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Guillows Series 400 - P-51 Mustang by David Duckett. Viewed 952 times.
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David Duckett29-Jun-10 04:52
From the instructions: " Entire upper surface a camouflage combination of light and dark greens mixed with light and dark blues. The upper surface camouflage colors blend into the bottom surface colors which is a combination of pale blue and light gray...spinner is light blue". Drawing on thevast knowledge of our members savvy in such matters, does anyone have an actual reference to such colors actually being used? I know a red spinner is correct for the Mediterranean theater but where was blue used? Are there any references for the markings used on USAF Mustangs during the Korean War? And finally, were any of the bubble top Mustangs in British camo? Thanks.
BillParker29-Jun-10 05:44
Dave, I've always thought that that cover illustration was a "composite" of ideas for finishing the aircraft. To me it looks like the paint job from 4 different planes. Take a look at this reference for info on the "Blue Nosed Birds..."
mleduc29-Jun-10 06:19
Most USAAF "D's" were natural metal...here is a RCAF one in camo that is pretty interesting. http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/edmonton-special-mustang.shtml
David Duckett29-Jun-10 06:31
Ooohhh! I like the one with the red rudder and I like the darker blue. I should have said the instructions call for a light blue spinner which I think was used on British planes. I don't care for any of the box art in this series and the colors used on the others certainly do not do the planes justice. The Zero and P-40 are particularly unpleasant and the Spitfire could use a bit of tweaking, as well. The decals in the P-40 don't match the box art. Many builders paint their planes to match those on the box cover which can lead to some, uh, interesting paint jobs. It would be wise to remember that box art, in this case, is only an artist's concept. Actual contents may be different.
John Cooper29-Jun-10 06:36
Here are some more British camo patterned Ds: RAF 112 Sqn Sharkmouth RAAF 3 Sqn RAAF 3 Sqn
Creosotewind04-Jul-10 12:39
DD, not sure about the validity of the Guillows color scheme, but there were some blue painted Mustangs. The photo recon planes were a non-specular blue that, when applied correctly, made them really blend with the sky. The book, "The Mighty Eighth In Color" writes about a P-51D flown by Col Tom Christian, CO of the 361st Fighter Squadron based in Bottisham, England. "Named after the pilot's wife, Lou IV had Insignia Blue paint on much of the upper surfaces to meet the requirement that where possible those fighter types received in natural metal finish should have some camouflage colour applied.... Insignia Blue was only applied to a few aircraft of the 361st at Bottisham, presumably as the supply of a more suitable green was limited at the time. Lou IV was also the first P-51 in the 361st to have the Group's identifying yellow nose marking extended well back along the cowling."
Creosotewind04-Jul-10 12:53
A few more things about the colors. Aluminum finished Mustangs actually had silver painted wings, not natural aluminum. The flaps were left natural aluminum. They show that on the box art, the flaps are more reflective than the wings. Medium blue spinners were used on the 352nd Fighter Group in England. One last thing, in the USAAF, the first number of the serial number found on most aircraft tails signifies the year that plane was ordered. Most P-51Ds start with a "4", it was ordered in 1944. It might have been built in 1945, but the PO was 1944. BTW, your model is looking great as usual.
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