David M

Tamiya 1/12 Caterham Super Seven BDR Caterham Super Seven BDR cycle fender Caterham Super Seven JPE Profil 24 1/24 Metro 6R4 Sunbeam Talbot Golden Arrow

Really great work and very useful site indeed. Does anyone know anything about 'Maxlabo' which he references as the source for his dry decals?

The RAAF certainly used Mustangs for PR and with a little re-arranging of the gubbins (technical term for the stuff inside) above and behind the radiator could carry one oblique and one vertical camera. In fact there is not a lot of gubbins (it is mostly air) and there is an amazing amount of things that you can fit the back of a Mustang...cameras and camera operators, winches and drogues in multiples have all been carried, albeit with some discomfort. No problem with the wing trailing edge getting in the way and upsetting your downward view - you just roll slightly to port and line up the photo target using the marks conveniently stencilled on the port wing upper surface - and certainly a lot more range than a Spitfire, which comes in very handy when 'home' is a big country and your war is spread across an ocean rather than in your next-door-neighbours-but-one's back yard. CAC and NAA both put similar in principle/different in detail versions into production and the ones in Oz were used in both high and low altitude roles. David Muir Author: Southern Cross Mustangs

Edgar is correct: issue 2 for 1989 of the APMA journal has the history and drawings for the Fleep, both by yours truly. My model was built up on the Jeep in the 1/72 Hasegawa MU-2 kit if that helps. Mine is in skeletal form with the framing and bulkheads without the fabric covering...lots of tiny bits of stretched sprue. PM me if you need more... David M

Just to confirm what I think the good Admiral is saying... The CAC Mustangs differed from their NAA sisters in many ways including different equipment installations and modifications made to suit local manufacturing skills and capacity as well as to suit the RAAF's operational needs. The lack of any real need for the aircraft post war meant that the production line moved glacially and vastly more time was spent on each activity by comparison with Australian wartime production...which in itself was slow in comparison with American production rates. Part of the reasoning for buying the Mustangs in the first place was the ease (and hence potential speed) of production but NAA's build quality was also appreciated and a factor in the consideration. For example the Spitfire (one of the other contenders) was considered to need longer line times, mainly because it was a less 'production' friendly and needed more effort to achieve the same quality. Ironically the post war Mustangs ended up being essentially 'hand built'. The resulting jump in the fit, finish and build quality was an unintended bi-product - and one commented on by several US based restorers while I was researching SCM. They were not denigrating the NAA product, just indicating the CAC airframes as desirable in their eyes, in part because of their 'hand fitted' build quality. And just to keep the record straight: early deliveries to the RAF of Mustangs with blown canopies were K models finished in Day Fighter camouflage, factory applied in ANA colours. Natural metal/silver deliveries followed in late 1944. David Muir (Author: Southern Cross Mustangs) BTW: thanks for the compliment Rabbit Leader

I second Col's comments about the Ducimus booklet. One marking error that probably started with a typo in it and persists to this day is that it gives the upper wing roundels as 40" diameter on the Mustangs repainted in the UK. Aircraft supplied by NAA had 32" roundels, the repaints got much larger roundels - 48" or something very close to it - as evidenced by the images in its own pages. As a result there are lots and lots of inaccurate books and decal sheets out there... David Muir Author, 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

KH870 is definitely wearing one of 159 MU's distinctive 'firewall' pattern paint jobs. At least one other 249 Mustang (a Mk III) also had this scheme and both had the discoloured patches behind the exhaust where the anti-glare plates were remover as Colin suggested. At the end of the war 239 Wing seems to have had a variety of oddball paintwork with all sorts of unusual colours in strange places, for example 3 RAAF had some coloured canopy frames and chin intakes on some of 'their' Mustangs. I suspect that the stripes are another example and possibly distinctive to 249 RAF. David Muir 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

There was a set of very credible looking Sea Otter drawings in 'Aircraft of the Fighting Powers' published just post WWII. Its drawings were something of a curates egg but I recall these looked 'right' and seemed to line up OK when I drew the Qantas one for APMA. David M

