9th AF P-51D 370FG/402FS "Vivacious Virgin III" Lt Ian MacKenzie

[oboe]

Thanks to Spikes for finding this this one and Lyric for the providing many references for it.  The 370th FG converted to P-51s from P-38s in February '45, and Lt Ian "Mac" MacKenzie adorned his Mustang with an aggressive-looking shark mouth similar to the ones seen on the Flying Tigers' P-40s.   It's a sharp-looking scheme and really seems to fit on this bird well.  Ultimately this Mustang was written off after a belly landing in Germany.   His preceding aircraft was a P-38J, also named "Vivacious Virgin".   I haven't seen many Mustangs using Insignia Blue as a trim color, or Black anti-glare paint.  I used with a slightly desaturated version of ANA 605 Insignia Blue for the trim.











     

[Devil 505]

Fantastic job, Oboe.

[Spikes]

 

[oboe]

A couple more shots of her.   BTW, it's "Viv-a-cious" Virgin, not to be confused with "Viscious Virgin", a Pacific Theater P-51D.




 

[lyric1]

 

[Mako-]

Now you've done it. A pony delta with shark teeth, saweet. 

Great job

 

 

[Kazan_HB]

 

[Vraciu]

Nice work, Oboe.   The teeth alone are magnificent. 

[oboe]

Based on further inspection of the photos Lyric provided vs the color art profile, I think I need to shrink the size of the tail serial number digits a bit.   The profile had the angle of the blue stripe incorrect off a little bit also, but I caught that.  I'm not seeing anything else I would change though.

I put a lot of effort into trying to make this one appreciably different from my other Mustangs; I altered several panel section shades, added a lot of chipping and dirt variation to the silver paint on the wings, and tried to change the rudder from flat gray paint appearance to more of a metal look.   I also changed the SPEC, PWR and ENV from the values I typically use. 

[Lazerr]

Nice lookin bird Oboe.

[swareiam]

 

[LNG15]

I was just told by someone on Facebook who's Grandpa was friends with the pilot who was an executive for Marlin Firearms into his 80s apparently. And he said that Mackenzie actually flew in a shirt and tie during the war flying. I also saw some photos of the other Vivacious Virgins there were.

[oboe]

Pretty cool to find out about skin's personal connection, even when its second or third hand info.  Getting harder and harder to make those connections as people pass away.   

[JimmyD3]

Very nice Oboe 

[Guppy35]

How about Sierra Sue II from the 370th?  That bird still exists in Minnesota and is one of the most accurate restorations ever done by a company that has mastered restoration up in Bemidji at AirCorps Aviation?

https://www.aircorpsaviation.com/project/p-51-d-sierra-sue-ii-p-51d-20-na/

check out the restoration and the paint job as it's right on the money for Sierra Sue II.



Just signed up for the 370th in the upcoming scenario, as I have some history bits from a 370th pilot as well as knowing Jay Jones who wrote the massive 370th history.  His grandpa had been in the 370th.  Seems like a good excuse to fly a 370th bird