Cavalier Mustang

**richkat** · #1 10-27-2014, 06:53 PM

Here are some pics of my build of Airdave's Cavalier Mustang. Cavalier Aircraft Corporation bought the rights to the North American P(F)-51 Mustang and built some as business planes back before Lear had the same idea! Some were sold to the Army and used as chase planes and as close support planes by other Country's. Here's a Wiki link about them
Cavalier Mustang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
My build in at 1/24 scale, and like all Dave's Mustang's it enlarged GREAT.
His new kit will be out soon and is for 2 Mustang's used by the Army as chase planes.....Thanks Dave for this great model.....Rich

**elliott** · #2 10-27-2014, 07:29 PM

Great job Rich! It sure did enlarge well (no surprise there with Dave as the designer).

**airdave** · #3 10-27-2014, 08:27 PM

Yes, very nice build Rich.

These Army F-51s were done at the request of Don Boose.
I was very happy to accommodate Don.

The models will be released later this week.

Yes, Elliott, I started with a good Nobi base design...so how could I go wrong?

**YOAVHOZMI** · #4 10-27-2014, 11:25 PM

good looking model and the building is great and very clean.

YOAV

**richkat** · #5 10-28-2014, 04:47 AM

Thanks guys, I think it came out fine........Rich

**RyanShort1** · #6 10-28-2014, 07:51 AM

Who makes the canopy?

**airdave** · #7 10-28-2014, 08:05 AM

The Cavalier F51 is a two seater, with a bulbous canopy that is very similar to the "Dallas" canopy on the P51D.

Rich has blown a plastic canopy that is a little too big in the back,
but still better represents the Cavalier look.

I was unable to represent it in paper...even the regular P51 canopy isn't perfect in paper.

Credit: photos found at Home | Webkits Modelismo

**Isaac** · #8 10-28-2014, 09:42 AM

I see the canopy on Rich model. Yes it is too tall in the back and really needs to be corrected. Hope it is no a big deal though

Isaac

**Don Boose** · #9 10-28-2014, 11:13 AM

These F-51s were used by the U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity (AAEFA) at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) as chase aircraft for the Cheyenne helicopter test program. Originally, the Army used T-28Bs bailed (essentially, on loan from) the U.S. Navy for the Cheyenne program, but they were not agile or fast enough, so the AAEFA acquired three F-51s. The first, O-72990, was an F-51D modified to two-seat configuration, but externally similar to the F-51D except for the canopy.

The Army then ordered two more extensively modified F-51Ds (Cavalier Mk. 2s), serials 68-15795 and 68-15796. These had a taller vertical stabilizer and wing tip tanks.

I have been doing research on Army chase aircraft. John Bowden has revised and recolored Aaron Murphy's T-28 Trojan to replicate the AAEFA T-28Bs (one as oruiginally delivered in Navy blue and one in the standard Army gloss olive drab and white, as was used on the F-51s) and those flown by the Army Airborne and Special Operations Test Board (ASOTB) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as parachute delivery system chase aircraft. They were in Navy gloss white and high visibility orange-red. Eventually, I will say more about the Army T-28Bs in a separate thread.

Many thanks to Dave for developing the models of the Army F-51 chase planes and kudos to Rich for his superb 1/24 version.

the U.S. Army has flown some interesting aircraft, including Lockheed P-2 Neptunes as electronic intelligence aircraft in Vietnam, a Lockheed C-121 Constellation as an airborne missile tracking platform, and a couple of Italian Fiat G.91R-3s evaluated for possible use as forward air controller and tactical reconnaissance aircraft, just to name three.

Don

**RyanShort1** · #10 10-28-2014, 12:02 PM

Ok, so I know about P-51 canopies. That still didn't answer where the plastic canopy came from... was it purchased or done at home?

Ryan