ColFord

As we know from the few photos that have surfaced of the P-51s used by No.225 Squadron RAF, they had applied to them at some point in the time they were with the Squadron the squadron code letters WU and at least one had the individual aircraft id letter B. Given some logic being applied one might hypothesize that operating as a sub-flight within the squadron of four aircraft they may have gone down the simple and expedient path of giving the four Mustangs the individual id letters A, B, C, and D aligned with the serials 361 = A, 366 = B, 424 = C and 428 = D. Purely hypothetical, but would be a solution hard to dispute without further hard evidence. The US applied serials in what photos there are of the No.225 Squadron aircraft, are not evident - where they would normally be applied is part of the area covered by the application of the mid-stone/sand. It is very rare to find RAF Squadron ORBs that list both aircraft serials and the individual aircraft id letters. Also can fall down to who got the duty of writing up the ORB for that month and how much attention they paid to the duty, which was normally a secondary one. The quality and accuracy of information contained in ORBs can at times be quite variable, especially during times when units were at full capacity conducting operations. Normally the only way to be able to do serial number to individual code letter tie ups is to find supplementary documentation, such is sometimes included in the Appendices to the ORBs, or through access to pilot's log books of pilots serving with the Squadron at the time as it was usual for the pilots to record the individual aircraft id letter in their log book, sometimes in addition to the serial. The use of the borrowed Mustangs only for "Photo Recce" is probably more of an indication that they were the only aircraft on the Squadron strength at that time specifically equipped to conduct that role. The normal range of focal lengths of the lenses fitted to both the oblique and vertical cameras fitted to the Mustangs would have, depending on the mission requirement, allowed them to conduct photo recce sorties from 'zero' feet up to around 7-8,000ft maximum. Also being borrowed aircraft from the USAAF with little likelyhood of getting replacements if any were damaged or lost, they were probably treated with some care in the missions they were allocated and how they were operated. Looking at the No.225 Squadron ORBs, the use of "Weaver" as a sortie description is applied to the No.2 of a pair of aircraft conducting Photo Recce sorties. Where the No.1 of the pair would be concentrating on navigation and over the target area getting the required photographs, the No.2 would be flying above and to one side of the No.1, covering him and paying more attention to the sky around them looking for potential intercepting enemy aircraft or any other threats, He would effectively be weaving over and above and around the No.1 to cover him. In the sortie descriptions where a "Weaver" is called out, the type of photography would require particular attention by the No.1 to flying a straight and level course at a specific altitude, speed and course to get the required photographic coverage, so having a "Weaver" to cover the No.1 would be very important. Same tactics used by the Mustang Tac/R units in the UK and something that had been established back when they had Tomahawks.

