Another P51 Mustang question

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:22 pm

I'm curious as to what the proper color is of the wheel well area and clam shell doors on the Mustang from the WWII era. I've noticed them different colors from one to another, but would like to know what authentic would be.
Thanks,

David

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:30 pm

The inner doors are unpainted but the wells and outer doors were zinced.

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:29 pm

Thanks jack,
Here's another paint question. After D-Day the invasion stripes seem to have been partially removed. I've seen pictures with the invasion stripes removed from the wings and just on the lower portion of the fuselage under the star and bar. What would be normal for an airplane to have on it towards the end of the war?

Thanks,
David

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:36 pm

Those under fuselage stripes were standard ETO markings applied after a a/c arrived in theatre along with black nose band/spinner and tail stripes usually removed by the squadrons in favor of their own markings

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:42 pm

Thanks again Jack,
Would those stripes have been applied by hand and look a little less than perfect?

Thanks,
David

51fixer · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:49 pm

Sabremech wrote:

I'm curious as to what the proper color is of the wheel well area and clam shell doors on the Mustang from the WWII era. I've noticed them different colors from one to another, but would like to know what authentic would be.
Thanks,

David

Depending on the point in time, batch and vendor it does vary.
If you drill apart components that make up the wing there can be parts in different shades and colors.
Anything you take apart can give you clues as to what was there originally.
Rich

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:56 pm

Hi Rich,
How are things out your way? We'll be getting very busy soon as winter maintenance season is here. Skyraider inspection will be the new one for us this year. Maybe I'll start a thread in the maint hangar on the raider if people are interested.

Take Care,
David

51fixer · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:02 pm

D-day time frame stripes wrapped around the fus and wings.
Later at some point they removed or covered up the upper wing and fus.
There are wartime pics of Bald Eagle both ways.
Later they would not have been on the top but I believe some A/C that arrived later (Post D-Day) didn't have any at all.
Rich

51fixer · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:03 pm

Sabremech wrote:

Hi Rich,
How are things out your way? We'll be getting very busy soon as winter maintenance season is here. Skyraider inspection will be the new one for us this year. Maybe I'll start a thread in the maint hangar on the raider if people are interested.

Take Care,
David

Working to figure out Griffon operations still.
Good luck with your projects.
Rich

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:04 pm

Uh, in danger of some muddle here...

First, D-Day stripes were the white-black-white-black-white stripes around the wings and rear fuselage, applied for 6th June 1944 to almost all Allied aircraft. Aircraft so painted, including Mustangs, quite soon had the markings partly stripped back from top surfaces - upper wings and upper fuselage to retain the air-combat camouflage advantage, while retaining the lower high viz to avoid friendly ground fire. By end 1944, most, I think it fair to say, D Day stripes were stripped.

These are entirely separate marking scheme to other stripes, some of which apply to Mustangs - RAF Mustangs were given single white stripes to differentiate from the 109 soon after arrival in the UK. I'm happy to defer to Jack on the theater/re markings he referred to.

Sounds like Sabremech needs this: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=32423

Door gear colours are covered in the book.

HTH

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:09 pm

Rich touches on a good point, I'm not sure when replacement aircraft after June '44 wouldn't get D Day stripes applied; quite soon I suspect.

D Day stripes were hand applied, and initially were very ragged. However most units tidied them up soon after, so they were cleaner looking. But they were almost never as 'neat' as most warbird restorations present them. Any other stripe markings were properly applied as to normal aircraft standards. D Day stripes were just a distemper type, not often proper aircraft paints, IIRC.

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:09 pm

Hi James,
Congrats on the book. I think you are right, I need a copy of it. Hope all is well with you. Certainly you've recovered from oshkosh by now.

Take care,
David

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:14 pm

Hi David,
The book goes into a lot of detail on original looks and colour details. It's not a markings book; there's others better than that, although there's a lot of tempting profiles in the back - like a German captured P-51D. I did work hard to try and make it a useful book for the restorer & painter as well as the modeller.

Recovered from Osh, yes - but still playing catch up on correspondence - I owe you an e- among many!

Regards,

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:19 pm

Those are NOT DDay stripes but standard ETO markings applied at the depot level upon arrival in the UK. nothing to do with DDay.

Sabremech · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:27 pm

Hi Jack
Thanks for clearing that up for me. I kept focusing on D-Day and not ETO markings. I knew I could get good information here as always.

David

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