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P-51D Mustang info needed, Canadian, Polish or RAF


Winnbowman

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I was "gifted" an Academy 1/72 P-51D with a Corsair kit I recently purchased. I know very little about Mustangs but would like to give it a try. I was thinking of markings and was curious if the Canadians flew it in WWII. I found some info but it just confused me more than helped. It went into Mk I, II III IV but I have no idea which is a P-51D. I am guessing the early marks were razor backs? I am interested in a NMF bird and am not interested in tackling a complex camo scheme. If indeed the Canadians did fly the D model where can I find decals for it? Thanks for any help.

Edited by JOHN-069
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2 hours ago, JOHN-069 said:

If indeed the Canadians did fly the D model where can I find decals for it?

NMF schemes for Canadian planes are going to be post war,  and they exist.  Wartime, the D model is a Mustang Mk.IV in RAF use, I can't recall if there were RCAF P-51D units in the war  @Paul J  is very good on Canadian subjects, he'd know

I'll also @dogsbody

 

if you look top right there are 3 dots, which is the edit button, I suggest editing the thread heading to "markings for Canadian P-51D's" as that is what your question is.

HTH

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  • Winnbowman changed the title to P-51D Mustang info needed, Canadian, Polish or RAF

Hi

    link to page with photos 442 sq mustang 

 

 

NMF  in photo 

 

KH747 

 

Equivalent to USAAF P-51K.  Used by No. 442 (F) Squadron, RCAF, from the UK in 1945, coded "Y2*Y".  One of 13 aircraft on the squadron's last operational mission, top cover for task force liberating the Channel Islands on 9 May 1945, flown from Hunsdon, UK.  Left this Squadron on 1 August 1945.

 

apparently the P-51K had a different prop from the P-51D

 

seems all the NMF 's in tbe link are P-51K 

 

   cheers

     jerry

 

http://www.venturapublications.com/news/publish/442-RCAF-Mustangs.shtml

Edited by brewerjerry
typo
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Regarding the Polish Mustang Mk.IV, they were the standard RAF K model with bubble canopy, Aeroproduct propellers and the small breather plates over the panel below the exhaust with the perforations. Mostly finished in the standard natural metal schemes as usually applied to late Mustangs. They were only operated by 303 Squadron into the post war period. The wartime Mustangs operated by a few other Polish squadrons were always the MkIII high back (not razor back as often described) and generally in camouflage colours.

 

As for the Canadian P-51D, there were lots of nice colourful units operating them post war too. Leading Edge Decals did some very nice and comprehensive decal sheets covering all these units. But are hard to get now in either 1/72 or/and 1/48th.  These Mustangs were, again, mainly natural metal or even aluminium painted all over with red wing tip areas and tail planes. Adorned with their unit markings. Well worth seeking out the decals!!! I have some left over for 1/72 if interested.

Hope the above helps.

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Mustang IV = either P-51D (Hamilton Standard) or P-51K (Aeroproducts) propeller.

 

 

According to the USAAF deliveries for Britain were 30 P-51D August/September 1944, 593 P-51K October 1944 to March 1945, 251 P-51D March to June 1945.  619 Mark IV were imported into Britain September 1944 to May 1945, 72 into North Africa November 1944 to February 1945 and 177 into India March to September 1945.

RAF Squadrons by Jefford, mark IV operators, squadrons,
19 from April 1945 to March 1946
64 from August 1945 to May 1946
65 from March 1945 to May 1946
93 from January to December 1946
112 from February 1945 to December 1946
122 from May to August 1945
126 from August 1945 to March 1946
154 February and March 1945
213 from February 1945 to February 1947
234 from March to August 1945
249 from June to August 1945
250 from August 1945 to December 1946
260 from June to August 1945
303 from August 1945 to November 1946
611 from March to August 1945

For 442 squadron aircraft it reports only Mustang III on strength March to August 1945 when it was disbanded, that is a mistake for Mustang IV.

 

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12319/1570

 

Post war RCAF Mustang IV 9221 to 9300 and 9551 to 9600, of these 30 in June 1947 the rest arrived from October 1950 to March 1951.

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That’s a lot of information people have kindly provided, hope it hasn’t confused you even more. 
 

Simple answer is, yes 442 Squadron RCAF  flew the Mustang IV during the last months of the war. There were NMF examples in the squadron, but they were mostly P-51Ks which had a different prop as has been pointed out. Unfortunately there was only one set of decals in 1/72 for an NMF example and they are long out of print, and not entirely accurate. I have a set and you can have it, and I can provide corrections to make it easier.  
 

303 Squadron also flew NMF Mustangs at the end, but they were again mostly P-51Ks. There are decals available and I can send you a full set with drawings if you like, along with the correct propellor. 
 

If you’re not tied to a wartime example, the RCAF bought 130 after the war, all P-51Ds. They served from 1947 to 1956. I’m biased but they were among the most colourful of any Mustangs. I have a spare set of those as well. I provided research material for the decal company. 
 

Polish and RCAF Mustangs are an obsession of mine. 🙂

 

Richard 
 

 

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Here are just a few pics of my collection of post war RCAF MUstangs. \KIts used were a mix of Tamiya and new tool Airfix. All with Leading Edge Decals.

 

sH4p74.jpg


H4Jv4d.jpg

Airfix  kit.
lhR3Zl.jpg

Airfix model.
dzyLWh.jpg

1/72 Tamiya kit.
OiKYTe.jpg

This last one is the Tamiya 1/48th kit but the decals are /were also available in 1/72.

 

This may give you some inspiration for your model asnd an idea of what can be done.