Sorry about turning up late to the party on this, have been away for a while dealing with 1:1 scale aircraft and with limited internet acess whilst I was away. Plus for some reason did not get the usual notification that someone had 'pinged' me here on Britmodeller regarding things Allison Mustang. Lets get down to the basics. No.225 Squadron had operated the Mustang Mk.I in the UK before they were transferred to the MTO. The transfer was without aircraft, so they left their Mustang Mk.I in the UK and were issued with initially Hawker Hurricanes and then later Spitfire V to use in the Tac/R role in North Africa. Late in the campaign in North Africa as the focus started to move onto the impending invasions of Sicily and Italy, they borrowed for a period of time, four USAAF P-51/F-6A which they used to conduct longer ranged Tac/R and general recce missions that were beyond the range of the Spitfire Vs. The US 154th Observation Squadron had a mix of P-51 and P-51-10A aircraft (what later was redesignated at F-6A) - that is some aircraft without the US recce camera installation and some with. Current information being developed by a US researcher who is digging into this in great detail is that the majority of P-51 aircraft received by the 154th were fitted with the US recce camera installation, but a small sub-set of the aircraft they received were not. The installation the USAAF aircraft were fitted with was one developed by the USAAF in house and had configurations for an oblique camera installed in the quarter rear window pointing out to the port side, enclosed with a 'bulged' perpex window - the window design and mount were considerably more complex in design that the RAF ones; along with a vertical/vertical oblique camera installation in the rear fuselage - camera mounted with lens positioned between the radiator outlet and tail wheel undercarriage bay. This vertical/vertical oblique rear camera had a control cable that allowed the camera to be moved in flight from a direct overhead vertical position to a vertical oblique looking vertically slightly behind the aircraft. The aircraft retained their US supplied 4 x 20mm Oldsmobile manufactured Hispano cannon armament. Latest research and examination of the available photos of the Mustangs borrowed by No.225 Squadran RAF, is suggesting that the scheme they were in was not a full repaint into a RAF style desert scheme, but an overpaint of the olive drab upper surfaces with a disruptive camouflage pattern, likely in middle stone, with the prop spinner in red, an UK national markings added. The No.225 Squadron ORBs record Mustang Mk.II, but given their previous experience with the Mk.I in the UK, they probably though tthe cannon armed ones they had borrowed were the Mk.II. As it was, the timeframe this was all happening the USAAF and RAF were yet to receive the first of their P-51A/Mustang Mk.II, so they were not Mustang Mk.IIs. The last three quoted in the No.225 Sqdn ORBs are the last three of the USAAF serials for the aircraft borrowed. So 41-37XXX - all the last three serials quoted fall within the serial ranges for the P-51s held back by the USAAF from the RAF Lend Lease order for the NA-91/P-51/Mustang Mk.IA. As best can be determined, due to short period of the loan to No.225 Sqdn and that they were to be returned to USAAF, no RAF serial allocated. (Different to the six A-36s that were provided on long term loan to No.1437 Strategic Reconnaissance Flight which were given RAF serials in the HK range.) As to the history of FD442, that is quite well known and documented. After arrival and reassembly in the UK it was 'pulled' and sent to AFDU for trials. As such it did not receive the full usual set of RAF service modifications. There it caught the eye of Squadron Leader JAF Maclachlan DSO DFC** and became the subject of his plans to conduct long range intruder operations against Luftwaffe training and bomber bases in France. S/L Maclachlan had his aircraft finished in a special C&M scheme for these missions, but the aircraft was lost along with Maclachlan on the third of these missions when he was shot down and killed on 18 July 1943. (First mission aborted due to issues on crossing enemy coast; second conducted in company with Mustang Mk.I flown by F/L Geoffrey Page was successful in shooting down a number of Luftwaffe training aircraft and night bombers on test flights at airfields in France; aircraft shot down and crashed not long after crossing coast on third sortie, again in company with F/L Page.)

Release must be very soon as latest issue of Airfix Model World Magazine (April 2021) out today has an eight page 'Exclusive Build" article and a five page aircraft 'In Focus' article. Some interesting comments by the test shot builder about parts breakdown, optional parts included on the sprues for variants other than the F.4 and operators other than the RAF for future releases. Wing breakdown in particular and how variant specific wing components are all on same sprue strongly hints at other wing variants.

Hi Colin, Looks like you are making really good progress. Two things, firstly, did you remove the radiator intake air deflector from in front of the underslung radiator intake? Being a Mustang Mk.I of the early AG serial range, it should have this deflector fitted. It was removed on the later (second batch production run) AL, AM and AP serial Mustang MkI and the later Mk.IA as it was proven to be redundant. See item tagged with red arrow on underside photo. Accurate Miniatures added to the underwing moulding for their Mustang Mk.IA kit, which was an error. But of course if backdating to an early Mk.I with and AG serial, it needs to stay. Secondly, any plans to add the gun camera window on the port wing outer leading edge. Again, specific to the AG serialled Mustangs, gun camera out in position marked with the blue arrow (censor has removed in photo attached to this post, but it is evident in the photo you posted above showing the NAA factory camouflage pattern on a very early AG serialled Mustang). RAF Mustang MkI Marked Up by Colin Ford, on Flickr Regards,

No.26 Squadron RAF and No.63 Squadron RAF were still operating Spitfire Mk.V for Naval Gunfire Spotting sorties for RN units including HMS Warspite and HMS Roberts bombarding German hold out positions along the Channel Coast and in the areas around Walcheren until the end of November 1944. During these sorties they often came under intense and accurate flak, with a number of aircraft being hit and having to make emergency diversionary landings to ALGs in Allied held areas. No.63 Squadron flew their last operational sorties on Spitfire Mk.V in December 1944, providing close fighter escort to aircraft flying VIPs to and from airfields on the Continent. So in the ETO on front line operational service until December 1944. No.26 Squadron went back to Mustang Mk.I aircraft in December 1944 to continue their Naval Gunfire Spotting duties. Part of the reason for going back to the Mustangs being the wider potential area of operations they could cover and longer loiter time on station for their gun spotting duties - the longer range of the Mustang purely on internal fuel being significantly greater than that of the Spitfire Mk.V.

