70071 P-51K Mustang™

P-51K Mustang™ 1/72 – the Dallas-built Mustang on two fronts

The P-51K was the variant of the legendary Mustang produced at the North American Aviation plant in Dallas as an evolution of the P-51D. These aircraft operated over Europe, escorting USAAF bombers and serving with the RAF as the Mustang Mk IVa, as well as in the Pacific theater, supporting operations in the Philippines and on Iwo Jima, and escorting B-29 bombers over Japan.
The K model was created as a crisis solution due to a shortage of Hamilton Standard propellers, yet it quickly proved its combat effectiveness. It became a symbol of the flexibility of American wartime industry and the global reach of the Mustang.

Features and box contents

The P-51K model is based on the brand-new 2025 Arma Hobby tooling and builds into an accurate miniature of the Dallas (NT) Mustang, featuring the characteristic “Dallas Hood” canopy and optional Aeroproducts or Hamilton Standard propellers.

What makes this kit special:

• Brand-new 2025 tooling – excellent geometry, crisp detail, and outstanding fit
• Smoothed wing panels – the only 1/72 Mustang kit with wings replicated as on the real aircraft
• Multiple configuration options – build aircraft from the ETO, RAF, or Pacific (different props, canopies, antennas)
• High-quality Techmod decals – markings for 3 historical aircraft (USAAF Pacific, USAAF ETO, RAF)
• Pre-cut masks – for canopy and wheels, making painting easier
• Clear assembly stand – helps with correct landing gear alignment and safe handling
• Download code for 3D accessories – optional parts to print

What’s inside the box:

• plastic parts to build one miniature
• Techmod decal sheet
• canopy and wheel masks
• clear mounting and transport stand
• assembly instructions with 3 painting options
• code to download free 3D accessories

Colour and markings

• P-51K-10-NT Mustang, pilot: Lt. Bertram Lee, 342nd Fighter Squadron, 348th Fighter Group, Luzon, Philipines 1945
• P-51K-1-NT Mustang, pilot: Lt. Carl E Decklar, 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group, Steeple Morden, England 1945. Retrofitted Hamilton Standard propeller.
• Mustang IVa  (P-51K-15-NT), pilot: F/Lt. S. Doley, No. 19 Fighter Squadron, RAF, England 1945

History of the P-51K – flexibility in combat

Like the earlier P-51B/C, the P-51D Mustang was produced in two North American Aviation factories: Inglewood, California, and Dallas, Texas. Aircraft built in Inglewood were marked NA, while those from Dallas carried the NT code. Although both lines produced almost identical airframes, Dallas-built Mustangs featured several small yet distinctive differences.

One of the major challenges of large-scale production was the shortage of Hamilton Standard propellers, which had been used on earlier Mustangs. To keep production moving, the Dallas plant introduced the P-51K-1-NT with an Aeroproducts propeller after the P-51D-5-NT. Subsequent blocks ranged from K-1 to K-15. Once the supply of Hamilton Standard propellers was restored, production returned to the D designation, starting with the P-51D-20-NT.

Another recognizable feature of Dallas-built Mustangs was the “Dallas Hood” canopy. Slightly more bulged than the standard Inglewood bubble canopy, it improved rearward visibility and was easily identifiable on later production aircraft.

The P-51K saw combat on multiple fronts. In Europe, it served with the USAAF escorting bombers over Germany and with the RAF as the Mustang Mk IVa. Although early aircraft used Aeroproducts propellers, many frontline units later retrofitted Hamilton Standard propellers, as seen on Lt. Carl E. Decklar’s aircraft. This practice largely eliminated performance differences between the K and D variants.

In the Pacific, the P-51K proved equally valuable. It flew with USAAF fighter groups in the Philippines, such as the aircraft of Lt. Bertram Lee, and from Iwo Jima, where it took part in long-range escort missions protecting B-29 Superfortress bombers over Japan. These missions were among the longest fighter operations of the war. The Mustang K combined range, reliability and firepower, making it one of the most effective fighters of the late-war period.

The P-51K demonstrated that a variant created out of necessity could become just as capable as the original. For historians and modelers alike, it remains a fascinating and versatile version of one of World War II’s most iconic fighters.

P-51K Mustang™ – the master of adaptation in 1/72 scale

The P-51K Mustang is a remarkable blend of history, engineering and adaptability. Born from a production bottleneck, it still reached the most important battlefronts of late World War II. It fought with the USAAF over Europe, served in the RAF as the Mustang Mk IVa, and in the Pacific it escorted B-29 bombers over Japan, flying some of the longest missions of the entire war.

The 1/72 scale kit from Arma Hobby captures this unique variant with exceptional attention to detail: realistic smoothed wing surfaces, refined fuselage shape, the distinctive “Dallas Hood” canopy, both Aeroproducts and Hamilton Standard propeller options, and configuration elements for both the European and Pacific theaters. Thanks to outstanding fit and smart engineering, the kit is easy to build while offering maximum realism.

This is a model for history enthusiasts and Mustang fans alike – combining Europe and the Pacific in one box and allowing you to build an aircraft as versatile as the real thing.
Keywords: P-51K Mustang, 1/72 scale model, Arma Hobby, USAAF, RAF, World War II, Dallas Hood, Aeroproducts, Hamilton Standard, Philippines, Iwo Jima, B-29 escort.

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