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Here are even 1/72 decals available for Polish Mustangs Mk IV (or Mk IVa as P51K was called)

https://strefamarzen.pl/pl/products/kalkomania-303-squadron-nort-american-mustang-8738

You can see that it might have been also the camo scheme, however mostly they are NMF. I think they start operate in last month of WW2 in Europe (from 3 April 1945, getting operational on 23 April, on 25th they took part as escort of RAF bomber raid on Berghof). It  ended on 11.12.1946. Here a couple of photos https://www.mysliwcy.pl/303/303_mustang.htm. More here https://www.books-on-collectables.eu/en/transport/air/polish-wings-no-23-303-squadron-north-american-mustang/a-17096-10000002

Regards

J-W

 

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2 hours ago, Paul J said:

Here are just a few pics of my collection of post war RCAF MUstangs. \KIts used were a mix of Tamiya and new tool Airfix. All with Leading Edge Decals.

 

sH4p74.jpg


H4Jv4d.jpg

Airfix  kit.
lhR3Zl.jpg

Airfix model.
dzyLWh.jpg

1/72 Tamiya kit.
OiKYTe.jpg

This last one is the Tamiya 1/48th kit but the decals are /were also available in 1/72.

 

This may give you some inspiration for your model asnd an idea of what can be done.

Maple Leaf roundels make any aircraft look better

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A note on the Academy kit - there are two versions, one of which has seven exhaust outlets instead of six.....

 

Most of the NMF RAF Mustangs were the later K variant, and had the different prop and revised vents on the lower nose *e.g. 19 Squadron's Dooleybird, or Storrar's  two seat versions (one in Italy, one in UK)

 

There were some natural metal ones used by the Mustang wing in Italy, including 3 RAAF, but I can't recall off the top of my head if they were Ds or Ks

176cb3qrj6b51.jpg

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1 hour ago, Dave Fleming said:

A note on the Academy kit - there are two versions, one of which has seven exhaust outlets instead of six.....

 

Most of the NMF RAF Mustangs were the later K variant, and had the different prop and revised vents on the lower nose *e.g. 19 Squadron's Dooleybird, or Storrar's  two seat versions (one in Italy, one in UK)

 

There were some natural metal ones used by the Mustang wing in Italy, including 3 RAAF, but I can't recall off the top of my head if they were Ds or Ks

176cb3qrj6b51.jpg

The one in the photo in your post is a K. Check out the prop.

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I have multiple sheets of decals in 1/72 for RAF/Commonwealth Mustangs. If youre interested PM me and I can get a list together. Id be happy to send you what you need if you see what you are looking for. 
 

EDIT: Checked all I have in Natural metal finish is 303 Squadron. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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I've heard back from @Carl V, but unfortunately, he doesn't have much info on Canadian Mustang use during WW2, especially for the late Merlin-powered versions.

 

He does have a few NMF Mustang photos that are posted below.

 

52521396430_2766b956b7_b.jpg

 

52521195329_f76f3dc15e_b.jpg

 

52520448912_4561e95f1c_b.jpg

 

52521468683_0360c65ac2_b.jpg

 

 

 

 

Chris, for Carl

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Thanks for all the help. I have 2 P-51s the 1/72 Academy with the cuffed prop and a 1/48 Hasegawa on the way with the standard uncuffed prop, a P-51K. The Hasegawa has crap old decals that need replacing, so I now know I can do an RAF Polish unit as they were K models. And from some of the pictures I can do a Canadian post war with the cuffed prop? I saw one in the images above. Thanks, now I know what to look for in decal markings.

Edited by JOHN-069
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One bit of clarification:

The P-51K used an Aeroproducts prop, and that has a more "curvy" blade shape- the photo above of "JAS" from rear quarter shows it very well.

 

The P-51D used a Hamilton Standard prop- during WWII it had dense rubber "cuffs" (Paul J's "City of Winnipeg" build above shows it well, particularly since the cuffs are black while the "base" metal blade is silvery).  By the Korean War, and generally postwar, it became quite common to see an "uncuffed" variation, which is basically just what the term implies- BUT the blade shape remains the more "parallel" (rectangular) one, right out to the tip (more or less).

 

Don't confuse the Aeroproducts prop with what is typically referred to as an "uncuffed" prop, which generally is shorthand for a Ham Standard example.  Model instructions, etc, might use this terminology.  (Just to make life more interesting, it was entirely possible to change props on an actual Mustang, and (as I recall) it was not unheard of for a K to be given a Ham Standard prop, but it was probably quite rare indeed for a P-51D to be given an Aeroproducts prop.)

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To the best of my knowledge Academy is cuffed with 6 exhausts per side , a D in my minds eyes. The Hasegawa comes with 2 different style blades, one cuffed and the other uncuffed but until I have kit in hand I don't really know whose uncuffed blades they are. I do know the decals are garbage and one subject was Dooleybird. That is where I am at as of now.

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It's true that the Academy kit had 7 exhaust stubs but only the earlier issues

 I noticed the later ones were corrected with 6 stubs. Not a bad kit but not perfect

 It fills the brief more or less as a D.

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Ok, this confuses me the most . Here are my 2 choices for the 1/72 Academy kit in canopies. I want to do a Canadian NMF post war era bird with the cuffed prop, which canopy fits the bill best? The tall bubble one on the left or the shallower lower one on the right?

 

H0LKjm0.jpg

Edited by JOHN-069
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Does one "bulge" when viewed from front or back- get wider above the skirt?  The first D canopy was "flat" sided, then they introduced the bulged style which made looking over your shoulder easier.  There are also variations of profile shape, but that's  a different can of worms.  At any rate, I'd expect a bulgy hood on a Canadian Mustang.  As always, though, choose a specific subject that you can find photos of!

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