Paging Mr Beasley................506th FG

[Jack Cook]

462nd FS 506th FG Iwo Jima 1945
Same a/c different name

1Lt Willie Willis and P-51D #615 "Dinny B"

P-51D #615 "My Bonnie"

[mlenoch]

Maybe they swapped the cowl panels with the name off another aircraft? In the second photo, they appear to be dzus'ing the panel on/off?
(Note the twin fuselage antenna and single keel antenna of a -30 aircaft, plus the top photo shows the rarely seen canvas cover on the top of the gear leg.)
VL

[Jim Beasley]

Thanks so much Jack. So was 615 the pre-solid yellow tail with yellow stripes? jb

[Randy Wilson]

It certainly looks like the same aircraft - even the minor scratches and other marks on the prop blade are there. Very interesting. Thanks Jack.

Randy

[51fixer]

Just goes to show you can't trust the media.
Must be tough for the ground crew to have to change the cowls around before each mission.
Don't get any ideas Jim!
Rich

[Swiss Mustangs]

s/n 44-72518

506th FG 462nd FS

Martin

[Django]

Cool photos. I agree, probably some staging for some publicity shots.

[clangjr]

The background is practically unchanged between the two photos. The shots were taken from slightly different angles, but if you look at the shadows it is clear that very little time passed between them

What in the heck is the guy doing on top of the plane in the second pic??

[51fixer]

The background is practically unchanged between the two photos. The shots were taken from slightly different angles, but if you look at the shadows it is clear that very little time passed between them

What in the heck is the guy doing on top of the plane in the second pic??

They didn't use ladders. No OSHA around then.
That how they accessed the Dzuz fastners they couldn't reach from the ground.
Rich

[steve dickey]

Plus back then they didn't worry to much about scratching or denting or scuffing them up
They were't pampered like now a days