(Again, no preamble this time; only building reports. )

The exterior set contained one item overlooked by many; behind the set of holes on the cheeks of the chin scoop is a set of interior grating; What this is FOR, I have no clue, but it’s there, and the fun part of hogging out plastic on a small rectangular part is, well, not there. But it’s mandatory, and I’ve put it aside for now so I can finish up the rest of the other review items I have lurking in the “to build” pile.

The final item provided in the Big Ed set is a set of canopy masks. Now, mind, I will remind myself to check in the future, because this is not your ordinary set of masks. No. It includes the interior masking! So, after I had dutifully fitted half the INTERIOR mask around the EXTERIOR of the bubble canopy, I realized there were not two sets of masks for the sake of providing them, but were specifically called out as interior and exterior.

I felt pretty dumb.

Thanks as usual go to our prolific supporter, Eduard, for sending the IPMS/USA review team this BIG ED for the new Revell 1/32 P-51D-5 series Mustang. This was another in my series of “On-the-road” reviews, and as such the background will change… a lot. I had misplaced the review item before I left the house while cleaning up my work area, and right before I left in desperation I sent an order to Sprue Brothers to please send me a replacement, (after I used my credit card), to handle on the road. I also asked they annotate my name and the point I was a guest in the “GJOEHOFOE” hotel in California. This was dutifully marked in large, clear lettering on the front of the box, and as such there was no confusion about who the guest (Me) was, or what do to with said package. It got there on Wednesday afternoon, three days before I left for the hotel-hopping part of my trip (where much of the work you see here was done). Onward!

Background

The British Churchill tank was one of the most important tank designs introduced by the British after the start of the Second World War. Following the collapse of the French armies at the hands of the invading Germans utilizing Blitzkrieg tactics, British forces lost most of their front line military equipment in France in May 1940. The British reevaluated their previous views on the purposes and uses of tanks following these losses, and came up with more modern designs, the Churchill tank being a prime example. It was heavily armored, and with the introduction in 1943 of the Mk.VII, better armed, sporting as it did a 75mm main gun capable of firing both high explosive and armor piercing rounds. In preparation for the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, various “specialized” tanks were dreamed up, including a flame throwing version of the Churchill, named the Crocodile.