Post-War Ponies

[DaveQ]

Just for the hell of it I lashed up a couple of post war paints of the WBS P-51D to see what they'd look like externally. They're based on the restored versions which have sufficient external detail to superficially ressemble Korean War machines but lack a proper model from WBS currently to hang them on. The first is from the 39th FBS at Chinhae, the second a 45th TRS machine based at Kimpo.

...and how a restoration would look on the apron at Duxford

If models ever appear from WBS to match them I'll publish. You never know, this might persuade!

DaveQ

 

[Bone]

I think there's plenty of wartime paints, now. It's time for the post war era!

 

[Bomber_12th]

Wow, Dave, they sure do persuade! I've actually been meaning to start a post with regards to the F-51's.

What I'd like to do is put together a project that includes USAF ANG, USAF (active duty - Korean War), SAAF, and ROKAF examples, from between around 1948-1953 (this will be the established 'era'), and will include F-51D's and RF-51D's (the photo-recon variant). The plan is that, through the one combined project, the coverage would be as extensive as possible, with up to four cockpit configurations, or more, in order to cover the various examples correctly. Some examples would retain just the SCR-522 receiver-transmitter radio sets (from WWII years), while others would have the USAF upgrade (as of September 1948) of the addition of the AN/ARC-3 radio set (T-67/ARC-3 transmitter, and R-77A/ARC-3 receiver), as well as those that retained the old SCR-522 receiver-transmitter set, but also had a BC-453-B radio receiver installed over the top of it. Fortunately, as long as you know what to look for, you can often figure out, quite easily, which of these configurations were in use by any given post-war example. Each of these has different cockpit configurations, not only behind the armor plate, but in front of the armor plate as well, with the AN/ARC-3 set installation coming with the most modifications over any other - all of the original brackets, panels, and controls related to the SCR-522 were removed, and one big switch panel/consule was added, which mounted all of the AN/ARC-3, AN/ARA-8, and I.F.F. and radio detonation controls. With this setup, the tail warning radar set was also deleted, and the panel in the cockpit for it was removed and replaced with circuit breakers for the new radio set. For the RF-51's (post-war F-6D's), you factor in those modifications above, but also the installation of the control box and control panel for the cameras. I will also pay special attention to reproducing the other modifications that were made, such as to some of the instruments, some of the internal paint finishes, the addition of a rocket-firing control switch on the throttle, and for those that had the tail wheel modification (I think primarily just some ANG examples, though I will need to look into this more), the removal of the tail wheel gear doors and the de-activation of the tail landing gear retraction, locking it in-place.

All of that can be done easily enough, and absolutely correctly, with the photos and documents I have collected. The hardest part will be to try and reproduce the flight gear of the period for the pilot. Although probably impossible, I'd like to focus in on just what would be the most used flight gear of the period, and copy that one look for all, otherwise development time could get reall out of hand. Any photos and/or information that could help in this effort, I would greatly appreciate it! Also, I'd be looking at likely including up to 12 different variants in the product, in order to cover as much as I can (the more models/variants covered, the more repaint possibilities there are). If there are any specific examples you'd like to see reproduced, please let me know via PM, and if that example is featured, you'll be sure to be provided the full product when completed. I'd want to focus on giving a close to equal amount of coverage over each individual configuration. For ANG variants, one of the 'slots' is already taken though. ; )

This isn't all to say that no one should release post-war paint schemes for the Warbirdsim P-51D's currently available, either - I wouldn't mind that being done. I do really like what you've done with these repaints, Dave, and you could likely be getting a message from me sometime soon. : )

 

[Bone]

A number of post war F-51 shots.

http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/category/f-51-mustang/

 

[Bomber_12th]

SCR-522 and AN/ARC-3 Radio Sets

Although I don't want to post the entire technical order document, here are some illustratios from it showing some of the modification work that came with the installation of the multi-part AN/ARC-3 radio set, which was first introduced in late 1948. Although not all examples from 1948 and after had this done, those that did it can very easily be seen, just from looking at the aircraft externally.

The first illustrations show the common late 1945 factory installation of the SCR-522 and I.F.F. set, as already reproduced on many of the Warbirdsim P-51D's, and this configuration should therefore look very familiar (note the AN/APS-13 tail waning radar controls, SCR-522 controls, I.F.F. control panel, tail radar warning bell, and Setchell Carlson beacon receiver).

And these illustrations show the results of removing much of what is shown above, and the fitting of all that went with the AN/ARC-3 radio set, as of late 1948 and onward. Fortunately, although the NAA factory drawings would of course not cover all of this, all of the actual plan drawings are included in these T.O. documents to reproduce all of the brackets and the new control panels, so it all can be reproduced with 100% accuracy. This should be a fun project to reproduce, as it has never been done before, at least for flight simulation.

 

[DaveQ]

Thanks for your comments John. I'll consider posting but both have major flaws using the restored models, so I'll look forward to using them on more authentic ones.

On the off-chance this is one you've not come across, here's a website I used for the repaint of Lt Toedt's RF-51D, including his bone dome. There's quite a lot of detail here for the flight suits as well as lots of other stuff. http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/category/f-51-mustang/

DaveQ

 

[Bomber_12th]

Note too, that on the vast majority of these post-war aircraft, the battery had been moved (since very late P-51D-manufacture) from the common WWII-era position, where it was mounted on the radio rack behind the SCR-522 box, up to the engine bay. In its place, the SCR-695 I.F.F. set was installed (becoming standard in late 1945 and after), which can be seen in both of the illustrations above. So that is something, that although is not contained in the post-war T.O.'s will have to be reproduced as well. (You know when the battery was moved to the engine bay, because that is why there is that little vent scoop on the left-side fusleage-to-wing elbow fairing near the engine on those examples. If you see the vent scoop, you know the aircraft has the IFF set and the engine-bay mounted battery - and the without the scoop, you know for sure that the aircraft still has the battery in that original position behind the cockpit, and therefore cannot have the IFF set installed. (Unfortunately this isn't something I've really gotten correct in the past, but now I know better.))

Edit: Thank you Bone and Dave for the link! That is a great collection!

 

[stiz]

What I'd like to do is put together a project that includes USAF ANG, USAF (active duty - Korean War), SAAF, and ROKAF examples, from between around 1948-1953 (this will be the established 'era'), and will include F-51D's and RF-51D's (the photo-recon variant).

but what you REALLY want to do is one of these

View attachment 63510

 

[Bomber_12th]

Stiz, that is certainly growing on me. ; ) It would be great if there were just a bit more detailed resources for the F-82.