Warbird Information Exchange

Hey friends! Figured I'd post this in the modeler's section as you all might have the best advice

I am nailing down the paint scheme for my Tuskegee P-51 project and am trying to figure out what the exact trim tab color would be for my particular aircraft. I am doing a '51 from the 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332 Fighter Group based in Ramitelli, Italy. In my research online thus far, I have found conflicting reports as to what color the 301st tabs were, particularly in spring/ summer of 1945. I found this initially...

* 99th FS - blue
* 100th FS - black or red
* 301st FS - white
* 302nd FS - yellow

and with a little more digging, I found that "Creamer's Dream" (of the 301st) wore a white trim tab in late '45 as seen here...



Now, this is where it gets tricky, I found this profile view of "Joedebelle," also of the 301st during 1944, and the trim tabs are solid insignia red!



My question is, where the tab colors changed from 44-45, or did the B/Cs and Ds wear different colors? To be more particular, I am building F/O Leland H. Pennington's bird "Lucy Gal" (42-106603). Thanks gang, hope someone can help!

_________________
Austin Hancock
Pennington P-51 Memorial
www.lp-51.com

This is not as easy to research as I thought. According to this:
http://www.332ndfg.org/332FGFacts.htm
The 301st FS was supposedly redesignated the 100th FS on 1Aug 44, so that's another monkey wrench there....
That being said, looking through here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=9WYFAQ ... &q&f=false
Shows at the bottom of page 75, creamers dream sporting a yellow trim tab and showing a date of Jan 45, 301st FS. As opposed to the 301st being the 100th FS, a bit confusing there.

Curveball here.....
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/361stfg. ... y=serialNo
Look at the second from the bottom

However, MACR 14022 shows that serial number belonging to Penningtons mustang, here:
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/ ... offset=475

In the end, I would also have to say white trim tabs seem to be the most accurate. Wish I could find more.

Also, is this mustang gonna belong to HAG, and be based out of geneseo? I hope so, been going to that airshow since I was a kid, my dad lives not far from there in LeRoy, all my little brothers went to York central. I miss the good old days of the national warplane museum in genny but look forward to many more with HAG running things.

Good luck to you and everyone else in Geneseo!

Wow, thanks for all your "sleuthing" B-17 Guy!! I have the MACR for Pennington and it doesn't list his planes colors. By your research, it does seem to me that White Tabs are the answer, so that's what I'll aim for now! This plane is for the 1941 "HAG" in Geneseo. We've got a bomber, transports, trainers, L-Birds, but no fighter! It's my job to change that and commemorate a Local Tuskegee Hero at the same time.

_________________
Austin Hancock
Pennington P-51 Memorial
www.lp-51.com

I'm pretty good and familiar with HAG, would be nice to see a fighter there again.
Speaking of fighter, what happened to the flying tiger P-40 that used to be there, I thought hag owned her?

I'm gonna look more on the trim tab color. I'll let ya know what I find.

Thanks for searching some more! As for the P-40, it used to be owned by Dr. Bill Anderson (a museum member), until 1996 when it had an engine failure. It made an emergency landing in a cornfield and was sold. Now she's flying again for Tony Banta in CA

_________________
Austin Hancock
Pennington P-51 Memorial
www.lp-51.com