Kit Review: Arma Hobby’s 1/72 P-51D Mustang Very Long Range (Kit No. 70073)

On August 7, 2026 By acarothersvlrmIn Arma Hobby, Kit ReviewsLeave a comment

Arma Hobby recently released an Iwo Jima VLR Mustang boxing of their popular 1/72 North American P-51D Mustang kit. It was released in mid-May 2026, and is now making its way into US online retail hobby stores. The box art is striking with a 21st FG VLR Mustang loaded out with 165 gallon drop tanks and six HVAR rockets. Very cool!

There are two decal options. The first is a 531st FS, 21st FG P-51D-20 NA (Serial No. 44-63918) 312 Snortin’ Phyllie flown by 1st Lt. Herbert Straughn. Nice to see a decal option for a 531st FS Mustang other than Major Harry Crim’s 300 My Achin’ Ass.

The second decal option is a 458th FS, 506th FG P-51D-25 NA (Serial No. 44-72612) 576 Little One/Jeannie assigned to 1st Lt. Max E. Ruble and 2nd Lt. Francis J. Pilecki. On June 10, 1945, 1st Lt. Ruble was credited with shooting down a Mitsubishi JM2 Raiden.

Again, thanks to Arma Hobby for providing two decal options not seen in other kits, and not well covered by after market decal manufacturers (decals for 576 Little One/Jeannie are provided in all three scales on the decal sheet which comes with the book: 506th Fighter Group: The History of the 506th Fighter Group, Iwo Jima 1945 by Robert Grant). This book is published by AJ Press as part of their Fighting Units in Color series. My review of this book can be found here: https://iwojimamodels.com/2019/12/14/book-review-506th-fighter-group-the-history-of-the-506th-fighter-group-iwo-jima-1945-by-robert-j-grant/

On to the sprues. Arma Hobby’s original release of its 1/72 P-51D Mustang (Kit No. 70070) contained three sprues; two molded in light gray plastic (A & B), and one in clear plastic (T) for the canopies and other clear parts. The Very Long Range boxing includes an additional sprue for the 110 and 165 gallon drop tanks, sway braces, and HVAR rockets. As can be seen from a review of the sprues, you can build any variant of the D model from the D-5 to the D-25 from this kit.

The first sprue (A) consists of the wings, control surfaces, standard drop tanks, bombs, landing gear components, wheel well components, propellers (both Hamilton Standard and Aeroproduct), and the two Uncle Dog antennas (parts A4 & A5). Arma Hobby gives you two different horizontal stablizers; one with fabric covered elevators and one with metal covered elevators. A nice feature on Arma Hobby’s part, and each set is molded as one piece which should help with construction and alignment.

A couple of items worthy of note. First, the panel lines on the wings are very faint except for the parts of the wings which would be accessed be maintenance crews. I am assuming this was done in this manner so if you wanted to represent model as having the puttied wings, it would not take much to fill the panel lines. In addition, the top wing halves have been molded as one piece so as to provide detail for the top of the wheel wells. Again, a nice touch on Arma Hobby’s part as this will allow for ease in masking the top of the wheel wells when painting the support stringers.

The second sprue (B) consists of the fuselage halves, interior and cockpit parts including both the Warren-McArthur and Shick-Johnson seats, separate spinners for the Hamilton Standard cuffed propeller and the Aeroproducts propeller, both types of dorsal fins (swayback for modified D-5s and early D-10s and the regular dorsal fin for later blocks), and both shrouded and unshrouded exhaust stacks.

A couple of items worthy of note. First, unlike the 1/72nd Eduard P-51D Mustang, the rivet detail on the fuselage halves is very restrained. So if rivet detail is important to you in 1/72nd scale, you are going to have to break out your riveter. Second, the structure of the cockpit sides is molded into the fuselage halves as seen below.

I like this approach because the cockpit sides will be easier to paint and detail and it should allow for an easier insertion of the completed cockpit into the fuselage.

The additional sprue contained in this boxing includes both styles of drop tanks carried by Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs, the sway braces for each type of tank, and six HVAR rockets that were carried during strike missions toward the end of conflict in the Pacific Theater. The shapes and contours of the drop tanks look good.

