Repaint Request

Arguably the finest fighter aircraft of World War II.
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TatoBean
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Joined: 27 Feb 2020, 15:16

Repaint Request

Post by TatoBean »

So I just bought the Civvy Mustang, haven't flown it yet but also doing some custom scenery for the airport I'm gonna keep it at so once that's done I'll be up and flying.

In the meantime, and since I can't seem to find a repaint thread, are there any of you awesome painters out there who can help me take N4451C (S/N 44-74444) and put the colors of the Illinois Air National Guard on her? I live in Chicago and do my GA flying out of KDKB just off to the west of town and would like to put a 170th Fighter Group Mustang back in the air, but I am absolutely terrible at painting and can recognize when I'm out of my element. :lol:

And for those who care, yes technically the 170th flew the F-51, but unless Scott and the gang put out an F-51 variant any time soon I think this is as close as we're gonna get. :D

Hopefully the links I put down for reference work. Thanks!

https://www.mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/s ... l/44-74444
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/170th_Fighter_Squadron
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... 4563476686
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ratty
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Re: Repaint Request

Post by ratty »

The A2A P-51 is also an F-51. They were just redesignated in 1947 from P- for Pursuit to F- for Fighter.
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TatoBean
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Re: Repaint Request

Post by TatoBean »

ratty wrote: 18 Oct 2021, 10:53 The A2A P-51 is also an F-51. They were just redesignated in 1947 from P- for Pursuit to F- for Fighter.
Huh, I was under the impression they had a different prop and some other refinements. I wonder where that rumor came from. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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ratty
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Re: Repaint Request

Post by ratty »

The Wikipedia page for Mustang production (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ame ... Production) shows 1,500 built with Aeroproducts props and designated P-51K. Otherwise, I suppose all 8,200 Ds were the same. Hmmm.
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Skycat
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Re: Repaint Request

Post by Skycat »

The wartime P-51D and P-51K were almost identical except for the propeller. The P-51H was essentially a complete design overhaul for the Pacific theater but it was delivered too late to see action during WWII. Production continued into 1946. As the Army demobilized and transitioned into the Cold War, it retained the best of its wartime surplus including the P-51H models still rolling off the production line. The creation of the US Air Force as a separate service on September 18, 1947 simultaneously created a permanent Air National Guard. In 1948 the USAF administratively changed the designation of its aircraft, most notably redesignating 'Pursuit' (P) aircraft to 'Fighter' (F) to convey a more aggressive posture. The P-51 became the F-51; the P-47 became the F-47; etc.

From the history of my local Air National Guard unit:
The wartime 404th Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 186th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Montana National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Gore Field, Great Falls, Montana and was extended federal recognition on 27 June 1947. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was allotted to the Fourth Air Force, Continental Air Command by the National Guard Bureau.

Within two weeks of its activation six F-51Ds arrived. As part of the Continental Air Command Fourth Air Force, the unit trained for tactical bombing missions and air-to-air combat.

On 1 April 1951, the unit was activated for duty in South Korea. Personnel were sent to Moody AFB, Ga., and ten F-51s were shipped to Korea. The squadron became a F-51D Fighter-Bomber training unit. The 186th was returned to Montana State control in November 1952 and on 1 January 1953, the squadron was reformed at Gore Field with Captain Rodger D. Young as Commander. ... After the Korean War, the squadron was equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang and became a part of Air Defense Command. The unit received its first jet aircraft in December 1952, a T-33 Shooting Star. In early 1953 it was equipped with F-86A Sabre jet interceptors. The squadron was redesignated the 186th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 November 1953 and adopted the "Charlie Chicken" patch. By July 1955 the transition from the F-51H Mustang to the F-86A Sabre was complete.
Photographs showing MT ANG F-51s circa 1953: viewtopic.php?t=30107 (I apologize for the Photobucket watermark. I'm not interested in paying a monthly fee for what used to be a free service.)
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TatoBean
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Joined: 27 Feb 2020, 15:16

Re: Repaint Request

Post by TatoBean »

Skycat wrote: 18 Oct 2021, 19:55 The wartime P-51D and P-51K were almost identical except for the propeller. The P-51H was essentially a complete design overhaul for the Pacific theater but it was delivered too late to see action during WWII. Production continued into 1946. As the Army demobilized and transitioned into the Cold War, it retained the best of its wartime surplus including the P-51H models still rolling off the production line. The creation of the US Air Force as a separate service on September 18, 1947 simultaneously created a permanent Air National Guard. In 1948 the USAF administratively changed the designation of its aircraft, most notably redesignating 'Pursuit' (P) aircraft to 'Fighter' (F) to convey a more aggressive posture. The P-51 became the F-51; the P-47 became the F-47; etc.

From the history of my local Air National Guard unit:
The wartime 404th Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 186th Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Montana National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Gore Field, Great Falls, Montana and was extended federal recognition on 27 June 1947. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was allotted to the Fourth Air Force, Continental Air Command by the National Guard Bureau.

Within two weeks of its activation six F-51Ds arrived. As part of the Continental Air Command Fourth Air Force, the unit trained for tactical bombing missions and air-to-air combat.

On 1 April 1951, the unit was activated for duty in South Korea. Personnel were sent to Moody AFB, Ga., and ten F-51s were shipped to Korea. The squadron became a F-51D Fighter-Bomber training unit. The 186th was returned to Montana State control in November 1952 and on 1 January 1953, the squadron was reformed at Gore Field with Captain Rodger D. Young as Commander. ... After the Korean War, the squadron was equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang and became a part of Air Defense Command. The unit received its first jet aircraft in December 1952, a T-33 Shooting Star. In early 1953 it was equipped with F-86A Sabre jet interceptors. The squadron was redesignated the 186th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 November 1953 and adopted the "Charlie Chicken" patch. By July 1955 the transition from the F-51H Mustang to the F-86A Sabre was complete.
Photographs showing MT ANG F-51s circa 1953: viewtopic.php?t=30107 (I apologize for the Photobucket watermark. I'm not interested in paying a monthly fee for what used to be a free service.)

Thanks so much for the history!!!! I clearly have a lot to learn still, but that's half the fun.
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