Quickboost has added the P-51D/K propeller to their line of resin aircraft accessories. The blades are molded separately from the spinner and a tool is provided for the proper blade pitch during installation. This latest addition is molded in a grayish resin, smooth, seamless and bubble free. One thing of note is that they are easy to remove from the mold block taking only a couple of minutes with a saw blade to remove them.

I researched the difference between a P-51 D and K model and this is what I found out. The Inglewood plant that was manufacturing the P-51D was at max capacity so the Dallas plant was brought back in to help like it was for the P-51B, designated C when manufactured in Dallas. The P-51D designation was kept when it was manufactured in Dallas but when Hamilton Standard was unable to keep up with their propeller manufacturing demands, the Aeroproducts company was contracted to supply them with their propellers, a 4 bladed 11’ diameter hollow steel propeller. This caused them to change the designation of the P-51D to K.

The Aeroproducts propeller was easy to identify from the Hamilton propeller because it had a different blade shape. It was generally wider towards the center of the length and then is narrower out at the rounded tip. There also were no cuffs. In the field it wasn’t uncommon to see either propeller used on which ever plane needed one at the time.

The only way to tell the difference from a D or K model was to actually check the ID plate to see where it was manufactured. Some say that the canopies were different but that was attributed to different mill runs and not a planned change. So it’s up to the modeler to decide which ever prop that they want to use on model kit. This review is for the Aeroproducts company propeller but Quickboost also puts out the P-51D Hamilton Standard propeller (QB 72-299).

The package states that it is for the Tamiya kit but it should work with any other P-51D or D/K kit. In comparison with the Tamiya kit parts, I don’t really see all that much of a difference in the final product, the difference that does stand out is in the assembly. The Tamiya blades are molded together with the pitch set and will have to have the mold connections removed and sanded down. This can be a little slow and tedious especially when there are 3 of them between the blades, trying not to accidentally cut one off.

To put the Quickboost propeller together you will need to drill from the bottom of the tool to fit the spinner. Then just start to fit the blades in one at a time and glue with CA. The tool will place the blades at the proper pitch.

I highly recommend this product. It isn’t very difficult to put together, the parts are nice and smooth so that the need to remove sprue connections is eliminated, and I think, it makes a better looking clean prop. Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS USA for the chance to do this review.