RAF P-51 Mustang Mk.III IFF anntenna?

[Steve in Ottawa]

I'm getting down to the short strokes on a 1/48 RCAF Mustang III build and I'm wondering if they carried an underwing IFF antenna, similar to what the Spitfire carried. A Google search isn't producing a decent answer so I'm wondering if there's a photo and/or tech detail to show where this would have been mounted in May/June 1945, if indeed it was mounted and visible externally. Any help would be appreciated.

[SteveBrooking]

Steve

If you are modelling a C-10 Mustang with KH serial then it would not have the IFF aerial.

Steve

[Steve in Ottawa]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response and info. I'm looking at FZ190, 9G-E of RCAF 441 Sqn, so does that help you to focus your answer further for the IFF antenna?

https://d2ev13g7cze5ka.cloudfront.net/hbm/hbm40235_1_1437098948.jpg?v=1437098948

http://s877.photobucket.com/user/ACpilot1/media/Diecast/441%20Mustang%20III_zpsb0gag2i8.jpg.html

It looks like 441 had a mixed bag of aircraft, with several inconsistencies noted in their stable (e.g., camo and NMF colour schemes, fin fillet, spine whip antenna position, cowl breather louvres). I just got lucky on my Google search and came across a bunch of hits of FZ190 when it served with 19 Sqn, so maybe that will help with the IFF answer, too. I started with the Tamiya P-51B kit, which doesn't come with the fin fillet, so I decided upon 9G-E.

Dennis Weber, the IPMS Edmonton member who researched the material for the IPMS Canada article (http://www.ipmscanada.com/ipms/Reference_%20Article/Aircraft/441%20Article%20high.pdf), found the following aircraft serials TOC by 441:

FB184 > 31 May 45

FB231 > 24 May 45

FZ190 > 31 May 45 9G-E

HB876 > 14 June 45 9G-L

HB959 > 31 May 45 9G-M

KH426 > 31 May 45

KH432 > 31 May 45

KH466 > 31 May 45 9G-Y

KH474 > 31 May 45

KH479 > 31 May 45

KH495 > 31 May 45 9G-S

KH499 > 31 May 45

KH517 > 31 May 45

KH558 > 31 May 45

KH559 > 31 May 45

KH569 > 31 May 45

KH578 > 31 May 45

KH580 > 31 May 45 9G-B

KH602 > 31 May 45

.

[SteveBrooking]

Steve FZ190 would have been delivered with the IFF aerial. The aerial was fitted under the starboard wing and only a small proportion of photos show the starboard side of P-51s. If you go to this site https://www.flickr.com/photos/133697406@N05/albumsand scroll down to "North American P-51B/C" you will find several examples of the aerial on American aircraft.

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[Steve in Ottawa]

Hi Steve,

Thanks again for the fast reply. The flickr link you sent me is a new find for me (I think) and it provided a good number of shots of the IFF antenna location. Lacking a modification drawing or decent 3-view plans re I should now be able to landmark it on the kit with reasonable accuracy.

[brewerjerry]

........

If you go to this site https://www.flickr.com/photos/133697406@N05/albums

.......

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Hi

Awesome site, great four blade mossie photo

cheers

jerry

[RZP]

Hello Steve,

I have a 3-view drawing and some photos I could scan and send you tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a Polish 309 Squadron Mustang III which shows the IFF antenna. It is the thin white line that originates in the red portion of the RAF roundel, not far from the pitot.

Edited January 3, 2016 by RZP

[Steve in Ottawa]

Hi RZP,

Thanks for the photo; this helps to better landmark the position of the antenna. If it's no big trouble I would appreciate any help you can give me - you could send the images to [email protected]. I don't need the whole drawing, by the way, the area where the IFF antenna is located would be just fine.

[RZP]

In case anyone else is interested, here is a drawing (antenna location red-circled), presented for educational purposes, from the AJ Press book "North American P-51 Mustang/P-82 Twin Mustang, cz.3" :

Edited January 5, 2016 by RZP