Research Assistance Requested - P-51D "Stinger VII" - 15th FG, 45FS

[Vraciu]

Thanks to Lyric1 for digging this one up.

Need help with the color green *AND* any evidence that shows it was carrying a painted spinner at the same time it wore the diagonal stripes.   S/N is 44-63483 and was at one time marked as "San Antonio Rose" I believe.

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/attachments/p51-45fs-jpg.100236/

[Mister Fork]

Does this help? Modelers are way nuttier than we are on accuracy.




See what else I can find.

[Vraciu]

It never hurts. 

I'll take whatever we can find.   All I need to finish this one is a color consensus.

[Mister Fork]

This one actually matches the photo best.

Did I mention that modelers are nutters when it comes to this accuracy? I got this from a forum - man, they makes us look like a quiet Sunday church study group.

V - a LOT of details in here - asking the same questions you did - what color green did they use on Stinger VII.  https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/stinger-vii-green-t509557.html.  They talk a lot about the color green used, what colors they actually hand to come up with colors for the model above.

[whiteman]

I have a book that has a profile of Stinger VII at home, I'll take a look when i get there.

[Vraciu]

Thanks, guys.


Fork, I read that thread earlier.   I didn't walk away confident in any particular shade.

I am also not convinced the plane had a green spinner at the same time as the diagonal bands since the only photos I have always show one without the other.   

[Devil 505]

Is the Pony with the yellow spinner from a different squadron in the same group?

[Mister Fork]

Yeah, after reading that thread, it might be that you came to the same conclusion.  It does make sense that the only two color greens they had were the interior cockpit paint and the green for the tanks. I wll point out that from the B&W photo the wing green looks bright.

[Vraciu]

Yeah, after reading that thread, it might be that you came to the same conclusion.  It does make sense that the only two color greens they had were the interior cockpit paint and the green for the tanks. I wll point out that from the B&W photo the wing green looks bright.

Yeah...   They don't make this easy on us!

Is the Pony with the yellow spinner from a different squadron in the same group?

The only thing I've seen of Jeanne VIII depicts it with yellow trim, but it is a model and could be in error.

I haven't seen any 45th FS airplanes with anything other than NMF, Green, or Green with Black spinners...

[Devil 505]

The only thing I've seen of Jeanne VIII depicts it with yellow trim, but it is a model and could be in error.

I haven't seen any 45th FS airplanes with anything other than NMF, Green, or Green with Black spinners...

That does not answer my question.

If Jeanne VIII is from a different squadron in the same group, you can infer that at the time the photo was taken that a 45th FS plane had green spinners.

[Vraciu]

That does not answer my question.

If Jeanne VIII is from a different squadron in the same group, you can infer that at the time the photo was taken that a 45th FS plane had green spinners.

I didn't finish writing my answer apparently.   Got distracted.  Yellow trim is not 45th FS.

I can't find anything that explicitly states what squadron it is, however, the squadron emblem shown is not from the 45th.  One source shows that makes it the 78th FS.

Also, I believe each squadron, generally speaking, used a single series of numbers, 100s, 200s, 300s, etc.   This being a 100 series combined with the squadron logo makes it 78th FS whereas the 45th used two-digit numbers.

[Vraciu]

Also, the problem with assuming a painted spinner is the timeline. 

The paint scheme of the 45th evolved over time.   

As for STINGER VII specifically, it also evolved.   In photos with the painted spinner the only things painted green were the wing tips, horizontal stab tips, and vertical fin.

When the diagonal wing markings are seen with this plane the spinner is NMF.

I do have a lineup of Mustangs with painted spinners and diagonal wing bands, but they also have the squadron emblem on the cowling, something not seen on STINGER VII.

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/wp-content/gallery/usa/aircrafts/p-51-mustang/P-51D_San_Antonio_Rose_1lt_Douglas_Reese_45th_FS_15th_FG_Iwo_Jima.jpg

[Devil 505]

Can you nail down any date for any of these variations in markings?

The models show 10 kills. Did "Stinger's" pilot get any kills with this plane? If so, when and did any of those kills make his 10th?

[Devil 505]

Found the smoking gun.

[Vraciu]

This one and another taken the same day showing him walking away from the plane both lack spinner paint.   So the question still remaining is which came first, the chicken or the egg?


I read that the markings were "simplified" by the squadron.   When?  What does that mean?

I'm inclined to leave the spinner NMF, but a timeline of photos would sure help.  We know it had a painted spinner when there were no diagonal wing stripes.   We know at some point it had a NMF spinner WITH wing stripes. 

Counting kill flags has not lit any bulbs yet.   I'll look again tomorrow to see if I missed something.   He scored at least three victories with the 45th (on one day).   He also scored flying P-40s before that.