Model Monkey 3D-printed Scale Models

P-51 Mustang fans! "Bonkin", a superb modeler from Yorkshire, UK, has completed a beautiful 1/24 scale model of P-51D Mustang "THIS IS IT!" from the classic Airfix kit. The real "THIS IS IT!" was assigned to the 352nd Fighter Group, 8th Air Force and flown by the group commander, Colonel Joseph L. Mason. The group was located at RAF Bodney in England for the majority of its service and were nicknamed "the Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney" due to the distinctive blue of the nose and upper cowl of the P-51 Mustangs of the group.

Click the Large Scale Planes link below for more photos of Bonkin's model and a description of how he built it.
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/105889-124-airfix-p-51d-mustang-this-is-it/

"Bonkin" chose to outfit his model with several Model Monkey products, including:
- Upper Cowling
- Wheel Well
- Rudder Pedals

Our upper cowling and wheel well were designed directly from scans of the original North American Aviation builder's drawings for maximum accuracy. Our cowling has a much more accurate shape than the kit parts it replaces. Our wheel well is far more detailed and since it includes an accurate wing spar it corrects the Airfix kit's inaccurately flat wing dihedral. Our rudder pedals include accurate raised NAA logos.

The Airfix kit was also released by Heller and MPC.

And, of course, we offer nameplates for all versions of the P-51.

See these models and many more at:
https://www.model-monkey.com/

Have fun. Monkey around.™

USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" fans! Happy to announce pairs of Congreve 24-pounder "Gunades" are now available in 1/96 scale (for Revell) and 1/76 scale (for Model Shipways). Other scales may be possible.

This pair of models represents the two captured Royal Navy Congreve 24-pounder "shifting gunades" fitted to USS Constitution in 1814 under the direction of Captain Charles Stewart.

A "gunade" is essentially a specialized cannon that blends the design of a long gun (traditional cannon) and the weight-saving and ease of handling characteristics of a carronade (a short, lightweight cannon).

The models feature a King George III monogram on the top of the barrel.

In 1814, the American privateer "Fox" captured the British merchantman "Stranger" which was carrying weapons to Jamaica intended for a British frigate under construction there. Among the captured weapons were new Congreve gunades cast in 1813. Constitution's captain, Captain Charles Stewart, arranged to have a pair of the new gunades brought aboard USS Constitution. Stewart replaced the two forward-most carronades with a single Congreve gunade and the two rear-most carronades with the second gunade. The weapons were aboard ship when Constitution simultaneously engaged and defeated HMS Cyane and HMS Levant in February, 1815.

The Congreve 24-pounder gunade was a radical, experimental pattern of smooth-bore cannon designed by Sir William Congreve in the early 19th century. It was created for the Royal Navy and Royal Artillery to offer a lighter, shorter gun that could still pack the punch of a heavy 24-pounder.

The goal was to produce a lighter gun than the standard Blomefield 24-pounder long gun while still allowed for "double-shotting" (firing two cannonballs simultaneously) without adding excessive weight to the ship or carriage. The gun's designer, Colonel William Congreve, was able to achieve this goal by creating a much shorter gun of just 7 feet, 6 inches long, thus reducing the weight to about 4100 cwt (hundredweight, about 4500 pounds). He also redistributing the metal, concentrating most of it around the breech (the back of the barrel) rather than the chase (the front). Compared to the standard Blomefield 24-pounder cannons then in service, the Congreve gunade's muzzle resembled a carronade, the breeching ring was omitted, and the trunnions were cast much further rearward.

The two captured gunades brought aboard Constitution were known as "shifting gunades" because they were rigged to allow them to be easily and quickly moved from one side of the ship to the other during combat.

For maximum scale accuracy, this pair of models was designed from contemporary drawings of the guns held by the Royal Military College, and a detailed description of the guns published by William Congreve in 1814 entitled "A Concise Account of the Origin of the New Class of 24-pounder Medium Guns, of reduced Length and Weight, proposed by Colonel Congreve, for the arming of Frigates".

We also several other weapons and fittings for USS Constitution and USS United States, including two types of 24-pounder long guns, 32-pounder carronades for Old Ironsides, 42-pounder carronades for USS United States, a Brodie galley stove, two types of capstans, shot racks and shot, shot trays and shot, and various types of rigging blocks.

And, of course, we offer nameplates for all six original US frigates.

See these models and many more at:
https://www.model-monkey.com/

Have fun. Monkey around.™

Fletcher-class destroyer fans! A valued customer in Texas is converting his 1/144 scale Revell "Round-bridge" Fletcher into a "Square-bridge" ship. To help complete the conversion, he chose to install a Model Monkey square bridge pilot house, a recently updated square bridge deck and combat information center, and a quintuple torpedo mount. Here are some photos of the models we sent to him.

The update to the bridge deck model includes the addition of a helm with ship's wheel, compass, and engine order telegraph. These details can be seen through the open pilot house doors and portholes (more properly called "airports").

The models are available in other popular scales including 1/350, 1/200, 1/125 and 1/96.

We offer two different Fletcher square bridge pilot house versions. The difference between them is the door configuration. To honor two major Fletcher-class builders, we call one pilot house type the "Bath Iron Works" version, and the other we call the "Bethlehem Steel" version. The real pilot houses were not named. The model you see here is a "Bethlehem Steel" version with door on the aft bulkhead. The "Bath Iron Works" version has a door on the starboard side, aft. To help identify which pilot house is correct for your model, we list ships known to have one version or the other in our catalog on the pilot house product webpages.

We also offer a "Round Bridge" in most popular larger scales.

The 2,050-ton Fletcher-class was one of the most successful wartime and post-war destroyer classes of the US Navy and arguably the most significant class in the Pacific war. 175 ships of the class were produced over a 32-month period during World War II. They were produced in two groups: 58 were built with a high, "Round Bridge" and 117 (two-thirds of the class) were completed with a low, "Square Bridge" which afforded better visibility for anti-aircraft defense.

Several Fletchers served in foreign navies. The last in service was Mexico's Cuitláhuac, the former USS John Rodgers DD-574, retired in 2001.

And, of course, we can print nameplates for any ship of the class in US or foreign service.

See these models and many more at:
https://www.model-monkey.com/

Have fun. Monkey around.™