354th FG Video and Early Stang questions

[Shay]

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
____________
Semper Fortis

[Swiss Mustangs]

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

[Swiss Mustangs]

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

[Jack Cook]

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.