three decal options, so I got my money's worth from the decals even if I messed up the kit itself. I decided to use one of the decal options on this kit. The P-51D in this kit is 61040. This kit includes a vehicle, which I didn't build.

The kit went together well, as these Tamiya kits usually do. The only difficulty I had was putting the fuselage halves together. I think I've had this issue with every P-51 I've built. The exterior was Mr. Color C-8 Silver, thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner. The bottle I used was rather old, and almost empty, and it didn't spray very well. The spinner is Model Color Flat Red, thinned with Quick Shine. I wanted more of a scarlet than a crimson. The anti-glare panel is XF-62 Olive Drab. Airfix specifies gun metal for the exhaust panels. I used Mr. Color C-78 Metallic Black.

I was a little aprehensive about the decals. I think I tried to use Airfix decals on a kit in the past, and they did not work well. That being said, the decals worked flawlessly. I used my usual hot water, and they came off the backing paper very easily and I had no trouble positioning them. I used Quick Shine as a gloss coat and Micro Flat as a flat coat.

I created my own mask for the windscreen. Here is a link. Since the only part of the main canopy that you need to mask is the front edge, I just masked that by hand.

Page last updated February 6, 2026.