Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: oboe on June 13, 2018, 02:28:10 PM

Title: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: oboe on June 13, 2018, 02:28:10 PM
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.   

(https://i.imgur.com/KJ8f9X6.jpg)

Thanks help!
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Ciaphas on June 13, 2018, 02:48:39 PM
It’s possible as many P-51B/C models belonging to the 8th and 9th AF were modified with the Malcolm Hood.


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Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Vraciu on June 13, 2018, 02:51:36 PM
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.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: bustr on June 13, 2018, 03:42:02 PM
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.....  :lol

Try it, you will see it clearly...... :O
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Vraciu on June 13, 2018, 05:32:40 PM
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.....  :lol

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

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


Nice sleuthing.    :police:
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: oboe on June 13, 2018, 05:44:29 PM
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:
(https://i.imgur.com/9pLL7AC.jpg)

And one showing the large radio antenna masts on unconverted '51Bs:
(https://i.imgur.com/ZeM5BjQ.jpg)

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:
(https://i.imgur.com/wU4paeE.jpg)

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.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: lyric1 on June 13, 2018, 11:53:49 PM
Colour to boot plus a few black and whites in the link. Full D-Day stripes or half painted over option?  :aok

No Malcolm hoods so far.

(http://i66.tinypic.com/spk8c0.jpg)

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/
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: lyric1 on June 14, 2018, 01:38:25 AM
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

Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: lyric1 on June 15, 2018, 12:06:44 AM
Middle image shows another one from this group.

(https://i.imgur.com/TDhJXDN.jpg)
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: bustr on June 15, 2018, 11:53:34 AM
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.......
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: oboe on June 15, 2018, 12:22:53 PM
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.           
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Devil 505 on June 15, 2018, 01:23:23 PM
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.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: bustr on June 15, 2018, 03:02:31 PM
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.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Vraciu on June 15, 2018, 04:33:51 PM
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...
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Guppy35 on June 17, 2018, 03:35:03 PM
See if you can switch out Bald Eagle for LOU III

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/315%20Squadron%20RAF/LouIII_zpsxjqvokce.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/315%20Squadron%20RAF/LouIII_zpsxjqvokce.jpg.html)

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/315%20Squadron%20RAF/Lou3_zps8odt5deq.jpg) (http://s152.photobucket.com/user/guppy35/media/315%20Squadron%20RAF/Lou3_zps8odt5deq.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Guppy35 on June 17, 2018, 03:37:25 PM
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.......

We did have the birdcage, but folks complained about the visibility and it wasn't getting used much so they swapped it for the Malcom when they updated.  I agree though that I wish we had both.  A number of the skins that are on the Malcom birds now, were not Malcom versions for real.  No Malcom in the PTO or CBI or the MTO for that matter.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: Vraciu on June 17, 2018, 04:06:12 PM
See if you can switch out Bald Eagle for LOU III


Per Skuzzy this is not allowed except in extreme circumstances.

Bald Eagle is a fine skin subject.  No need to replace it.
Title: Re: Help researching 361st P-51B "Bald Eagle III"
Post by: oboe on June 17, 2018, 04:56:29 PM
LOU III is a fine-looking example.  I'm partial to a lot of the 361st's aircraft.

Bald Eagle III is coming along well but I wouldn't have started it if not for the photo I ran across of the pilot standing in front of her with an open Malcolm hood above and behind him.  It's not a slam dunk because you can't tell from the picture that its truly Bald Eagle III, but it was enough to get me to sign up to adopt/update the skin, which really needed it.   It was an ETO bird so its possible/likely it got the canopy upgrade; the caption states clearly his standing in front of his personal aircraft and you can observe that its a Malcolm hood on the a/c.

I do hope we get the bird-cage version someday in addition though, for all the MTO, CBI, the ETO 51s that never had the Malcolm.  I'd rather see Bald Eagle with the bird cage and do LOU III as a Malcolm.   Rear visibility really isn't any worse than it is in a 109.