Jennings is quite correct that the instructions were not on the outside. However the point I was trying to make - obviously not well - was not where they were but that they differed. The filling instructions were cited simply as an example of one of the more obscure markings - of the many notes, cautions and instructions and the like that appear both inside and outside of the Mustang in the form of decals, placards, plates, signwriting or masked and painted text - that were different between export and US airframes. At least one 'warbird' owner has learned (at the cost of a fragged rear fuselage) that there is a difference between high and low pressure and that it pays to read the instructions. The NAA B/C and D/K and CAC painting drawings cover most (but not all as some appear on part drawings) of the marking requirements on Mustangs. Add in the amendments and revisions made in the factory over time and in service and unravelling the complete markings is indeed a huge task. That is why SCM has stencil drawings for the C (RAF), D/K (RAAF and RNZAF) and the CA-17 and -18. David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

Factory applied stencils on RAF Mustangs were generally similar to those applied to the USAAF aircraft. The most obvious exception was an extra line UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT added above the data stencilled on the port side just behind the fire wall. Other differences were less obvious, eg the instructions for filling the oxygen system (low pressure on the British examples, high on the American ones) were different. Many of the Mustang manuals have a page devoted to translating the terms used by the RAF and USAAF; examples include aircraft instead of airplane, socket instead of receptacle. RAAF deliveries had some of the terminology changed to reflect language and usage differences and as the RAAF closely followed RAF practices I would not be surprised if RAF examples also had different wording. Someone famous (Churchill?) did once said the UK and the US were two countries separated by a common language... David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

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'

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'

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.

Hi Mark, For what it is worth the RAAF was using Light Series Carriers (i.e. the RAF patern 4 bomb device) pre war and fitted them to all sorts of aircraft including Dakotas/DC3s and Mustangs. On the Mustang they were mounted using an adaptor frame welded up from angle section steel with a couple of bent rods as hangers. The LSC bolted underneath and was hung off the standard Mustang pylon and steadied by standard Mustang crutches. All pretty simple; the only permanent 'mod' being the cabling and a selector switch to allow the bombs to be released as singles, pairs or in sequence. The LSCs were able to carry either 4 x 10lb practice or 4 x 40lb GP rounds. It does not seem a big stretch that something similar was used to adapt RAF LSCs to the Wirraway...and assuming 4 x UC hard points toward the front (each with 1 RAF LSC with 4 bombs for a total of 16 bombs) and 4 RAAF pattern LSCs to the rear (each with one bomb) then 20 x 40lb bombs seems feasible... Regards, David Muir Author: 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

Rodders, As usual you need to check carefully against photos if you want to build an accurate RNZAF Mustang. All the known variations are covered and illustrated in SCM and so far Ventura do the closest match for the markings on any one airframe. Even than there are small niggles in their otherwise excellent decals. The RNZAF Mustangs were delivered in full USAAF markings and had initially had US finishes (as opposed to the CAC versions). There were numerous variations in the number, size and placement of their initial NZ insignia and even more in service. Some were refinished in HSS, others remained pretty much stock. Props were all the square tipped HS except for NZ2413 which had the round tipped, cuffed prop. Unit markings and the style and placement of the serials varied a lot and the RNZAF added its own version of the stencilling, some of which are bigger and more colourful than the NAA applied stencils. All had the late production electrical connection panel which was repositioned aft in the radiator skins rather than on the starboard fing fillet. Maintenance differed from unit to unit and from time to time: some were grubby, others immaculate. Interiors remained basically as delivered but the RNZAF did modify some items in line with the RAAF/CAC mods and also had some home-grown mods. Regards, David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

bob, Possibly in 2012 for the IPMS Nationals, but much depends on my day gig, my Minister for War and Finance, assorted other commitments and the usual things that crop up in life, oh, yes, how much modelling I can get done. If not in'12 then in '13. David

Biggles81 is correct, the probes were used by ARDU to determine the pressure error coefficient on Vampire Mk 30s. A68-166 flew with at least two different probe configurations; this is the better known one. The probes were far from the weirdest things hung under or on the wings of Aussie Mustangs...see SCM for more information. David Muir Author, 'Southern Cross Mustangs' Incidentally I am coming over to Telford for Scale Model World and can bring a small number of SCMs for those who are also attending and fancy a copy without the - not in substantial, it is a heavy tome! - postage charges. If you want one order through Red Roo Models at www.redroomodels.com. However, be quick as it is strictly 'first in best dressed' because numbers will be very limited and will go fast. DM