The sprue containing the clear parts (T) contains the windscreen, all three variations of the canopy, and the other clear parts. The windscreen and canopies are crystal clear and the clear sprue is bagged separately to avoid scratches.

The additional parts at the top of the sprue are parts for a display stand and/or construction jig as shown below. The main landing gear wheels fit in the slots at the front of the stand with wing supports at the sides and fuselage support at the back. Neat idea.

Are there necessary parts missing? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes. Arma Hobby failed to include the SCR-695 IFF transmitter that was situated behind the SCR-522 radio transmitter on Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs as shown in the computer generated image below.

This omission is confirmed by their own assembly instructions.

How big of an omission is this? Not very. First, in 1/72nd scale, most people viewing a built up model in your display case or even at a model contest would not even recognize this omission. Second, you could easily sand off the detail on the battery and add some plastic pieces to accurately represent the SCR-695 IFF transmitter. Third, you could build an early Iwo Jima VLR Mustang with a single mast antenna before the SCR-695 IFF transmitter/Uncle Dog twin antennae were installed as field modifications. There are a lot of pictures of 15th and 21st FG Mustangs after their arrival on Iwo Jima in early March with the standard single mast antenna.

The decals look really good and are printed by Cartograf so they should work well. Fuselage and tail stripes are provided for the 458th FS Mustang 576 Little One/Jeannie so you will not have to do all of the complex and tedious masking. Nice touch on Arma Hobby’s part. There are also aluminum colored decals for the tops of the wheel wells at the bottom of the decal sheet. The use of the decals will eliminate the need for masking. Just paint the tops of the wheel wells Zinc Chromate Yellow and apply the decals in their appropriate locations. An interesting and novel approach.

The aircraft profiles in the instruction booklet are well done. I do not have any photos of 312 Snortin’ Phyllie, so I reached out to Mark Stevens of the 7th Fighter Command Association to see if he could share any photos he has of the plane. Surprisingly, he did not have any photos either, and I could not find any on the internet. Someone obviously has a few photos of this plane.

The 506th Fighter Group Association has several very nice photos of 576 Little One/Jeannie in its collections.

***2nd Lt. Francis J. Pilecki (506th Fighter Group Association)***

This looks like an extremely nice 1/72nd North American P-51D Mustang kit. From what I have seen of already built models, they certainly look every bit the part of the real thing. If you are wanting to build a Iwo Jima VLR Mustang in 1/72nd scale, this is an excellent option.

Kudos to Arma Hobby!

Kit News: Zoukei-Mura Taking Pre-Orders On Their New 1/32nd Kawasaki Ki-100-I Otsu “Goshikisen” Type 5 Fighter

On July 25, 2026July 25, 2026 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

Zoukei-Mura recently announced that they are taking pre-orders on their new 1/32nd scale Kawasaki Ki-100-I Otsu “Goshikisen”. To say this has been a long awaited kit is a gross understatement. Prior to this release, there was no mass produced injection molded Ki-100 model in 1/32nd scale available to modelers. Kudos to Zoukei-Mura for recognizing the need and producing this kit!

The pre-order period on the Zoukei-Mura Official Site runs from June 26, 2026 through July 26, 2026. For pre-orders coming from Japan, Zoukei-Mura has announced that shipments will begin on August 8, 2026. You can also pre-order the kit through the Volks USA, Inc. website until August 31, 2026, and shipments of those pre-ordered kits will begin in mid-September. The pre-order price through the Volks USA site is $124.00 plus $6.27 in shipping costs.

As you can see from the above and below photos of the built model from Zoukei-Mura’s website, it looks every bit the part of the real plane.

There appears to be two decal options as shown below. Both are well known aircraft, and I think it is a safe bet that after market decal manufacturers will provide us several other options as well.

Again, kudos to Zoukei-Mura for this long awaited kit. I have pre-ordered mine through Volks USA, and will do a review once I receive it in September.

Based on CAD drawings previously published by Zoukei-Mura, I believe modelers can also expect the release of the Ko version (fastback/razorback) of the Ki-100. I believe Radu Brinzan has confirmed that Zoukei-Mura will release both versions.