Eduard in keeping with their other recent major releases have in mind a Limited Edition version loaded up with masks, Brassin, photo etch and a tasty choice of C&M schemes with a reference book. Timing from the whipsers I am hearing may be around Telford or Christmas 2021 (usual caveat plans and timing may change based on how initial Profi Pack version sales in July 2021 go and the Covid situation between now and then.) Special Hobby have their own plans for their releases in terms of basic versions through to versions with extras.

USN VCS-7 on D-Day, what photos are around show their Spitfire Vbs with a mix of the three a side and six a side exhausts across the various aircraft they used. Examples of six a side: VCS-7 1 by Colin Ford, on Flickr VCS-7 by Colin Ford, on Flickr 26 Sqdn RAF and 63 Sqdn RAF who were also part of the Spotting Pool were equipped with Spitfire Vb at the time, from what few photos of them there are from this timeframe, some with, some without. Looking at the AM78 for the Spitfire Vb issued to them at the time, some had been back into MU and contractors before being issued to the Squadrons before D-Day with various mods being implemented before issue.

Justin, look at their 3D drawings and sprue layout again. S-L-O-W-L-Y, exhale, look again, and you will see in their sprue diagram what looks like both early and late seat variants. Top sprue, top of sprue beside the wing flaps looks like seat back and seat pan for late style seat, early style seat right hand side of same sprue, half way down just below the exhausts and above the tail wheel. Also if you look at the cockpit drawings/renders, you will see some have the early style seat and some have the later style seat. I suspect that if it lives up to what is shown above, it is going to be a very popular release for them. Some are already nit picking on the wing leading edge extension looking like it could be too pronounced, more like that on the P-51D, but comparing to the factory drawings and a lot of photos of the real thing, I think they are pretty close. Again they have time to get feedback and tweak it before release if needed.

Nope, it's gone to Brendan Deere's Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar at Ohakea. There they have already largely completed the strip down to components, sent the engine and propellor off for refurbishing, the wings are heading to the USA for a rebuild, been documenting and photographing every little detail that they find and cataloguing the large cache of spares and components John Smith had accompanying this aircraft. It will be returned to airworthy and join the other flying aircraft in Brendan's collection based out of RNZAF Ohakea. Brendan has been posting up lots of pictures and regular updates on the BHHH FB page, including lots of photos that people have found of NZ2423 during its RNZAF service and at various times when it was in John Smith's big red shed. The d.h. Mosquito is at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre currently undergoing preservation and conservation before going on display there. It is NOT being returned to airworthy. They have a 'by invitation' FB page where regular updates on the progress being made on the Mosquito are being posted. AVSPECS were able to get out of the John Smith collection a large number of components that will assist in a number of future new build Mosquito projects, including one destined for the UK. John Smith's d.h. Tiger Moth will also be on static display at OAHC. The P-40 'Gloria Lyons' is also at Omaka undergoing preservation and conservation before static display at OAHC. There is also another P-40 out of the John Smith collection that is at Omaka at it is being restored to airworthy. And Ray, get yourself a copy of Southern Cross Mustangs by David Muir. It has a whole chapter on things under wings on RAAF and RNZAF Mustangs. Or just pester Dick and the guys at Red Roo for answers on AMI.

