ICM P-51D Mustang Flying Bazooka – 1/48 Scale Model Kit
The ICM P-51D Mustang Flying Bazooka is a 1/48 scale plastic model kit depicting the North American P-51D Mustang equipped with M10 underwing rocket launchers. This distinctive ground-attack configuration combines the familiar Mustang fighter with two rocket pods, each containing three launch tubes for unguided air-to-ground rockets.
The kit features accurately reproduced aircraft and launcher geometry, along with additional aerial bombs and external fuel tanks. Two decal options are included, representing test and operational aircraft fitted with this unusual armament.
The Rocket-Armed P-51D Mustang
The North American P-51D Mustang was one of the most recognised American fighter aircraft of the Second World War. Although widely associated with fighter and escort duties, its armament also allowed it to attack ground targets.
Some Mustangs were fitted with M10 rocket launchers, a weapon system developed from technology associated with infantry rocket weapons such as the Bazooka. Each M10 launcher consisted of three 4.5-inch (114 mm) tubes housed in a pod mounted beneath the wing.
With one launcher beneath each wing, the aircraft could carry six unguided M8 rockets. Each rocket weighed approximately 18 kg (40 lb), with destructive power comparable to a 105 mm howitzer shell.
These rocket systems became more widely used from mid-1944, particularly on aircraft operating in China, Burma and India. Rocket-armed Mustangs carried out ground-attack missions against Japanese targets, including railway trains, river vessels, supply depots and forward airfields.
Kit Features and Contents
ICM’s model reproduces the distinctive underwing rocket installation, with attention to the geometry of both the P-51D Mustang and its M10 launchers.
- 1/48 scale North American P-51D Mustang plastic model kit.
- Two M10 underwing rocket launchers.
- Three 4.5-inch rocket tubes per launcher.
- Accurately reproduced aircraft and rocket launcher geometry.
- Additional aerial bombs included.
- External fuel tanks included.
- Decal sheet with two marking options.
- Markings representing test and operational aircraft.
Marking and Armament Options
The two supplied decal options allow the model to represent either a test aircraft or an operational Mustang. The additional bombs and external fuel tanks provide further components for depicting the aircraft’s wartime equipment.
As part of the 1/48 scale aircraft model range, this ICM kit offers a different interpretation of the P-51D, concentrating on its ground-attack role rather than its more familiar fighter configuration.
The twin M10 launchers are the defining feature of this version, giving the completed Mustang its distinctive six-tube rocket installation beneath the wings.