Some of the RAF documentation uses 'MkIV' to refer to the D and K Mustang without descriminating between the two; D models (HS props) were officially MkIVs, Ks (Aeroproducts props) were Mk IVAs. Being good colonials the RAAF and RNZAF were equally indescriminate in applying 'Mk IV' to any D/K Mustang, although it must be said that the both terms were only occasionally used in RAAF documents, most of which used 'P-51' or just 'Mustang'. The louvre panels only appear on Mustangs accepted in the UK; they appear on RAF and Commonwealth (RAAF, SAAF) a/c. They are riveted over the standard plate and face aft suggesting that they were intended to deflect stones/sand/dust away from (rather than to scoop more air into) the filter. Oxygen systems remained the US low pressure demand system. Early RAF Mk IVAs (K-1s) had rear mounted instruments and appear "flush"; later examples (K-5 et seq) had front mounted instruments. Photos of both sides and the panel of the latter, and the MkIII, appear in SCM. One mod that was unique to the RAF Mustangs was a 'T' shaped plate added behind (and a little above) the exhausts as a glare shield for night flying. They were similar to those on Hurricane nightfighters; photos of them fitted on Mustangs are rare but traces of them (either the redundant fixing points and/or discolouration of the camouflage) can be seen on some aircraft where they have been removed. On the question of the Australian aircraft there were differences between the CAC built and US (Dallas) built aircraft. They included the oxygen systems (different high pressure bottle arrangement in the rear fuselage and hence equipment in the cockpit), radio suite, formation light (one not three) and a unique moulded plywood seat as well as a series of modifications and upgrades made during their service with the RAAF. The most obvious internal difference was a much brighter apple green for the cockpit. Each of the CAC Marks (Mk20, Mk21, Mk22 and Mk23) had unique combinations of finish and equipment fit as did the US deliveries to the RAAF which came from different batches and had their own variations. RNZAF aircraft were built to late US standards, down to and including their markings. They too were modified and upgraded in service and incorporated some of the RAAF changes, some of the NAA/USAF changes along with some home grown mods. One small external detail: being late production aircraft they had their external power sockets relocated from the starboard wing root fairing to the starboard side of the radiator fairing. Regards, David Muir Author 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

I suspect that what we are seeing is fading of the blue paint. For some reason (sun? paint formula? application?) the blue on some of the 3 Squadron RAAF aircraft that were photographed in Italy shows as an often patchy lighter tone and this looks like another example or perhaps more accurately examples as the forth one in line has the same red/blue tonal reversal. The phenomena can be seen on both camouflaged and NMF finished aircraft. It could explain why the tonal contrast differs between airframes photographed in the same image. Terry is also correct; the pattern is typical of Mustangs repainted in the UK and different to those repainted in Italy. David Muir Author: 'Southern Cross Mustangs'

Mk IV = D model, Mk IVA = K model Red Roo Models do K blades in most scales and photo etched louvre panels for some. Regards, David Muir

The napalm tanks on P-51s were modified in the same way as is described in the P-47 document linked above, i.e. with a standard bomb igniter fitted to a modified fuel filler cap. However, they were safety wired in the same manner as a conventional bomb and were definitely not live until they left the aircraft...plus a bit as the igniter had to be armed by the rotation of little propeller on its end in both cases. It seems curious that the same simple safeguard was not used on the Jug tanks...

