Toulouse Nuts TF-51D

[JimH]

THANK YOU Mark! We have debated on 3 nuts, some see it and some don't. There has to be a story behind the name. Toulouse (two loose) Nuts and 3 depicted. I think that drawing gets us one step closer to an answer. So far this is at the top of the pile

Jim

[Randy Haskin]

Mark, wouldn't that artwork make it Three-louse Nuts?

[Mark Allen M]

There's definitely Three nuts. Just two lose.

[Mark Allen M]

Here's a color shot of F-51D-30-NT Mustang 45-11582

[Pogo]

Toulouse (two loose) Nuts and 3 depicted.

Maybe "too loose" nuts...?

[barnbstormer]

Maybe I've missed it? Do you have the aircraft number for Toulouse Nuts?

I have a famous OLD collection of some 130,000 aircraft negs and 30,000 prints. (TONS of warbirds in there, all time periods and places) Looks to be approx 400 Mustang prints and some 248 negs, from wartime to early 90s. Very few have the nicknames on the negative envelopes.
There are a few, like Mustang 415326, "Sizzling Liz," and a 1944 neg of Mustang B 2106911, 335th FS, Debden 4/44-"Yippee Joe" etc but most with just the ID #

But a LOT of them just have the aircraft number. (Some..also have Squadron, FG, place,date, pilot etc) I just looked fast, through the Mustang negs and saw nothing for "Toulouse Nuts", but before I go through the prints, It might help if I had the aircraft ID #. (and could also go back through the negatives for same)

[JimH]

Yes 484655 is the serial number for Toulouse Nuts, as far as we know it was only painted like this in the 167th ANG Charleston WV. When I originally sharpened the image in Photoshop and projected it on the wall, both my wife and I saw 3 nuts. The image Mark has presented is a 1000 times better than my image. It clearly shows 3. I've shown this image to several people at American Aero and they all something different...until now. Now we all agree there are 3. How does that relate to Toulouse Nuts? And 3 depicted...that opens another can of worms, what is the story behind the name? At Barnbstormer...I'd love to see if you turn up anything! I've talked it over with Ashley and we are making plans to put 3 nuts on the panel. We can always change the artwork if and when we find a close up. I'm not giving up, I should say we are not giving up on finding "the" photo.

Jim

[shrike]

Would love to see the original. I'm willing to bet the central 'figure' was originally to be a bolt, but that it was deemed "inappropriate" somewhere between initial start of painting and finishing.
You can picture the CO, pipe in mouth, simply saying, "no" and walking away sadly shaking his head

[marine air]

My flight chief in the Tennessee Air National Guard grew up in West Virginia. He said as a Civil Air Patrol Cadet they took the cadets over to the base to see the Mustangs. He said it was love at first sight and he knew he wanted a career in military aircraft maintenance. Suggest contacting the local unit of the West Virginia CAP.

[Snake45]

Got a chance to ask my Dad about this today. He said that about 50 maintenance men came to Martinsburg from Charleston when the unit moved, and he said three or four of them were still alive that he knew of in the Martinsburg area. Only name he could come up with on the spot was Jim Roberts, a Mustang crew chief, if anyone wants to try to track him down. I suppose he'd be within a few years either way of my Dad's age, and Dad just turned 85 a week ago today.

[Chris Brame]

Here's a color shot of F-51D-30-NT Mustang 45-11582

Great shot of Spam Can, Mark! Should add that to the Registry listing.
(I know what you guys are going through, trying to find that one photo - can you say "Paducah B-17"? )

[mdwflyer]

Looks like the third nut is german

There's definitely Three nuts. Just two lose.

[florida.warbirds]

Here are some of pictures of the P-40 from a few weeks ago.

https://floridawarbirds.wordpress.com/2 ... uary-2016/

[Locobuster]

Let the speculation commence...

[Mark Allen M]

I'm convinced. TWO NUTS ...