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Resp:
Or a new paintjob perhaps. Shiny new teeth would be a reason for me to pose.
Resp:Neat shot - I just won it on eBay. Looks like the underwing mounting bracket for the bazooka tubes. More important for me, I think this is the 16th FS (51st FG) - a unit I seen only one other photo of!
Cheers,
Dana
Neat shot - I just won it on eBay. Looks like the underwing mounting bracket for the bazooka tubes. More important for me, I think this is the 16th FS (51st FG) - a unit I seen only one other photo of!
Cheers,
Dana
Resp:
An F-6B, the photo graphic version of a P-51A. Often incorrectly listed as an F-6A.
Resp:AAF sorted out the confusion created when the first P-51-1-NA was converted to photo recon and often referred to as F-6A. In 1944 the AAF referred to it as F-6, P-51A as F-6A, P-51B as F-6B and P-51C as F-6C.
Other naming conventions existed such as Depot modified P-51B-5 as P-51B-6. In short it was a mess. Bob Bourlier has done yeoman's work in sorting these out but it was chaos in 1943/early 1944
Many variations in field terminology existed. That said here are a few digs from friend Bob Bourlier who has pried the lid from the F-6A, P-51A-11, F-6b and F-6C mess.Resp:
I am afraid the transition of Letters didn't follow. The breakdown is as follows:
- Held back Mustang MkIA by USAAF (after Pearl Harbor) initially became P-51-1 (as well as -2 and a few -3), the again redesignated as F-6A when retro fitted with cameras (however, all retained black stenciling 'P-51-1' under cockpit on left fuselage just forward of cockpit).
- P-51A Mustangs, most were also fitted with cameras were redesignated as F-6B, lettering was again left as
'P-51A' on fuselage.
See below
- P-51B and P-51C fitted with cameras became F-6C
- P-51D fitted with cameras became F-6D
- P-51K fitted with camera became F-6K
Sorry
If the USAAF had 'lettered' the held back RAF Mustang MkIA for the US and redesignated these first Mustnags entering service with an 'A' after P-51 instead of just '-1' it may have prevented much of this discussion. But knowing the history of the USAAC/USAAF I kind of doubt it. I have searched unit websites of WWII USAAF units and have found photos of Allison engined Mustangs 'labeled' P-51B, as one example.
To continue - The Recon table as defined below was dated mid 1944 but I can't find the preceding page. Note the unusual absence of discussion about P-51A-11 "F6" designation. To help muddy up the waters the AC 30479 contract covered P-51A through 310 ships, continued into P-51B (NA-104) for -5 through -15, then extended to cover NA-106 to build the P-51D. The latter was originally set for 600 P-51D with birdcage canopy/six gun wing - but scaled to two ships, then re-distributed in summer 1943, along with NA-107, into AC 40063 (NA-109 P-51D-5 through -15 NT at Inglewood) and AC 40064 (NA-111 P-51C-10 NT and P-51D/K and P-51D-20NT). All these contracts were let from June 42 to May 1943 and the list ends with P-51C-10 NT and P-51D-5 NA with no mention of P-51D-10 or P-51D-5 NT or P-51K-1 NT which were delivered after August 1944
All pointing to presented difference in which P-51B-5 thru -15 NA as F-6B-1 (noted in comments as "similar to P-51A" but Merlin engine) BUT the earlier P-51B-1 was designated at this time as F-6C-1-NA then follow with P-51C-1 NT as F-6C-1-NT. Clearly some crossover in mid 1944
Resp:
Thanks drgondog. I am still skeptical, but do enjoy a good mind boggling issue. My two sources are The Encyclopedia of Aircraft of WWII, Amber Books, 2004 Aerospce Publishing, 2017; and Allison-Engined P-51 Mustang,Osprey Publishing , UK, 2012. These are both British researched pubs, and they tend to be very accurate. It is one reason we relied on Janes in keeping up with the world's combat ships.
Continue to the second Table with mixture of MACR/accident reports. Note that in the 'type reported' column for the dates Dec 1943 through early May 1944 that the P-51 was referred as only P-51 in the MACR - not F-6A.
Note beginning in May, the MACR referred to P-51A as P-51A and P-51A-11, then thereafter as F-6A. Sometime in mid to late 1944 the AAF-MC issued a series of documents (including the one that designated all NAA fighters in AAF service to be referred to as Mustangs (including P-51 and A-36). It was this block of docs that finally sorted F-6A=P-51A, F-6B=P-51B, F-6C=P-51C; F-6D=P-51D, F-6K=P-51K.
Bob Bourlier has done an excellent job of research into Recon Mustangs and most of this data is sourced through him.