North American were in fact contracted to supply Mustang IIIs in Earth/Dark Olive Drab/Sky Type S as is evidenced by their own documents, E & M Manuals and the like. That NAA did just that is evidenced by the contemporary colour images (although these are obviously variable and subject to question, see below) and the descriptions in contemporary British documentation such as test and evaluation reports, Observer Corps observations, briefing notes, circulars, etc. This is hardly surprising as NAA were one of the first US manufacturers contracted to the UK and had ample experience in working with the British procurement, quality control and acceptance systems. Dark Olive Drab was accepted in these documents as the replacement for the Dark Green component used in British TL paint scheme. However, note that there is no known mention that Light Grey (or Light Gray) was an equally acceptable substitution for Sky Type S in these documents.) It is often overlooked that the E/DG/Sky scheme was still the current camouflage specified for aircraft classified by the RAF as Army Co-operation types - such as the early Mustangs, including the early Mk IIIs - and remained so and was applied to the RAF deliveries until at least December 1943. Shortly (i.e. within 4 months) the delivery camouflage scheme on Mustang IV and IVA became the DFS in OD 613/SG 603/LG 602. In the mean time earlier airframes were being repainted in British DFS colours on assembly in the UK prior to acceptance by the RAF. Contemporary colour images aside there seems no credible evidence that NAA went its own way and substituted other colours for those it was contracted to supply. Given their variability under different capture and reproduction conditions as well as over time - see Nick Millman's blog for more - such images can be used to support either side of the Sky/Light Gray argument and are thus a useful guide but hardly evidence per se. The matter has been debated at length and at various temperatures in this and other venues without any new material appearing to support the LG theory. Hence the balance of the evidence seems to be strongly in favour of NAA having met it's contactual obligations, delivering the early Mk111s in E/DOD/Sky Type S as specified. David M

Steven, The available evidence is mainly photographic with some material drawn from NAA's documentation. All the images I have seen where the flap edge is visible on a/c wearing the NAA applied 'RAF1/TO' pattern show the uppersurface camouflage stopping at a span-wise line toward the front of the flap, i.e. at about the point where the raised flap is covered by the trailing edge of the wing proper. Forward of that line appears to be unpainted with just the usual the black/white striped flap indicator marking at about the quarter span of the flap. It is conceivable that they were finished in the undersurface colour, but it in my view it is more likely that the leading edges were left in primer: this would accord with the NAA painting documents which called for primer but no finish coat to areas 'not normally visible' on the aircraft. Some of the examples known to have been repainted by 159 MU in Italy in 'RAF4/Firewall' seem to have the same arrangement. However, on checking again a couple do have the leading edge in uppersurface camo, albeit what looks like a light coat such that the factory scheme demarkation line and indicator marking remain visible. The ones repainted in the UK seem to have been a more variable feast as suggested and illustrated by the various postings on ARC. 3 Squadron RAAF used only a couple of Mustangs in these schemes; too few to draw any sensible conclusions. However a quick survey of my more limited collection of images of RAF a/c in UK schemes confirms some leading edges were painted and others were not. Others with more images may be able to advise in greater detail... David

John, Check the pattern of the uppersurface camouflage for the one you are modelling: the various Mustang schemes usually follow distinctive and readily identifiable patterns and are your best guide to the likely flap finish. Ex factory the leading edge of the flaps on MkIII and MkIVA Mustangs camouflaged in the 'Factory'/'RAF1'/'TO' scheme were unpainted. Most (probably all?) of the ones repainted by 159 MU in Italy (aka the 'RAF4' or 'Firewall' pattern) had unpainted flap leading edges. Those repainted in the UK (eg the 'Loop'/'RAF2' pattern) vary so you need to check your references for each a/c to be certain. David (Author: Southern Cross Mustangs)

Kickstart, Some caution is recommended when using model decals as reference for Mustang stencilling as most sheets have some bits that are either missing or inaccurate. As the good Admiral Puff suggests 'SCM' does indeed have full details for the stencilling on several Mustang variants in use with the USAAF/USAF, the RAF, the RAAF and the RNZAF, each of which had unique stencil combinations and differences in colours and wording. SCM includes stencil details for the P-51B/C (RAF Mk III); P-51D/K (RAF Mk IVA and RNZAF Mk IV), CAC CA-17 (RAAF Mk 20) and CA-18 (RAAF Mk 21/23) and for the 75 gallon and 110 gallon drop tanks in fuel and napalm form. The artwork was prepared in CAD and I would be happy to share it with you; PM me if you are interested. David Muir Author: 'Southern Cross Mustangs' A Red Roo Publication