To quote from the photo caption for this exact photo included in "P51-B MUSTANG: North American's B*****d Stepchild That Saved The Eighth Air Force" by James William Marshall and Lowell Ford, published Osprey, 2020 (and no relation to Lowell but I did have a hand - or two - in it) "P-51B-1-NA 43-12093 is seen on the ramp at Mines Field in the summer of 1943, the aircraft having been fitted with a Curtiss Electric 10ft 6in no-cuff three-bladed propellor from a P-51A. Parked alongside it is brand new Mustang III FX863 painted in RAF Dark Earth and Dark Green camouflage. It also wears a mix of USAAF and RAF insignia. FX863 was one of the first Mustang IIIs shipped to the UK for trials. 43-12093 served as a primary test vehicle for NAA." Some things to note, on the tail of 43-12093 has on it the circular NAA logo applied to most aircraft retained and used by NAA for trials purposes. The three-bladed propellor was fitted for a time for comparative trials between the four-bladed and three-bladed propellor. Was later passed to USAAF and lost in an accident in Florida in October 1943 FX863 is at this point painted in what even at that stage was the 'accepted' finish for Mustangs built by NAA destined for the RAF under Lend-Lease orders. It was an equivalent to Dark Earth and Dark Green disruptive pattern over Sky undersurfaces. Note, how even as on the first Allison engined Mustang Mk.I for the RAF, the propellor spinner is painted in the Dark Earth colour. Mustang IIIs shipped to the UK and destined for the RAF upon arrival in the UK would be sent to a Maintenance Unit/Contractor for re-assembly, stripping of sealants and coverings used in shipping, then the externals of the airframe were stripped back to bare metal and the aircraft was repainted in the RAF Day Fighter Scheme - Ocean Grey and Dark Green disruptive pattern over Medium Sea Grey undersurfaces, with applicable national markings and other distinctive markings at the time. This was a part of the RAF pre-delivery modification process, that would also see the installation of a Malcolm Hood and other required RAF modifications. This is why if you see photos of Mustang IIIs in the MTO in the TLS camouflage and original framed canopy - these were shipped straight to the MTO and assembled there without the same modification process as in the UK. So if you see a Mustang III in the MTO in DFS and a Malcolm Hood, it was originally shipped to the UK.

