P-51 Mustang WIP

[CRIPES_A_MIGHTY]

Shoot me down if you want..most will.
As for the canopy..in GubbyFingers photo.
This looks like a "K" model 51 canopy..was a feature of the later model 51's
Main difference between D & K models..new canopy and new prop..I think.
K's canopy was lower..

[gamary]

Sorry to out-do you, Supah, but my original version (1st profile) is uglier than yours AND the background colour is worse:



My only excuse is that it was done on a 386 with PhotoFiltre.

I will be redoing it with the new template. At least we agree on what it should look like.

CAM: The difference between P-51D and -K, IIRC, is mostly the prop. Ks had an Aeroproducts prop in place of the Hamilton standard. However, most of them were incorrectly balanced and vibrated so they were replaced by HS models.

I think the other "hood" is not -D or -K relevant but depended on where the aircraft was produced. I might be wrong on the specifics, though.

[Vacajun]

GM,

We almost let you get by with:

"IIRC, ETO Mustangs did not have a wire antenna going from the cockpit to the tail. Only MTO and PTO ones did. Can anybody confirm/infirm?"

After wading through all my Mustang stuff, I agree with your observation. I can confirm use in MTO and PTO, but no evidence of use in ETO. Now, are you going to tell us why?? Icing, or what? I have a 4th FG P-51D pilot friend and will see if he can remember.

Always something to learn here

[Supah]

I think the wire was for long wave radio, the shorter distances in the European theater probably did make it as necesary

[CRIPES_A_MIGHTY]

Well..everyone here is an expert..know everything...hell..What do I need books for?. Looks like I might as well dump the 200 books or so I have..
A number of them on the P-51.
They all appear to be written by folks who know nothing about the subject..silly me to think they did... my mistake.
Goosh!.. my eyesight must be getting worse...after looking at literally thousands upon thousand of P51's pictures, I could of sworn I had seen a variation in canopyies..that some..maybe not all..K model 51's really had a different shape.

[gamary]

I can't remember the exact reason, but Supah's seems to ring a bell and certainly makes sense. I think that's the reason.

[gamary]

Cripes, I'm not sure the sarcasm is necessary.

I think most people here are experienced/smart enough not to claim to be experts, starting with me. Which is why I've used abbreviations such as "IIRC", implying that I may well be wrong. I'm certainly no P-51 expert and I don't claim to expertise in any aviation topic as far as that is concerned.

Sorry for this "coup de gueule" as we frogs say.

[Jesters-Ink]

Cripes, stick with us m8, we aint all that bad, what Gami says, we are not experts.
We go with what we feel, but books are often wrong and not just a little bit, some are way wrong. Hell I even have a G-6 photograph in a book listed as an F-2.
Not much wrong there, did they miss the big gun blisters and all that?

Go with what you feel, but be aware, some mustangs dressed as WW2 aircraft are very often post wars re dressed.

You want experts you go here------>
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[Vacajun]

Supah, checked with my 4th FG friend--you're right for the reason behind the lack of wire antenna on ETO P-51s.

IMHO Cripes is right on the different canopy shapes on Dallas-built aircraft, especially the 1500 K models. My references say that 84 or so were given to the Austrailian AF, and Grubby's photo might be one. Last question for my education: were all P-51s built by Dallas (Ds and Ks) equipped with the different canopy?

Here's a bit from my files that addresses the different canopy shape lines. I presume that many of those K models were used in the war??

Thanks!

[Supah]

I understand you might be new to this place but your attitude sucks donkey balls through a straw. P-51K's MIGHT have Dallas style hoods. They may not. They MAY have HAM STAN props they may not. The D and K models are hard to distinguish, I once worke on a book that never got there about ML-KNIL mustangs (some D some K). Even professionals (people who worked at NAA at the times couldnt tell them apart) had trouble. The bulged dallas style hood could and did get retrofitte to some D's. Your books mean shit and your research about this has been futile. Get used to it, you draw ww2 planes.