P-51D "The Enchantress" 506th FG 457th FS

[Knite]

wow i like and far superior to some the skins we have
need fencers 39th fs pony to

But not my B, right TB? RIGHT? BAH!  



She's a beaut Cactus.... Simply gorgeous. I'd love to somehow see it in game. 

[Megalodon]

 

[Fencer51]

(Image removed from quote.)
 

Thats the one, thanks for saving me finding it again!

[Guppy35]

Now that it was posted, I know I've seen it before, but I can't for the life of me remember where?  Was that online or in a book?

It does confirm the serial.  I spent a heckuva lot of time on that bird when I was doing those 506th profiles

[Liberator]

Awesome skin!

[cactuskooler]

Thanks for the pic.

[StokesAk]

We need a drool smiley.

Nice job cactus, as usual. I hope it gets put in game! 

[Megalodon]

Thanks for the pic.

 welcome
at this time it, with a solid tail, it should have dual antennas behind the cockpit. there should be a small access port on the left side below the antenna and the green is alittlle bright. It would also look   with a striped tail.
 

Now that it was posted, I know I've seen it before, but I can't for the life of me remember where?  Was that online or in a book?

Actually it maybe the same place you got the other photo. You posted some nice shots in this thread.
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21788



http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1927383/p_51_mustang/

[Fencer51]

Yeah that was were I saw it at and DLed it.

Cactus, are you going to put the dive markings on the wings?

Check out the thread the Megalodon posted above for info on them. 

[USRanger]

My gawd that is beautiful Cactus.

[Guppy35]

welcome
at this time it, with a solid tail, it should have dual antennas behind the cockpit. there should be a small access port on the left side below the antenna and the green is alittlle bright. It would also look   with a striped tail.
 

Actually it maybe the same place you got the other photo. You posted some nice shots in this thread.
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21788

(Image removed from quote.)

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1927383/p_51_mustang/

Jeez that was a while ago.  Jim Beasley ended up selling that 51 so the Enchantress isn't going to be, as of now anyway.  I got the photo I posted from John Benbow, who is the nephew of the John Benbow who was killed with the 506th.  He's the unofficial historian for the 506th FG Association.  I did a bunch of profiles for him way back when.  He sent me a CD full of photos he'd collected from the vet ground crew and pilots.

As for the striped tail.  It's been a topic of debate for a while.  The 457th had red striped tails prior to going to Iwo but apparently got them painted green just prior to leaving for Iwo.  The best way to tell an Iwo shot from a pre Iwo shot is the antenna.  The Iwo birds seem to all have the dual antenna while the pre Iwo birds still have the single antenna.  Again, apparently a mod done just prior to going to Iwo

[Guppy35]

LOL re-read the WIX thread.  Forgot we were debating the stripes there too.  Jim Beasley got that image from John Benbow via myself. He'd PM'd me about the profile I'd done and was considering doing his rebuild of Frenesi as The Enchantress.    The 506th guys along with John Benbow and myself thought it was in the bag to get it done.  Then he bought the Spit 18 and sold the Mustang.  Ironically his Spit 18 was painted based on a profile I'd done for Peter Arnold who was helping with the paint scheme

Of course he still has Bald Eagle, his P51D.  Must be rough!

[Megalodon]

So ...  thats a red stripped or green stripped 457th bird I posted!  #544  has dual antennas

I way I heard it. the reason for the full tail was simply because it was to tedious to paint the stripes.. so they painted it solid.

[crazierthanu]

This skin far surpasses some of the current P51 skins in-game. What a beauty! Loving the high-quality of skins being put out as of late.

[Guppy35]

So ...  thats a red stripped or green stripped 457th bird I posted!  #544  has dual antennas

I way I heard it. the reason for the full tail was simply because it was to tedious to paint the stripes.. so they painted it solid.

Good question.

I'm going on John Benbow's research into it because of his uncle.  It became an issue because of the cover art on Osprey's "Japanese Army Air Forces Aces 1937-45"  It depicts a Japanese ace in a Ki-100 shooting down John Benbow on July 16, 1945.  In the artwork the tail is solid red which many people believed was how the 457th were painted.  The pilots and ground crew that Mr. Benbow has gotten to know over the years say that is totally wrong, and that the red striped tails were repainted solid green to avoid any misidentification due to the red color prior to them going to Iwo.  Clearly 544 has stripes, but whether that is taken while on Tinian or Iwo, I don't know.  The video shows a hodgepodge of color 51s from the ETO to PTO.

The Osprey VLR Mustangs book references John Benbow's diary as the source of the time taken to paint the stripes and change to solid for that reason

At this point, I'm of the opinion, based on the photo evidence and Mr. Benbow's research that the 457th had solid green by the time they got to Iwo.  The 458th had the striped blue and the 462nd had the solid yellow.