Okay everyone, here begin-eth todays lesson. Ducimus "Camouflage & Markings RAF Fighter Command 1936-1945" either as complete work or just the part work with respect to the North American Mustang, as I have posted a number of times before here on Britmodeller is riddled with errors and incorrect assumptions, a result of the original authors working with the available information they had at the time, and in particular, looking at documentation that was available to them at the time relating to later marks/models of the Mustang and applying it retrospectively to the Allison engined Mustangs supplied to the RAF, and at the time they wrote those works, not having access to the original source RAF and Air Ministry documentation because it was still classified and not released for public access. They have did not the advantage of being able to go through original surviving files and other documentation, declassified in recent years or found in the collections of individuals who worked with NAA, NAA suppliers, the RAF, the Air Ministry and numerous email exchanges and interviews with RAF aircrew and ground crew who flew and maintained Allison Mustangs in RAF service, or access to the private collections of as yet largely unpublished photos from many of the aforementioned sources. ALL the Allison Mustangs as delivered by NAA were delivered, as per the contracts, in the originally specified equivalent of the RAF Temperate Scheme. This was a paint scheme that was in paint colours that were a close match to the MAP official colours, including the underside colour that was a very close match to RAF Sky, with the primary difference due to the composition and manufacturing of the pigments used in the 'brew' used by the paint company used by NAA being a slightly, ever so slightly, greyer version of Sky. This is confirmed by documentation and colour photographs - in particular look at the Alfred Palmer colour photos and b&w photos of Mustang Mk.IA/P-51 aircraft being assembled and crated at NAA available on the US Library of Congress website, and the photos of Mustang Mk.II/P-51A aircraft being crated on the Boeing Images website. People are hung up on Dupont Paints and their colours, but NAA used a number of other manufacturers, including one who had been producing paints that met MAP standards pre-War and had agents in the UK and Canada who were feeding them information. The matches on their 1941 and 1943 paint charts for aviation paints are much closer to MAP than Dupont, including their version of Sky. This company had been used to supply paints meeting MAP requirements for the production run of Harvard I aircraft for the RAF, and both MAP and the RAF had no issues with the colour matches for the paints used or availability of supply in both Canada and the UK for repairs and repainting. The Mustang Mk.I, initial aircraft issued to a number of RAF Squadrons, those who were first to get them up to mid 1942, mostly received aircraft in the original NAA delivery scheme - equivalent to RAF Temperate scheme. These had added to them over a short space of time variations to their C&M, some as a result of matching wings to fuselages during reassembly at Speke where the camouflage pattern didn't match, addition of Squadron codes and individual aircraft id letters, repainting of national insignia in a different location - especially the fuselage roundel that was incorrectly painted by NAA too far aft on the fuselage, addition of Sky spinner and fuselage id bands, and in some instances unit badges. Fairly soon, national markings were amended to comply with the new style at the time roundels and fin flashes with reduced white and yellow segments (where applicable) and usually combined with proper proportions and positioning of the national markings. Then shortly after that the decison was made that Mustangs should adopt the same C&M rules as for other fighter types in service with Fighter Command, so a transition to the Day Fighter Scheme took place. This entailed the repainting of Mustangs in the older Temperate Land Scheme into the new Day Fighter Scheme that were already with Squadrons, either at Squadron level or when aircraft next went into a MU for servicing. What this also meant was that new aircraft arriving and being assembled in the UK would be repainted into the Day Fighter Scheme and relevant national markings before being issued to units. (In the case of all the Mustang Mk.IA and Mk.II aircraft this was done before first delivery to an operational RAF unit.) In the initial transition period there was a period where due to the shortages of Ocean Grey paint, 'mixed grey' was used, in some instances the repaint comprised a repaint over the Earth Brown segments of the camouflage with either Ocean Grey or 'mixed grey', and a repaint of the undersides with Medium Sea Grey. Again as aircraft were rotated back through MUs for major servicing or repairs, they would be stripped and fully repainted in RAF-spec paints Ocean Grey, Dark Green, Medium Sea Grey, Sky spinner and rear fuselage ID band and yellow wing leading edge id strips - again some variability in these depending who painted them on and when. The yellow wing leading edge id strips I've seen painted on from wing tip to outer most wing gun port, from wing tip to just