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Revell's P-51D kit #H31 is similar to Monogram's version from the same era except it does not have the removable panels. Detail is not as crisp as Monogram's version but it is a simple kit and builds up nicely. Here's my version built out of the box. I dipped the spinner in red paint for the pointy end of the spinner.

No worries David. I've only built four 1/48 scale planes in my life: Monogram F-102 Delta Dagger, F-106 Delta Dart, Stearman biplane and a P-51 that everyone considered unrecoverable. The Dagger and Dart were presents for a good friend who was the project development manager for both planes in the 50's and 60's. The Stearman was a review kit on another forums, and the P-51 was in our Distressed Kit Auction for four years running because nobody would bid on it since they all thought there was no way it could be built. They didn't even think it was worth parts! So it was given to me and I decided for fun to see what I could do with it. Most everyone agreed that I didn't really build it; I "resurrected" it! The two F-14's were in a dual kit that I also did as a review. In that case, I did one with all the photo-etch that was included in the kit and the other without to show how they build either way. Also, the one was a -B model so I made it into a "Bombcat".

That is a tough one to answer. At one Nats a first place car had a beautiful finish, but an auto modeler friend harshly criticized it because it had a different engine fitted. I would have never noticed. Regarding the Char Bis example, it never would have occurred to me to install the exhaust tips that way. But that is because I know what a Char Bis looks like. But if someone put F-15C wheels on an F-15E, I would miss it. One backwards installation I have seen several times involved the German WW II Fritz X glide bomb’s main wings. I guess it is easy to mix up fore/aft orientation. But if you knew what the Fritz X looked like, you would notice. So it all boils down to what the judges know, which for all practical purposes, cannot be 100%. So it falls back to craftsmanship for judging. My 5 cents.

This is a question that has always bothered me. When is an accuracy mistake so egregious that it becomes a craftsmanship error? Or worse, some errors could be one or the other, depending on who is evaluating it. If the builder who installed the exhausts up side down because he honestly thought it was the right way, it’s an accuracy mistake. But if he had the instructions in front of him, and did it wrong anyway, it is a craftsmanship error. How is the judge to know? Some mistakes, even honest ones, are too obvious and to outrageous for a judge to allow- like a model photo posted on this Forum a few years ago, during this very discussion, of a P-40 with the wheels inside of the main landing gear struts instead of outside. That is just too hard a “mistake “ to make and reflects work too carelessly done on a very well known and easily referenced aircraft- even if he or she did not have the instructions in front of him or her, which is not likely. In the end, on Judgement er, judging day, the builder is throwing him or herself on the mercy of that judging team. This is such a grey area with no clear policy or answer-how could there be? I guess the builder better hope those judges are in a forgiving mood. At the very least, depending on the seriousness of the error, if spotted, it is likely to be “points off.” Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge

For those interested, the build thread is HERE Here are a few finished pictures, of a model that I've always wanted, built by kit-bashing a 1/72 Hasegawa F4B/N Phantom II kit, that eventually used NO aftermarket parts, NO resin parts, and NO vacuformed parts. I only used the parts in the Hasegawa box, some decals from the spares box, and of course, some decals printed on my inkjet printer at home. I should mention here that all the needed artwork is provided in the build thread, free for any NON-Commercial use, if you would care to try one yourself. The pictures: Give one a try -- you'll like it! Thanks for looking, Ed

This is OOTB. Sort of a middle of the road kit for the old Airfix line. Not as primitive as the first releases, but not as good as the last few, just sort of 'not bad'. I sanded off the rivets, painted the stripes and added striping to the bombs. Interesting note on the recognition stripes, they were added because US pilots in Korea weren't great at A/C recognition and kept mistaking the Fireflies for Russian types in use by the Koreans. Got so bad that they even painted large Union Flags on the decks of the British carriers.