"Horse's Itch" - 357th FG, 363 FS - P-51D

[Vraciu]

I will probably get ripped to shreds on this one, but I will post it any way.    Since there aren't to my recollection any OD P-51Ds in the game I thought I would give this one a try.

This is Major Edwin W. Hiro's P-51D-5-NA, "Horse's Itch" (S/N 44-13518, coded B6*D).  Hiro was commander of the 363rd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group based in Leiston, Suffolk from June to September 1944.  An ace with five victories, Maj. Hiro was killed in action on his final scheduled combat mission in a massive air battle against German Me-109s while providing air cover during Operation Market Garden.

https://obscureco.wordpress.com/tag/operation-market-garden/

c. 17 September 1944 - Maj. Ed Hiro, on the last scheduled mission of his tour, dove into a swirling Lufbery of 25 planes. A Bf 109 broke from the circle, with Hiro on its tail; F/O Johnnie Carter followed and saw the 109 crash and burn. The Mustangs turned back toward the Lufbery, but Carter became separated from Hiro, who called on the radio asking where the rest of his flight was. Leutnant Richard Franz of 7./JG 11 saw Hiro destroy another Bf 109, but closed on Hiro and almost immediately hit the P-51D in the engine and cockpit. Lt. “Ted” Conlin had seen the attack on Hiro, and had gained position on Franz just too late; as the German pilot watched his victim go in, Conlin stitched Franz’s Bf 109G-14/AS across the engine and left wing, forcing Franz to crash-land in a wooded area. Hiro’s Mustang descended gradually until it slammed into the ground; Hiro was killed as a result.


His P-51D was named after a type of mixed drink.   It is modeled here after its hastily applied D-Day Invasion markings had been partly removed.

I may tweak the specularity some to make it a little less flat.   The lettering/numbering does not line up or match (height, width, font, etc.) on purpose as this is how it appeared in real life.

[BuckShot]

Nice. We need more od stangs

[oboe]

I think it looks very nice.  This skin used to be in game but was removed to make room for Cactus' "Dizzy Rebel" from the 20th FG.   I think you've got the OD shade exactly right, and also the shade of yellow for the tail serial numbers looks right on to me.

What historical images were you working from?   If its from the 357th and its after D-Day, I'm surprised its not carrying 357th's signature yellow/red checkered nose and striped spinner.  Have you got photographic evidence of the white nose on this airframe at this time period?

I do feel unsettled about a '51D-5 skin on a later '51 airframe after the extra tail fillet had been added to increase stability.   Its not historically accurate, but then neither are the '51B PTO skins that are sporting the Malcom canopy hood modification.   I wish HTC would add the earlier D-5 air frame and the bird-cage '51B so the skins could be put on their historically correct shape.

[BFOOT1]

What an absolute beauty!

Now just add a 355th FG D Model and I'll be very happy 

[oboe]

I would also add I think your rudder ribbing glare/shadowing looks very good.  This is something I'm struggling with right now on the '51D skins I'm working up.

[Vraciu]

Wow, thanks guys.   Very kind words.   

Edit in: Oboe is working on a 355th skin, BF.   It is a sharp one.  I forgot it was a 355th airplane.

I am with you on the D-5, Oboe.   If HTC would give us the birdcage B it would be nice.    P-51B, P-51C, P-51D-5, P-51D+.    That would open up more slots for guys working on skins like your DOWN FOR DOUBLE.   

Didn't know this was in the game already.  Uh oh.   That may mean it gets rejected.      I could shift to another if need be.  Not sure which plane though.  Guess Skuzzy will have to make the call.   

I have two photos of this airplane showing the white spinner along with several profiles.  There are also a number of post-D-Day squadron shots with white markings after 6 June.   That's what attracted me to this one.  I love the white nose.

Rudder ribbing is managed via transparency.   I drew the outline then turned down the transparency until it looked right.   The other option is to use the brightness tool and use a slightly darker shade alone with a couple of airbrush sweeps to hit the rudder.  I can  send you this file to look at if you want it.

[oboe]

I am very far along on a 355th FG skin, "Down for Double", but its not ready to show publicly.  Here's a profile image though:



And here's a version of it I did before AH3 came out, long time ago:



Would that fit the bill, BFOOT1?

The white nose on Horse's Itch is real surprising to me.  I especially appreciate trying to be true to clear photographic evidence - but that must make this aircraft very unique to be not following the 357th's convention on markings.  Wonder what the story was?

I don't think Skuzzy would reject it just because the subject has been in game once before, but who knows.   