past the inner most gun port, from wing tip to just short of the wing root and all the way to the wing root. Again if possible refer to photos of other aircraft serving with the same Squadron at the same time for the best indication in the absence of any photographs of your subject aircraft. The wing chord-wise id bands, were supposed to be 12", yellow. However, they were pretty universally disliked by the ACC Mustang Squadron aircrew, they made the Mustangs too conspicuous, especially when at low level, negating their camouflage. As a result, some Squadrons at tried to various times reduce the visibility if the chord-wise bands by painting them narrower, such as 6" or 8", or painting them in red rather than yellow (400 (RCAF) noted for this). That was why by November 1942 the orders came out to remove the chord-wise id bands. AG serialed Mustang Mk.I a few differences to the later AL, AM and AP serialed Mustangs. Key visible external difference was the gun camera aperture out in the port wing leading edge. The AL, AM and AP serialed Mustangs had the gun camera relocated to a position under the nose of the aircraft between the barrels of the nose mounted 0.50HMGs. You will also need to fill and re-scribe the armament bays on the top of the wing and the case and link ejection ports on the bottom of the wing from those on the Mustang Mk.IA/P-51 kit - Ultracast instructions show configuration and there is also a Mustang Mk.I thread here on Britmodeller that has extract from the E&M manual showing wing configuration for Mk.I thru Mk.II. Another thing to look out for is if the aircraft was still fitted with the original NAA provided tubular 'ejector' exhausts, or one of the RAF developed fishtail flame dampening designs - Ultracast does all three in resin. Again, you need a photograph of your subject aircraft to determine if original or later style exhausts. However by around August-September 1942, the fishtail flame dampening designs are starting to be more prevalent. External 'circular' rear view mirrors above front section of canopy - not really seen until early 1944. RAF Allison Mustangs had internally mounted rear vision mirror(s) mounted inside front section of canopy. IFF antennas - its a 'mixed bag'. Similar to whether an aircraft had the HF wire antenna between the antenna post behind the cockpit and the tail, or just the VHF pole antenna behind the cockpit. The configuration evolved over time and also in the same timeframe varied between Squadrons depending on what their primary operational tasking was at the time. A number of ACC Mustang Squadrons have recorded in their ORBs repeated changes from HF to VHF depending on the type of operations they were flying at a particular time, if they were participating in a large Army exercise, or operating in conjunction with units of Fighter Command or 2 Group. Around the time of Dieppe, RAF Allison Mustang Mk.I across various Squadrons had the 'cheese-cutter' type with wires from insulators in fuselage (near top leading edge of fuselage roundel) to horizontal tail surfaces outer leading edge. Others seen/photographed with a short wire - looks almost like coat hanger wire - antenna protruding up and out from insulator in fuselage on one side only, others have a longer wire antenna protruding from an insulator installed on one side of the fuselage up near the cockpit. For your subject aircraft, 'cheese cutter' is more likely. Change to the IFF ‘rod’ antenna mounted under the starboard wing, starts to be seen from around March-April 1944 - found more regularly in photos around that timeframe of RAF Allison Mustangs. Dogsbody - your third photo of the Mustang Mk.I overflying 25lb gun crew, is from series of photos taken just before commencement of Exercise SPARTAN in early 1943 and is an aircraft of No.268 Squadron RAF. Other photos in series shows Mustangs over tanks, over tanks and guns, pilots being briefed, pilots looking at tanks, pilots showing Army personnel Mustangs. (IWM has photos and their captions now include identification of personnel in photos that I provided them.) JackG - that worldwarsnet information I've had a look at as it relates to RAF Mustangs and again it has serious issues. He has used as his sources a lot of older works that drew heavily on Ducimus work many years ago. NO Allison Mustang as built by NAA came from the factory with the yellow wing leading edge id strip applied. He also perpetuates myth of Allison Mustangs being painted in US equivalents of Day Fighter Scheme paints for later deliveries - Mk.IA and Mk.II - which is directly contradicted by the NAA photo he has on the same page showing them in US equivalents of the Temperate scheme. And, Hollis Hills AG470 was 99.999% NOT fitted with a RAF style spade grip on top of the control column, it was fitted with the NAA supplied US pistol style grip. Colin, if you search within threads here at Britmodeller, there is one on RAF Mustang Mk.I that has a lot of information that will be of assistance to your build. It's a number of pages and includes extracts from pilots notes, E&M manuals plus quite a few photos. See here: There are a few other threads that pick up on specifics of RAF Allison Mustangs, both in the WW2 aircraft forum, the P-51 Group Builds and some of the WIP threads.

