P-51D Louisiana Heatwave?

[keithjs]

The new Eduard D-5 Mustang features this aircraft as one of the 5 options. All the information I have including all previous built up models and decal sheets (including one I did many years ago) shows it to have a fillet fitted. Even the serial number is the same. The only thing that points to it not having a fillet is the serial number which ties up nicely with the D-5 block.  If this is true how come all builds of this aircraft up to now  show it with a fillet? I'm confused? I just can't seem to find a complete photo of the whole aircraft.

Of course I suppose the fillet could have been added later could it??? Can anyone shed any light on the subject please?? Thanks 

[Boman]

This is fairly straight forward; 

The P-51D-5's without fin fillet came mainly in the 44-13xxx series around (May) June-44. During fall (Sept-Oct) of -44, the fillet-less P-51D-5's started having the fin-fillet retrofitted.  Louisianna Heatwave served through this period, and if you count the kills on the canopy in Eduards marking option, it shows only 2 kills. Other sheets shows 5-7, reflecting Crenshaw's later kills.
So basically the markings are reflecting the fighter at different times. Hope this helps? 

 

[keithjs]

Ah, so quite simple really then. Thank you. But somewhere I'm assuming there might be a photo of the aircraft at both stages?  Bit of a long shot but you never know.

Thank you again.Much appreciated.

[Work In Progress]

deleted as posted in error

Edited September 28, 2019 by Work In Progress

[Boman]

Google is your friend; 
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/33206

http://www.usaaf-noseart.co.uk/plane.php?plane=us-louisiana-heat#.XY-hfUYzZPY

[Boman]

Did some more searching, and it turns out that 44-13606 was crash-landed at A-89 on Oct 24th -44 by Capt. Davison. Crenshaw then took over 44-15016. Hence you will probably never find photos of 44-13606 with more than 5 kills on the canopy. I have never seen photos of 44-15016, so can't help you there, but the coding was still IV-I and the plane was named Heat Wave, it is likely that the name had similar style as when carried on 44-13606  

[keithjs]

Thank you so much for that information. All seems perfectly clear now. I think the main problem is that the times and dates involved are relatively close to one another.

 

Much appreciated.

[Bedders]

I'm thinking of doing Crenshaw's D-5 as my representative of 359FG among my range of 8AF FGs. Looking at the photos of the Bottisham Four (361FG), taken 26 July, it's clear that dorsal fillet kits were already arriving in the UK by then, as E2-S has it fitted. So my guess it Crenshaw got his fin fillet in mid-summer too, hence modellers have run with that configuration. Where I have some doubts is over when/whether the rudder of his D-5 aircraft was painted red. Rudder colours came much later than fin fillets so I think there might be a time when 44-13606 had the fillet and the black stripe on the fin, but no red rudder, through the summer of 1944. Whereas 44-15016 might have had a red rudder from early in its life.

 

Justin

Edited October 5, 2019 by Bedders

[Boman]

8AF started with colored fins around Oct-Nov 1944, so could have been an early one?