SimonL Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I am looking to build a specific RAAF Mustang with the new Airfix kit, namely A68-766 in 1946. According to the source I have Mustangs with serials in the range A68-600 to 813 were P-51D's. Is anyone able to confirm (or not) that I am safe making use of the kit's provided cuffed HS propeller. I cannot find any photographs of the said aircraft, but I have found some artwork which would indicate a cuffed propeller is OK. Many thanks in advance. Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Maas Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I am looking to build a specific RAAF Mustang with the new Airfix kit, namely A68-766 in 1946. According to the source I have Mustangs with serials in the range A68-600 to 813 were P-51D's. Is anyone able to confirm (or not) that I am safe making use of the kit's provided cuffed HS propeller. I cannot find any photographs of the said aircraft, but I have found some artwork which would indicate a cuffed propeller is OK. Many thanks in advance. Cheers Simon If built as a P-51D during WW2, the cuffed HS prop is correct. Postwar P-51D production could have the uncuffed HS prop but that's quite unlikely in 1946, no airframe built as a P-51D would have the Aeroproducts prop when built, those were P-51K only in terms of construction, and problematic enough that they would be severly unlikely to be mounted on a P-51D needing a prop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 Thanks Adam, my source says that P-51 D (and P-51 K) deliveries started in April 1945, so it looks the cuffed HS propeller is the way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Simon, Here's a link to a colour pic of said airframe, with a cuffed HS prop fitted. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/Mustang-A68-766/Mustang_A68_766 Should clear up things for you! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 Ta! Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 A68-766 was a D-20-NT delivered with a Hamilton Standard prop with 6523A-24 cuffed blades with round tips. Seats was a late pattern Warren MacArthur type with US pattern belts and straps. Batteries were behind the pilot so it did not have the little intake in the top front corner of the leading edge fairing on the port side. No fuselage tank so had an aluminium strap fixed across the filler point. The DFF was straight, not the earlier 'swayback' fillet. Wheel doors and wells were in YZC, leg doors in 'Aluminium' paint. Diamond block tyres. Wings were internally reinforced and fitted for rockets by NAA so no external reinforcing plates but some rearrangement of the engine and armament switch boxes in the cockpit. Black codes and 82 Squadron badge on the fin. Black (repainted) anti glare panel. Dark blue spinner. IFF aerials on both sides of the fin. David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs' PS: as an aside, Adam is not strictly correct: late production D models (eg A68-712 et seq to the RAAF and many USAAF Ds) were completed during the war with factory fitted K-6547A square tipped blades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 Wow, thats a lot of information I was going to be happy just getting the correct propeller. The markings I have for this aircraft show it from 1946 (in Japan I believe) with blue and white wartime roundels, code letters of SV-Z, a red lightning flash across the tail and a silver spinner. The instructions say the anti glare panel is black. Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 SV-Z is often misidentified as A68-766; it was actually A68-786. Same comments apply except: 76 Squadron red lightning bolt on tail instead of 82 badge, OD antiglare panel, battery in engine bay so had the little intake and no strap, 'Texas type 2' canopy (the more bulged bubble one of the two so-called 'Dallas' canopies) in a lever latched frame. Red lever latch. Natural metal spinner. Carried 6 x 60lb HE SAP rockets in dark green. David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 Many thanks David, looks like I will need to make a slight adjustment to the serial then. Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by lever latched frame with a red lever? Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Two different latching mechanisms were used on D/K canopy frames. Early aircraft had a small square hole with a hinged flap on the lower front port side canopy frame and nothing on the starboard side. This type was common on early RAF Ks and early RAAF Ds, Ks and the CAC production run which was based on and evolved from the early D specification. Later aircraft had two long lever type latches; one to port, one to starboard. This is the type visible on the real A68-766 in Mark's link above. Usually (but not always) they were painted red in RAAF service. SV-Z had this type, with the levers painted red. David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 Ah, got it now. Many thanks. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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