Kit News: Eduard Includes Decals for 528 “The Enchantress” in its 1/72nd North American P-51D Mustang Weekend Edition Boxing

On February 6, 2026February 6, 2026 By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

Eduard recently released the 2nd Weekend Edition boxing of its popular 1/72nd North American P-51D Mustang kit. The first three decal options are for Lt. Edward F. Pogue’s P-51D-5 “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” (79th FS, 20th FG, 8th AF); Capt. Clarence E. Anderson’s P-51D-10 “Old Crow” (363rd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF); Flt. Off. Charles A. Lane’s “Meatball Rap II” (99th FS, 332nd FG, 15th AF). All very interesting and popular subjects for modelers.

Iwo Jima VLR Mustang Decals: Eduard has again included decals for 528 “The Enchantress” (P-51D-25-NA, 44-72671), a 457th FS, 506th FG Mustang flown by 2nd Lt. William E. Saks. Unfortunately, 2nd Lt. Saks was one of the pilots lost on the infamous June 1, 1945 “Black Friday” mission, but he was not flying 528 on that day. “The Enchantress” is popular amongst modelers because the nose art and the Albert Varga pin-up girl that adorns the fuselage.

2nd Lt. Saks did not score any aerial or ground victories and was lost within a few weeks after the 506th Fighter Group arrived on Iwo Jima.

*Dr. Theodore Paprocki sitting on the wing of “The Enchantress (506th Fighter Group Association via Maurita Paprocki)*

Below are the aircraft profile drawings for the plane that are included in the instructions for the kit.

528 “The Enchantress” survived the war and was part of the USAAF’s inventory that was transferred to Japan as part of the occupation.

*528 “The Enchantress” (506th Fighter Group Association)*

Because this is a Weekend Edition boxing, there are no photo etch or resin update sets within the kit. The decals included in the kit are very nice, in register, and with a full set of stencils for a 1/72nd kit. Just what we all have come to expect for Eduard.

Kudos to Eduard for including decals for an Iwo Jima VLR Mustang in this boxing!

Kit Review: Eduard’s 1/72nd P-51D Mustang “Tales of Iwo Jima” Limited Edition Dual Combo Boxing

On August 23, 2025July 25, 2026 By acarothersvlrmIn Eduard, Kit Reviews, Kit/Product ReviewsLeave a comment

Eduard recently released its 1/72nd P-51D Mustang “Tales of Iwo Jima” Limited Edition Dual Combo boxing. The box art is very appealing.

As can be seen from the kit’s aircraft profiles below, the decal options are similar to the 1/48th scale limited edition boxing in that it provides 12 decal options that cover all nine Iwo Jima VLR Mustang squadrons. They will be the same decal options with one change. The 457th Fighter Squadron decals will be for 539 “Lil Ole Meanie II”, flown by 2nd Lt. William G. Hetland and Lt. Hinkle, instead of 542 “Fighting Lady” flown by 1st Lt. Ralph Gardner and 1st Lt. Chester Jatzcak. The decals for 542 “Fighting Lady” are included in the 1/72 P-51D Mustang Profipack boxing.

Below is a large aircraft profile of 539 Li’l Ole Meanie II. I am assuming it was included due to the pin-up art below the canopy of the beautiful woman in state of being partially undressed.

I am not going to review the actual plastic parts as I have done that previously. You can find that review here. It is a beautiful and well engineered kit with exquisite rivet detail for a 1/72nd scale kit.

No resin parts are included in this limited edition dual combo boxing. Customary of Eduard for limited edition boxings, a color photo etched fret is included for each kit that consists of cockpit components and scribing templates (Parts PE7 and PE19) to create accurate panel lines for the VLR Mustangs. The photo etched frets also contain the scribing and placement template, and parts (PE22-25) for the AN/APS-13 rear warning radar installed on the tail of late model Mustangs. Nice touch on Eduard’s part.

Some of Block 20(NA), and all of Block 25(NA) produced P-51Ds had the AN/APS-13 rear warning radar installed. The AN/APS-13 was a low power UHF tail warning radar transmitter/receiver which was used to detect aircraft approaching from the rear. Below 1500 feet it would have to be turned off, otherwise it would receive false readings from the ground. Its effective range against small fighter sized targets was 280 – 320 meters. When it detected an aircraft, a small red light would come on and a bell would ring. Below is a photo of a 462nd FS Mustang showing the location of the AN/APS-13 radar antennae on the tail.

