RAF for D/H pack (WIP)

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monica6211
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Re: RAF for D/H pack (WIP)

Post by monica6211 »

Very nice repaint of an old friend. The WOP P-51D/H was my favorite mustang. I did a few repaints of the "H" model. They were repaints of a real world P-51H that I grew up around. S/N 44-64415, was used for NACA flight testing out of the factory. Somehow it and another "H" model ended up abandoned in a farmer's field. Art and William Hogan, from Hamilton, Ohio, purchased them for next to nothing. 64415 was returned to flying condition, while the second one was used for parts. 415 was registered as N313H. The first paint was red, black, and white. I was too young to remember that paint. A few years later, it was repainted to gold, black, and white. I remember this paint very well. The Hogan Brothers would fly the mustang at Waco Fly-ins at Hamilton Airport, very low over parades, and many other local airshows. It even flew at the Reno Air Races a few times. I even got a ride in it when I was around 11 or 12. I don't remeber much about the ride except about how hard it was getting into the back seat, how loud the engine was with the canopy open, and how hard it was to see over the rear part of the cockpit. Sadly, the last time William Hogan took it apart for an annual inspection, he deamed it too expensive to get it back to flying condition. I cried when I found out he sold it to Don Whittington in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. I knew I would never see it again. He restored it to flyable condition, painted it in its current Camo paint job, and installed a fancy red leather interior and up-to-date avionics. I haven't seen it yet. When I moved out here to California I was happy to fing out that there is another flyable P-51H fairly close to where I live. I hope to one day see and hear it.

Here are some pics of the real N313H and the WOP repaints:

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My first repaint. There aren't many pictures of the real plane in this scheme.

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Here is a really nice one.

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This scheme is growing on me.

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This is how I remembered her.

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And my final version of her.

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An early version by me.

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I have been there.

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A nice pic of my early version.

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My favorite shot.

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Love this one too.

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Another one with the "D" model below.

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Current paint.

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And my paint. I used a little too much alpha on it, but in FS2004 it looked fine.

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Looks pretty mean here.

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Mine looks a little more tame.

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I love this shot.

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The camouflage works pretty well.

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One final shot.
Well, Back to Flying,
Monica

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Skycat
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Joined: 11 Nov 2006, 16:15
Location: Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana

Re: RAF for D/H pack (WIP)

Post by Skycat »

Those are really nice! Thank you for sharing.
Pax Orbis Per Arma Aeria

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Skycat
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2191
Joined: 11 Nov 2006, 16:15
Location: Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana

Re: RAF for D/H pack (WIP)

Post by Skycat »

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This is how the No. 249 Squadron GL-B repaint turned out. A photo of GN-B in August 1945 reveals that it was ferried to Naples and reduced to scrap after the war.

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The brown and green scheme was reassigned to No. 5 Squadron SAAF, which also operated in Italy. The aircraft serial number in the screenshot is KH670 (a randomly selected number) and then I discovered that the squadron's earliest serial numbered Mustang IV was KH671. Coincidently, KH671 was the first serial number for P-51Ks supplied to the RAF, and it survived the war until at least 1947.

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The actual serial number for GL-M is unknown. In this photo it appears to be darker and of lower contrast than GL-N "Sweetpea" in the foreground. It might just be because of the lighting. To me, it was enough to conclude that if any of No. 5 Squadron's Mk. IVs were repainted to green and brown, GL-M would plausibly have been one of them. Don't take this for anything but artistic license on my part. :)

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