A P-51B in Kent June 1944

[Mark Harmsworth]

P-51B 'Beantown Banshee' of the 353rd FS, 354th FG in early June 1944.

 

I seem to get almost as much pleasure from the research as from the build.

 

Seven US 9th Air Force Fighter Groups arrived in Kent in the months leading up to D-Day. Five of P-47s and two of P-51s.

 

The 354th Fighter Group were the first to take delivery of the new P-51 and became known as the Pioneer Mustang Group. They arrived in England in November 1943 having completed their training on P-39s. The first of the Mustangs were close behind; both men and machines coming through Liverpool docks, with RAF Greenham Common their first base.

 

The RAF had created new airfields in Kent, largely from farmland, and referred to as Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs). These were intended as familiarisation for the eventual move to northern France after the invasion and were rather basic.

 

RAF Lashenden (my 'local' airfield) was tested for a couple of weeks in August 1943 by RCAF 403 and 421 squadrons with Spitfire IXs under the command of 'Johnnie' Johnson. I'm sure a Spitfire IX with JE-J markings will be a future project - but that's another story.

 

The 354th arrived at ALG Lashenden in April 1944 after the airfield had been upgraded to accommodate 80 aircraft standings. It had Sommerfield Track for the runway, perimeter track and standings.

 

Beantown Banshee was Captain Felix 'Mike' Rogers plane although was often used by other pilots and (for those that may not know) was a reference to his hometown of Boston. Captain Rogers remained in the postwar USAF until 1978 when he retired as a four star general having served for 36 years and becoming an ace and being awarded the Silver Star in WW2.

 

There is some confusion in references about Beantown Banshee with 43-6833 often being quoted as the serial no. However Beantown Banshee s/n 43-6833 was shot down by AA while strafing an airfield near Wittmund Germany in mid April 1944 with the pilot (2Lt. Robert R. Kegebein) becoming a POW. A replacement plane (43-7163) became the new Beantown Banshee.

 

The picture below is often shown incorrectly as 43-6833 – including in the Osprey book on the 354th. The s/n can't be seen but the invasion stripes mean it must be 43-7163 and as the stripes wrap over the wing and are on the upper fuselage (between Capt Rogers' legs) it is probably dated to around D-Day.

 

 

Also in the picture with Capt Rogers are crew chief S/Sgt Harry Philips and his assistant Sgt Bob Robinson.

 

 

 

So this is my build of Beantown Banshee 43-7163 at RAF Lashenden early to mid June 1944.

 

This is the Tamiya 1:48 P-51B. I filled the panel lines on the first half or so of the wings and drilled out the exhausts, the wheel hubs, holes in the seat, formation lights and the .50 cals. I tried to deal with the step in the flaps and replaced the clear part of the gunsight with a little bit of clear plastic.

 

Extras were a Yahu instrument panel (great) , Eduard superfabric belts (also great) and Montex interior & exterior masks (worked perfectly). The 75 gal tanks are from the Tamiya P-51D kit. Decals are from Superscale which are really good except for the incorrect serial no. so that's from the spares box.

 

Paints were Ultimate acrylic gloss black primer, Vallejo acrylic Metal Color for the nmf and Xtracrylix for everything else. As 43-7163 was relatively new I have kept the weathering to a minimum. Photos of this time also seem to show very light exhaust stains on these Mustangs.

 

References were:

The Pioneer Mustang Group by Steve Blake (a massive work of over 400 A4 size pages and if you want to find out anything about the 354th it's in here)

The American Air Museum http://www.americanairmuseum.com/

Joe Baugher's website : http://joebaugher.com/

Osprey Aviation Elite 7 : 354th Fighter Group

 

Comments appreciated. Lets hope the sheep don't wander on to the airfield.

All the best

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fubar57]

Very nice. I'm just starting to learn all I can about the Vallejo metallics

[Mark Harmsworth]

13 minutes ago, fubar57 said:

Very nice. I'm just starting to learn all I can about the Vallejo metallics

I think they're great. They seem to work well over a gloss black primer. The wings on the P-51 are aluminium with a matt varnish which I think looks similar to the laquer applied to the real thing, fuselage is largely duraluminium with the exhaust area in dark aluminium - no varnish on any of that.

Mark

[Saddler]

Nice build Mark, and I didn't know that Ultimate did a gloss black, Cheers !!

[Vinnie]

Cracking finish on that, Mark.

[Epeeman]

Grand job on your P-51B - like it!

 

I also live in Kent (Gravesend) on an estate built on the former RAF Gravesend airfield. I stand to be corrected, but I think Mustangs were also based here for a while as well

 

Regards

 

Dave

[russ c]

Beautifully finished Mustang there, really nice work

[RMCS]

Superb 

[Mark Harmsworth]

15 hours ago, Epeeman said:

Grand job on your P-51B - like it!

 

I also live in Kent (Gravesend) on an estate built on the former RAF Gravesend airfield. I stand to be corrected, but I think Mustangs were also based here for a while as well

 

Regards

 

Dave

Hi Dave

Thanks, and I think you are right about RAF Gravesend.  This is from Wikipedia:

 

" .  .  .   65 Squadron, who arrived 29 July 1943, and were the first Squadron to be issued with the North American Mustang III in December - making Gravesend the first RAF base to operate it. "

 

Mark

[F-32]

Wonderful work