I would echo Steve's comments on the configuration of AG470/RU-M of No.414(RCAF) Squadron at the time of the Jubilee Raid. Yellow leading edge identification strip from wingtip to outermost gun port, standard - for the time period - yellow chordwise identification bands. No special squadron or individual aircraft markings (eg Squadron badge or Canadian Maple Leaf RCAF Overseas logo) applied. No camera carried. I would caution on some of the information contained in the IPMS Canada RT Mustang Addendum in relation to camouflage colours used and aircraft configuration, as some of the older articles are based on old and innaccurate information, not latest research - eg Mustang Mk.I aircraft being in US equivalent paints for Day Fighter Scheme as quoted in older RT articles used in the addendum, plus repeat of old 'oft repeated myths' regarding origins of the Mustang and configuration of RAF Allison engined Mustangs.

Steve, he is just seeing who is paying attention to the captions! Santiago, nice selection of Mustangs there, your father is doing some beautiful modelling work. NAA's 'other' production line. Regards.

If you want a good overview of what it is like to actually fly the Lysander, Dave Hadfield who flies the Vintage Wings of Canada Lysander, has a video up on youtube, which in part covers the operation of the slats and flaps and also the trimming of the tail for take off and landing. A great perspective from the pilot's point of view.

My copy of this one arrived during the week and overall it is a good resource and reference on the Westland Lysander. However, the key area I have noted errors occuring is with the photo captioning, with a number of photos having captions that are incorrect. Along with something as basic as calling the wartime Canadian Prime Minister a 'President' as pointed out by Chris, top of page 11, a Lysander over the Western Desert is listed as being with No.28 Squadron where it should be No.208 Squadron. As another example of an error made in the main text, bottom of page 11 the OC of No.1 Squadron Indian Air Force given as S/L 'Majumber', when it is in fact S/L K.K. MAJUMDAR (maybe that got confused because his nickname was 'Jumbo'). Then in terms of omissions, in the details contained in Section 2 - Camouflage & Markings, in terms of the sub-section on Foreign Service, and in Appendix iv - Lysander Squadrons Foreign Service, where are the details of the Lysanders provided to the Indian Air Force and the Indian Air Force Squadrons and other units that used the Lysander in WW2? It's these repeated little mis-steps that I've noted in a number of the releases from this publisher for some time, that indicate a lack of attention to detail. As another aspect, looking at the potted histories of the RAF Squadrons that operated the Lysander, I have noted quite a few errors and omissions. As an example, I'll quote from something I know inside and out, their details for No.268 Squadron RAF. They say reformed at Bury St. Edmunds, where in fact the Squadron reformed at Westley, NEAR Bury St. Edmunds. Also the long list of supposed Squadron relocations or movements quoted for 1941 and into 1942, are actually details of detachments of a couple of aircraft or a flight to take part in exercises, the Squadron remained based in initially Westley and then when they started to received the Tomahawks they moved to Snailwell because Westley was too small a field for the Tomahawks, so then they were based at Snailwell. So as I say, a good reference on the Westland Lysander, but not great.

Not all the modern build Yak-3Ms with the Allison V-1710 engine have the engine air intake on top of the cowl. A couple of the modern build Yak-3M owners/operators have gone to the trouble to rework the engine air intake ducting into the wing root intakes as per the original aircraft. A more significant absence on most of the new builds is the gun barrel troughs and breech/feed mechanism bulges on the top panel cowling on the nose. Example being VK-VVS "Full Noise" based at Omaka in NZ. Full Noise Fast by Colin Ford, on Flickr

Hi Santiago, Interesting project, lots of modelling work ahead of you. I hope that you have had a look at a number of the threads here on Britmodeller that have set out some of the detail of the various Mustangs you are planning on modelling, including this very long thread about the Mustang Mk.I/Mk.IA. Note this thread does include detail on some of the small differences between the early Mustang Mk.I, including differences between the NA-73 (AG Serials) and NA-83 (AL, AM, AP Serials) Mustang Mk.I and then onto the Mk.IA. Note, FD serial is Mustang Mk.IA, and there are a couple of threads here on Britmodeler also covering off some details of this version of the Mustang. In relation to some of your subjects: Mustang Mk.IA FD535 'X' No.268 Squadron RAF, early 1945 Gilze-Rijen. Had left/right oblique camera mounts behind cockpit and vertical camera in rear fuselage just ahead of tail wheel. Mustang Mk.II FR908 'S' No.268 Squadron RAF, April 1945, B106 Twenthe. Had left/right oblique camera mounts behind cockpit and vertical camera in rear fuselage just ahead of tail wheel. Mustang Mk.II FR915 'L' No.268 Squadron RAF, 15 December 1944, Gilze-Rijen. Had left/right oblique camera mounts behind cockpit and vertical camera in rear fuselage just ahead of tail wheel. Will be following how your build project goes.

Another top Mustang by you Tony. If you are interested in more details on the Mustang IVs and IVa aircraft operated by No.303 (Polish) Squadron RAF, I can commend the following book. Includes a lot of new and original photos not previously published sourced from various collections including from the son of one of the Squadron WW2 personnel. Artwork by John Melson is also very well researched and accurate. PW-23 Mustang MMP by Colin Ford, on Flickr Regards,

Beautiful build Ragnar, you've caught the look and 'feel' of the original subject aircraft. That is one fine looking early Mustang and a worthy tribute to the subject pilot.

Yep, thread here on Britmodeller Rumourmonger back in May 2019. Was a piece in a Japanese domestic market Tamiya Newsletter, photos of a P-51A in a US collection that they were running the tape measures over as well as taking lots of photos. Same collection held a P-38, and initial rumours on that possibility were derided, and we all know where that led.

