Warbird Information Exchange

http://354thfightergroup.homestead.com/VIDEOHOME.html

In my ever enduring quest to get my early model Mustang fix.

This is a neat video of the Pioneer Mustang Group. One question I have is Col Howard's Ding Hao! a real early B model that did not have a fuselage fuel tank? It's hard to make out but it doesn't look like it has a filler port in the fuse just aft of the canopy.

Also, for the most part I understand how the ETO unit coding works, The first 2 letter, in this case "AJ" for the squadron (356th FS) and "A-Z" for the different aircraft in the squadron (A always reserved for CO??)

But in the Vid at around :46 secs is a Mustang wearing GQ-2? "GQ", I understand is for the 355 FS but what does the numerical code "2" mean?


Thanks

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Shay

Col. Howard's 43-6315 had the fuselage tank installed - you can see the white cross on this photo (below) - the white cross (black on NMF ships) identified a/c with fuselage tank installed.



Martin

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Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

he individual aircraft letter 'A' wasn't always reserved for the group or squadron CO. although in some units it seems that this often was the case.

GQ-2 - numerals instead of letters often ientified OTU (training) ships, but since we have an early a/c here in the video, I tend to assume that this was an aircraft that received such a code when all letters of the alphabet were used up and they continued with numerals..... later, a bar was added to the aircraft letter when a double-use occurred.

I'd love to have the serial of this ship to see what really was fact here.

Martin

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Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

I could be wrong here but I don't beleive early on the 354th Fg used a bar to indicate a second a/c but rather a number or symbol.

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Don't touch my junk!!