I've got so many versions of the rudder I just can't decide which looks right - I'm letting it percolate in my mind a bit while I tend to other aspects.  I've got images showing small rivets on the rudder, large rivets, no rivets at all....what I do is duplicate the rivet layer twice - one black, one white.  The apply a Gaussian blur and offset the dark one up and the white one below the rivet layer.   And the fiddle with opacity and balance, and fiddle some more.  And what looks right on a blue rudder doesn't look right on a silver/grey one, or a red or white one.  And what looks OK one day doesn't look right to me the next.  Ever had that happen?   

[Vraciu]

I keep forgetting that's the 355th. 

I was working on one also but lost some layers by mistake and never went back to it after seeing yours.

I have at least half a dozen 357th planes with the white nose.  I've seen a source claim they are yellow in preparation for the addition of the red checkering.   Not sure I believe that but I suppose it's possible. 

As for the rest, believe me, I get cross-eyed, too.   After working on this OD for the last few days going back to NMF really gave me whiplash.   I get exactly what you're saying.   

[Devil 505]

I like what I see. Would be nice to have the screenshots closer to the plane to get a better sense of the details.

I agree with your call with using white on the nose and also the need for more shine.

Looking at pictures of the real plane, I think you could improve the following bits:
1. Chip the paint at the wing roots and leading edges.
2. Adjust the D-Day stripes on the fuselage. The rear white stripe is too wide and the rear black stripe tapers rearward. Also, rough-up the borders between all the stripes to mimic hand painted stripes.
3. The upper wing had full stripes which were wiped away. Try to add some extremely faded stripes to the upper wings to mimic the remaining color.


And one final thing I'd do is add some gray to the stripes and insignias to make them a bit less stark and blend better with the overall skin.

[Vraciu]

I like what I see. Would be nice to have the screenshots closer to the plane to get a better sense of the details.

I agree with your call with using white on the nose and also the need for more shine.

Looking at pictures of the real plane, I think you could improve the following bits:
1. Chip the paint at the wing roots and leading edges.
2. Adjust the D-Day stripes on the fuselage. The rear white stripe is too wide and the rear black stripe tapers rearward. Also, rough-up the borders between all the stripes to mimic hand painted stripes.
3. The upper wing had full stripes which were wiped away. Try to add some extremely faded stripes to the upper wings to mimic the remaining color.


And one final thing I'd do is add some gray to the stripes and insignias to make them a bit less stark and blend better with the overall skin.

I will give it a shot.

What's the best paint chip method?   Gray coupled with specularity?

[Devil 505]

I will give it a shot.

What's the best paint chip method?   Gray coupled with specularity?

That is the simplest method, and what I do most of the time.

Or, you could add your bare metal layers beneath the paint layers and erase the paint to reveal the metal. I did this on my Ki-84's.

[Vraciu]

That is the simplest method, and what I do most of the time.

Or, you could add your bare metal layers beneath the paint layers and erase the paint to reveal the metal. I did this on my Ki-84's.

Oddly enough, I preserved the NMF base layer.  Something told me not to merge it with the OD/Gray layer.  Go figure!  Lol

[Greebo]

I like the skin Vraciu and agree with Devil that the stripes need to be toned down. BTW your screenshots look odd with shadows disabled.

I think the only issue HTC might have with two P-51D skins being from the same group is if they were both visually very similar to each other, but these two could hardly be more different. Aren't all the slots full for the D though?

I'd only use the erase and reveal method of paint chipping if there was a lot of metal to be revealed, which may well hve been the case on Devil's Ki-84s. IJAAF planes sometimes ended up showing more metal than paint. For normal levels of chipping its easier to use a layer of painted on grey chips. These can be edited more simply for later skins as well.

[Vraciu]

I like the skin Vraciu and agree with Devil that the stripes need to be toned down. BTW your screenshots look odd with shadows disabled.

Thanks a lot.   I appreciate it.

Shadows...   Turning them on causes some anomalies with shadow gaps so I did it without them on some of these pictures.   I will try enabling them next time.

I think the only issue HTC might have with two P-51D skins being from the same group is if they were both visually very similar to each other, but these two could hardly be more different. Aren't all the slots full for the D though?

By my math I think there is one slot open.   If we could get a D-5 FM that would really be great but for now it is wishful thinking...   I looked offline and did not see a 357th FG skin for the P-51D, either.  I was surprised.

I'd only use the erase and reveal method of paint chipping if there was a lot of metal to be revealed, which may well hve been the case on Devil's Ki-84s. IJAAF planes sometimes ended up showing more metal than paint. For normal levels of chipping its easier to use a layer of painted on grey chips. These can be edited more simply for later skins as well.

Got ya.   I will give it a try.  The biggest challenge with LE chips for me is the blurring where the wing wraps.  The B is worse than the D but it is still problematic.

[Vraciu]

I got the removed stripe effect by brightening the upper wing surface by 2 percent.   That seemed to do the ticket.    I also tore after the invasion stripes.  They are now appropriately crooked.  LOL