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[Jackamus]

Hi All,
I'm 86 and retired. My hobby is painting cars, planes, boats and trains. I'm just about to start a painting of a dog fight between a US Mustang and an ME 262. I have the fuselage graphic details of the Mustang viewed from the port side but I shall be painting it from the starboard side. Are the fuselage graphics reversed on the starboard side?

I have a technical question about the guns on the Mustang. What happens to the cartridge casings wen the guns are fired?

 

[Wurger]

Welcome to our site.

To answer your questions ...

The markings on the fuselage contained the national USA ones , the serials on the fin and rudder and the squadron or grupe colour markings were the same at both sides. Many of the Mustangs had the nose art, name and the victory markings applied on the port side only. But it is not a rule and all that depends on the particular kite. The same was with the pilot's name applied on the bottom metal frame of the slided back cockpit conopy.
The cartridges and links were ejected by the ejection ports at the bottom surface of the wings.

the pic source: the net.

 

[Jackamus]

This is the image I hope to use in my painting.

 

[Wurger]

This is the image I hope to use in my painting.

OK. the P-51D-15-NA Mustang, serial 44-15078 of the 55th FS flown by Lt. Joseph A Peterburs. Actually I haven't seen any image of the full aircraft. There is one pic showing the starboard of the kite partially only. But taking other Mustangs of the squadron into consideration the appearance of her was the same on both sides. But the name on the bottom frame of cockpit hood could be on the port side only, IMHO.

the pic source: the net.

 

[Jackamus]

Thank you for the information. I'm going to have to use a little 'artrist's license' and cheat a bit and show the 'Josephine on the starboard side.
Therefore the starboard side should look something like this?

 

[ThomasP]

Would this help?

"Interview with Joe Peterburs, Pilot of the Josephine"

The site does not have any pictures of the aft section of the "Josephine", but it does have a couple of the forward RH side.

 

[Jackamus]

Thank you for this link and it does show that his Mustang had the nose graphics on the starboard side as well therefor I do not have to 'cheat' now!

I read a similar feature in the July 2026 edition of 'Fly Past'. It was a shear coincidence that after searching for suitable aircraft images in which to paint, that I found an AI image of the dog-fight. It was a a few days later that I was browsing through Fly Past that I discovered the article about the encounter between him and Walter Schulk. When I have finished the painting I will show it to the forum.

 

[Wurger]

Thank you for the information. I'm going to have to use a little 'artrist's license' and cheat a bit and show the 'Josephine on the starboard side.
Therefore the starboard side should look something like this?

There are not too many images of the Mustangs of the 55th FS showing the starboards. But judging by these two it looks like the squadron code "KI" was applied in front of the US nationa star ( on right) but not behind it ( on left ).

 

[ThomasP]

Another possibility (rabbit hole?) to checkout is the restoration of a P-51D some time ago, that was painted up as the "Josephine" (I think). The people who do these restoration jobs are usually very careful to match the originals if possible. I do not know who did the work, but if you can find out who they were, perhaps they have more information. (In my experience, these guys are usually quite happy to talk about their work and usually happy to provide information where practical.)