A couple of points of a technical nature, the armament of the Mustang Mk.I was a mix of 0.50in HMGs and 0.300in MGs, the RAF did NOT replace the US supplied 0.300in MGs with UK manufactured 0.303in MGs. You will also need to rescribe the wing armament access hatches to match the configuration for the Mk.I and redo the underwing case and link ejection ports to match the configurationand location for the Mustang Mk.I - illustrations from technical manuals earlier in this thread. Depending on the subject aircraft there will be detail differences if it is a NA-73 series (AG serial) Mustang Mk.I including location of gun camera window, the air scoop deflector under the wing centre section, etc, as distinct to those for later NA-83 (AL, AM, AP serials) Mustang Mk.I - covered earlier in this thread and other threads here on BM. If you are going to use a wing from a P-51B/C/Mustang III to re-wing the Academy kit, don't forget to remove the stiffening strakes ahead of the ailerons and fill/putty over the three underwing recognition lights under the starboard wingtip as the RAF Mustang Mk.I, Mk.IA and Mk.II didn't have them.

Editorial in the June edition of Info Eduard has included the news that amongst the August 2020 releases from Eduard will be "VLR: Tales of Iwo Jima", so lovers of late-War P-51D Mustangs in the Pacific have something to look forward to. In July, Eduard are also releasing their 1/48th P-51D resin engine set, including cowlings.

Looking good, slow and steady progress towards what should be a good final result.

Air Spotting Pool also included No.26 and No.63 Squadrons RAF equipped with Spitfire V - they 'pooled their aircraft for the immediate D-Day period so that they could generate the maximum number of sorties from the available aircraft and pilots. They continued naval gunfire direction duties for some period after D-Day and were later used in part in directing naval gunfire onto holdout positions along the French and Belgian coasts into 1945. On the morning of 6 June, these were supplemented by Mustang Mk.I, Mk.IA and Mk.II aircraft from No.II(AC) Squadron RAF, No.414(RCAF) Squadron and No.268 Squadron RAF, which all operated deployed forward to Lee-on-Solent. No.II(AC) Squadron was in the process of working up on its new Mustang Mk.II aircraft at the time so did not have the required number of serviceable and available aircraft on the day, so borrowed Mustang Mk.IA aircraft for the day from No.268 Squadron to help make up their numbers. The three RAF Mustang Tac/R Squadrons flew dedicated naval gunfire direction sorties from early morning until mid afternoon, then being released back to conduct their usual Tac/R sorties in the area around the bridgehead. There were instances in the afternoon of D-Day and following days that ad-hoc requests were made for naval gunfire direction of the pilots of Tac/R Mustangs operating in the bridgehead area.

Hi Ragnarec, The photos of your subject aircraft and other Mustang Mk.I aircraft with No.II(AC) Sqdn RAF for the timeframe of your subject build, being October 1942 to May 1943, show aircraft finished with a shade close to Ocean Grey - so either Ocean Grey paint from stores or someone mixed a mixed grey very close to Ocean Grey in shade/tone - it is not markedly darker or lighter as some of the mixed greys seen on some other early Mustangs with other Squadrons. As the subject aircraft you are planning on building was one of those that originally had the squadron code letters XV ahead of the roundel, as did the aircraft in the most recent photo you have posted, plus the aircraft at this stage had not been back to a MU for major overhaul or servicing requiring a repaint as a part of that process, in all likelyhood it would still have the original aircraft id letter behind the roundel. The aircraft id letter by late 1942 (post October-November 1942 when the directive to remove Squadron id letters was issued) should start moving to a position forward of the roundel, but was usually something that was either done when an aircraft required some repair at unit level which involved repainting on the fuselage, or the aircraft went to a MU for major repairs or overhaul. Aircraft being newly issued to Squadrons - I have photos of three Mustang Mk.Is in formation from a later delivery batch, serving in the timeframe April-May 1943 with aircraft serials of the same batch as each other within six digits. Two have the aircraft id letter forward of the roundel, the other has its aircraft id letter aft of the roundel. Looking at the aircraft records for those, the aircraft with the individual code letter behind the roundel arrived early October 1942, the two aircraft with aircraft id letter forward of the roundel arrived late October to early November 1942. So your highest probability for your subject aircraft is that it would have given the timeframe and the indiviual aircraft history, the individual aircraft id letter behind the roundel. Another thing you can see from the photo of Doug Reich's Musang you have posted, is that the yellow wing leading edge id strip extends from the wing root to the wingtip. This was a peculiarity of a lot of the early Mustang Mk.Is and was pretty common until late 1943. It was a common thing for No.II(AC) Squadron Mustang Mk.Is for the timeframe for your subject aircraft. Hope this helps.