Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"

[oboe]

Does this photo show evidence of a Malcolm hood on this aircraft?   The birdcage canopy hinges at the bottom and opens out and down; but this canopy seems to slide backward like a Malcolm canopy would do.   Looking for any evidence I can find that this aircraft 42-106839 underwent the modification to convert birdcage canopy to Malcolm hood.   



Thanks help!

[Ciaphas]

It’s possible as many P-51B/C models belonging to the 8th and 9th AF were modified with the Malcolm Hood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vraciu]

Does this photo show evidence of a Malcolm hood on this aircraft?   The birdcage canopy hinges at the bottom and opens out and down; but this canopy seems to slide backward like a Malcolm canopy would do.   Looking for any evidence I can find that this aircraft 42-106839 underwent the modification to convert birdcage canopy to Malcolm hood.   

Thanks help!

Is he standing at wing root?  We are looking aft?  Looks like a sliding canopy to me if so.

[bustr]

Are not most of our P51-B\C skins of planes that had the original hinged hoods? I thought the malcom hood was a compromise for game play back in AH2 and you gents still were allowed to skin for all the none bulged hood models.

If he is on the pilot right side front, and that is the open top and right side of the cockpit over his shoulder, it is a pulled back malcom hood. I cheated and lightened the image and it's a malcom hood over his shoulder..... 

Try it, you will see it clearly......

[Vraciu]

Are not most of our P51-B\C skins of planes that had the original hinged hoods? I thought the malcom hood was a compromise for game play back in AH2 and you gents still were allowed to skin for all the none bulged hood models.

If he is on the pilot right side front, and that is the open top and right side of the cockpit over his shoulder, it is a pulled back malcom hood. I cheated and lightened the image and it's a malcom hood over his shoulder..... 

Try it, you will see it clearly......

I think most did but some had both (Ding Hao! being one example).  We are substituting


Nice sleuthing.   

[oboe]

I'm pretty sure its an opened Malcolm hood.  If it wasn't, there'd be a large antenna mast top center just behind the canopy; but that's missing.   That's a pretty significant clue right there I think.

Here's one of Kid Hofer in almost the same position as Eckfeldt, but on the left side of the A/C:


And one showing the large radio antenna masts on unconverted '51Bs:


Finally, a shot of an opened birdcage canopy - you can imagine seeing this from the front right wingroot, and that's not what the Eckfeldt photo is showing.  His photo is missing the top panel and the unopened rightside canopy:


I'm pretty certain we're seeing Eckfeldt in front of his aircraft with a Malcolm canopy installed.   I've never found a profile or clear photo (or even a plastic model) of Bald Eagle III with a Malcolm hood though.

The Malcolm was an ETO-only modification, so any of the MTO and CBI '51Bs in game are not historically correct skins.

[lyric1]

Colour to boot plus a few black and whites in the link. Full D-Day stripes or half painted over option? 

No Malcolm hoods so far.



http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/22047

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/f8/f7/f9f8f750b29fad73e3ecaebc906defd2.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/2789054608/in/photostream/

[lyric1]

Few here from the 376th squadron from this group that fits the bill.

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/21998

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/33510

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/18413

[lyric1]

Middle image shows another one from this group.

[bustr]

It's really kind of sad...after looking at all these photos I wish we had the bird cage canopy. It's kind of classic in that 30's way of wearing a shirt, tie, suspenders and a leather jacket and a floppy cap. Like that 30's test pilot look. Makes you think of a plane designed by pilots for pilots. Our version of the birth of the spitfire. Kind of wish we had the full stable of ponies now.......

[oboe]

It's really kind of sad...after looking at all these photos I wish we had the bird cage canopy. It's kind of classic in that 30's way of wearing a shirt, tie, suspenders and a leather jacket and a floppy cap. Like that 30's test pilot look. Makes you think of a plane designed by pilots for pilots. Our version of the birth of the spitfire. Kind of wish we had the full stable of ponies now.......

Agreed.  We have 5 P-47 variants.  5 F4U variants.   4 FW190s.   Lots of Spits and 109s, but they were in production when the War began.   The '51 is just such a magnificent airplane, with so many skin possibilities.  I'd really like to see the birdcage canopy and the early  '51D without tail fillet.   Just a couple more models for historical accuracy.           

[Devil 505]

Agreed.  We have 5 P-47 variants.  5 F4U variants.   4 FW190s.   Lots of Spits and 109s, but they were in production when the War began.   The '51 is just such a magnificent airplane, with so many skin possibilities.  I'd really like to see the birdcage canopy and the early  '51D without tail fillet.   Just a couple more models for historical accuracy.         

Even just aesthetically, the birdcage Bravo and especially the D-5 are just the best looking P-51's.

[bustr]

Agreed.  We have 5 P-47 variants.  5 F4U variants.   4 FW190s.   Lots of Spits and 109s, but they were in production when the War began.   The '51 is just such a magnificent airplane, with so many skin possibilities.  I'd really like to see the birdcage canopy and the early  '51D without tail fillet.   Just a couple more models for historical accuracy.         

If Waffle updates the stable, then he can get the correct gunsights in the planes. The 51A family used the N3 while most of the 51B\C used the RAF MKII for it's 101Mil ring and larger optical aperture becasue they were escorts against the 109 and 190. Some 9th AAF p47 used the MKIIL with tilting bomb\rocket head. The 47D11 used the MKII for the 101Mil ring and the USN MK8 was shipped standard starting with the D20 model in 43. The 51D 5 series was shipped with the N9 and from what I could find all P-51D up to P-51D-20-NT 44-12852 and P-51D-20-NA 44-72226 were shipped to England with the N9 factory mounted. Then the K14 replaced the N9 at the factory and retrofitted in the field. Just start looking through photos from the ETO showing you the gunsight in the cockpits and you will see this. Granted in the CBI and PTO they didn't have MKII to replace the N3 with.

[Vraciu]

Even just aesthetically, the birdcage Bravo and especially the D-5 are just the best looking P-51's.

I'm not a fan of the straight tail, but it's hard to find an ugly P-51 really...

[Guppy35]

See if you can switch out Bald Eagle for LOU III