P-51D Questions for the experts on here :)

[Alte Hase]

Hi All,

I'm starting a double build of the following P-51Ds: Hal Whitmore's 356th FG QI-G "the Lord is my shepherd",and Charles 'Tink' Cole's 20th FG KI-K "Little Lady"...

I've searched the net and read both the Squadron/Signal P-51D "Walkaround" and ''In Action",but have so far found no answers,so here are my questions:

1/ Did all P-51Ds in the ETO have a radio antenna stretching from the vertical fin to the canopy? If not, then did all P-51Ds have the same canopy incorporating the antenna wire entry point/roller?

2/ On P-51Ds with the radio antenna, was the wire under tension when the canopy was open,so it hung tightly, or did the antenna 'sag' with the canopy open, as did the antenna wire of the FW190As?

3/ On the stencilled aircraft data panel (the one on the left fuselage just forward and below the windsreen), why did some panels carry a prominent "+", while others did not?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Crimea_River]

See here http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/communication/p51-d-antenna-wire-18345.html regarding the radio antenna question. I think we took as far as we could go in that thread.

 

[Alte Hase]

Ok, thanks for the link! With regard to the other points, any info?

I have one other question to add: for KI K, was the spinner tip and the areas between the black 'piano keys' markings of the nose painted white, or were these areas natural metal?

 

[Alte Hase]

Ok, thanks for the link! With regard to the other points, any info?

I have one other question to add: for KI K, was the spinner tip and the areas between the black 'piano keys' markings of the nose painted white, or were these areas natural metal?

 

[Airframes]

The '+' in the data block indicated the C of G, and was to show the shift when the fuselage tank was installed from the P51B/C onwards. It should really be there but, as the tank had become standard, the requirement to indicate the C of G lessened, and probably later production blocks omitted the marking.
The stripes on the nose of 20th FG aircraft were black and white. There's a thread on a 20th FG Mustang in the Group Builds.

 

[Alte Hase]

Thanks for the info on the "+"! I'll search the 20th FG thread.

I've found a photo of KI K "Little Lady", and in it, I'm not sure if the spinner tip and spaces between the black 'piano keys' are natural metal or white? Its hard to tell from this pic? The other two photos show one aircraft with what I think is white markings and the other with what looks like silver...

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

You can also try here, I didn't do any seaching but there are quite a few photos to look through.
8th Air Force Fighter Group - Littlefriends.co.uk

 

[Airframes]

Yes, there were some differences, as shown in your pics. 'Sad Sack' has the black and white stripes, and the others just black over metal. the spinner tip was bare metal AFAIK. Been looking at other pics of 20th FG Mustangs, and some have the white, others bare metal.

 

[Crimea_River]

Looks like NMF to me. The panels around the exhausts always have a darker shade and you can see this feature both behind and between the "keys".

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great info

 

[hub]

According to Roger Freemans The Mighty Eighth Warpaint and Heraldry they were black and white stripes, but there were examples of bare metal between the black stipes.
the photo attached shows white paint in this instance

 

[Alte Hase]

Thanks guys for all the input! I've ordered the Aeromaster 20th FG decal sheet (48565), so I'll check their references too before I haul out the airbrush!

 

[drgondog]

Hi All,

I'm starting a double build of the following P-51Ds: Hal Whitmore's 356th FG QI-G "the Lord is my shepherd",and Charles 'Tink' Cole's 20th FG KI-K "Little Lady"...

I've searched the net and read both the Squadron/Signal P-51D "Walkaround" and ''In Action",but have so far found no answers,so here are my questions:

1/ Did all P-51Ds in the ETO have a radio antenna stretching from the vertical fin to the canopy? If not, then did all P-51Ds have the same canopy incorporating the antenna wire entry point/roller?

2/ On P-51Ds with the radio antenna, was the wire under tension when the canopy was open,so it hung tightly, or did the antenna 'sag' with the canopy open, as did the antenna wire of the FW190As?

3/ On the stencilled aircraft data panel (the one on the left fuselage just forward and below the windsreen), why did some panels carry a prominent "+", while others did not?

Thanks in advance!

This is an old thread that had some unanswered questions:
1. None of the ETO Mustangs used antenna wire. All used SCR 522 Command Radio with single mast.
2. See above. That said two basic canopy designs were used, the -2 and -6. The dash 6 had a noticeable 'bulge' to improve side to side view aft. It has been called 'Dallas' version but used interchangeably on both Inglewood and Dallas built Mustangs. The P-51D-5 was produced with the -2.
3. The photos you used have NMF between the stripes - as you can clearly see the SS panel above and below the exhaust stacks.