***Loomis Dean/USAAF/National Archives via Fold3***

The AN/APS-13 radar was seen as somewhat of a blessing and a curse by pilots. Some 506th FG pilots that I have interviewed indicated it was an annoyance during formation flying because it would keep going off when a threat was not present unless you were the tail end Charlie. 1st Lt. William G. Ebersole of the 462nd FS indicated that it was common practice for pilots on VLR missions to turn the radar off during the long over water approach to Japan, and the long return trip back to Iwo Jima, only switching it on upon reaching the Japanese home islands.

There is a minor error on the assembly instructions that warrants pointing out. The avionics transmitters were different on Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs due to the addition of the SCR-695 IFF transmitter which was located right behind the SCR-522 radio transmitter. This addition necessitated moving the battery to the rear of engine compartment. Below is a nice computer generated image of how this set up looked.

Eduard has accurately produced the SCR-522 radio transmitter and SCR-695 IFF transmitter as one part (E3). Eduard also provides the normal configuration of the SCR-522 radio transmitter and battery as part E2. Below is page 3 of Eduard’s instructions (Step A) showing the assembly of the cockpit parts. Please note that the instructions indicate the correct part (E3), but the assembly drawing is of the SCR-522 radio transmitter/battery part (E2). Do not be confused by the wrong pairing of the part number and drawing. If you are building an Iwo Jima VLR Mustang, use part E3.

Kudos to Eduard for putting out a 1/72nd Dual Combo Limited Edition boxing that provides decals for all 9 Iwo Jima VLR Mustang squadron. Nice to not to have to rely on the aftermarket decal industry to supply those options. If you want to build an Iwo Jima VLR Mustang in 1/72nd scale, this is the kit and the boxing to buy.

Photo(s) of the Week: Photo-Op for 47th Fighter Squadron Ground Crew

On August 11, 2025July 26, 2026 By acarothersvlrmIn Photo(s) of the Week2 Comments

Neat photo! 47th Fighter Squadron ground crew members performing engine maintenance pause for their picture to be taken. This is a picture from a private collection that Mark Stevens of the 7th Fighter Command Association provided to me.

The simplified squadron marking of an all black spinner can be seen along the 47th FS emblem on the engine cowling panel leaning against the engine maintenance scaffolding.

***7th Fighter Command Association via Mark Stevens***

This photo is interesting for a number of reasons. First, there is absolutely nothing in the background to give any reference to where this maintenance activity took place. The only landmark on Iwo Jima, Mt. Suribachi, is not present, and there are no planes of any type or any other activity going on in the background. Unusual. Second, you can see a portion of the canvas wheel well cover that extends down onto the main landing gear leg. Canvas linings for the wheel wells were factory installed as a measure to keep grit, dirt and mud out of the wheel wells. In other theater of operations, like the European Theater, they were removed by ground crews. On Iwo Jima, they were a necessity to keep the volcanic grit and sand out of the wheel wells. Third, there is a black band painted on the inside of the landing gear cover and the main landing gear leg. This is very unusual and I have not been able to find another photo that shows this type of band.

This is most likely a Block 25 D model because of the presence of the HVAR rocket stubs underneath the wings.

Thanks to Mark Stevens for sharing this photo.

As a condition of the use of materials from the 7th Fighter Command Association website, the following disclaimer is included: Permission to use, copy and distribute documents delivered from this Worldwide Web server and related graphics is hereby granted, provided 1) That the use of the data will not be used for obtaining a profit of any kind, and 2) That the above disclaimer notice appear in all copies and that both that disclaimer notice and this permission notice appear. All other rights reserved. The name of “7th Fighter Command Association” may not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of this information without specific, written prior permission. Mark Stevens and the 7th Fighter Command Association makes no representations about the suitability of this information for any purpose. It is provided “as is” without express or implied warranty. Mark Stevens and the 7th Fighter Command Association disclaim all warranties with regard to this information, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall Mark Stevens or the 7th Fighter Command Association be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information.