silberpferd

A few pictures of B-17Fs from the 35-VE batch, saved from the internet: Hoping they might help you. Good luck with your project. Laurent

D-5, 10, 15 had only one hatch, the forward one, on the left. D-30 is the same as D-25, 3 hatches. Laurent

Regarding those mainteantce hatches on the lower engine cowling, the P-51D-20-NA had two on the left side, and none on the right side Don't touch anything on the Eduard kit for a D-25-NA, one hatch on the left and two on the right. Laurent

However, from the American Air Museum link, the colors appear to be green, yellow and red Laurent

You may find some answers on this website: http://www.303rdbg.com/uniforms-gear8.html Laurent

My source is the study of a few pictures from my files You are right about the P-38G-1-LO, so the first Gs had the legs painted aluminum as well, then. And I agreed that the first NMF Js had NG legs

It seems there is conflicting information regarding 42-67027 (which is a P-38H-5-LO), as USAAF records show it was lost in action on March 29th, 1944, serving with the 1st Fighter Group, 15th AAF, while flown by Merle B. Brown, and some sources give CG*G, flown by Gerald Brown with the 55th FG, 8th AAF, as being 42-67028. Of course, there is the possibility that #027 served first with the 55th FG and then was transfered to the 1st FG, but that would be a strange coincidence that the plane would have 2 different pilots named Brown with 2 different Air Forces. To answer your initial question, from the research I had done a couple of years ago, it seems that up to the F model, landing gear legs and doors were painted aluminum, and they switched to NG with the G model, and switched back to aluminum during J production, a little bit after the planes were delivered unpainted, The first NMF Js had NG legs and doors. It is generally accepted that the walls of the wheelwells were the same color than the legs and the doors.

"Kit" Carson served two tours with the 357th F.G. From the information I have, Nooky Booky III was assigned to him when he returned from his leave in October 1944, and kept the plane for 2 months, before he got Nooky Booky IV in December. His last kill with NB III was December 5th, and the first kill with NB IV was December 24th. So, to answer your question, it is more than likely that NB III had the invasion stripes on the bottom of the fuselage, like did NB IV before January 1st, by which date they should have been removed. Laurent

Hi Thomas, F-5B 42-68223 can be seen in the background of this famous picture, on the right. The plane was NMF. A fairly good representation of this plane can be seen at the bottom of this page. https://www.x-plane.fr/showthread.php?t=63263 Laurent

As Gingerbob said, the AAF Spec. Proj. number is related to the destination of the plane. The first P-51D-5-NAs to reach the ETO had "SPECIAL PROJECT NO.92700-R" painted above the data block (from pictures of 44-13303, -13316, -13318 and -13350), so it is very likely that Fool's Paradise IV, 44-13309, had the same markings. Laurent

Images from an E-bay auction Laurent

If you click on the picture, you will have access to the Flickr page with 147 photos.

I hope those will help Also a nice reference for an original D-25-NT Laurent

I'd go with oil spill/leak

"Topsy" was 42-76150 Some sources give 03 August 1944 as the date of the crash, while 26 August is also given elsewhere. Regarding "Rebel Jack", this article reports that Quentin Aanenson loaned it to Lt Hilding Roy Johnson on Chritmas day, 1944, sadly shot down that day https://www.stripes.com/news/dig-for-wwii-remains-might-prove-bittersweet-for-archaeologist-1.148070 However, records shows that the only 366th FG P-47 missing that day was 42-29324, a bubble top. Most probably a newer "Rebel Jack" then. Laurent