Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Vraciu on October 10, 2020, 08:12:29 PM
-
Capt. Eurich L. Bright
P-51D-20-NA "Moonbeam McSwine" (176)
S/N 44-63420
15th FG, 47th FS
Iwo Jima - May 1945
Waltz41 (http://www.506thfightergroup.org/462ndfightersquadron.asp) suggested I tackle this one. A huge thanks to him and Lyric1 for their research assistance. Both of them were invaluable in providing photos and background on this airplane.
This is the P-51D-20-NA (s/n 44-63420) "Moonbeam McSwine" flown by Capt. Eurich L. Bright of the 15th FG, 47th FS based on Iwo Jima in the Summer of 1945. The 15th was one of the Very-Long Range (VLR) Mustang Groups assigned to escort B-29s over Japan which were referred to colloquially as "Empire Missions." Bright was a skilled fighter pilot who would doubtless have made ace had the war continued. He had three kills (Ki-61, Ki-45, A6M5) on the first VLR mission over Japan on 07 April 1945 and shared another Zero on 25 May 1945 with George Petrouleas bringing his total to 3.5 victories. He survived the war and passed away in 1966. As for his Mustang, it was damaged on 09 August 1945 in a landing accident while being flown by 1st Lt. Martin Gilbride.
The 47th was credited with seven victories during the 07 December 1941 Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Three and a half years later they arrived on Iwo Jima to take the battle to Japan itself. They were known as the "Dogpatchers" from the comic strip "Lil' Abner" and used all its characters for their nose art. The elements, weather, enemy opposition, mechanical irregularities, logistics, and vast expanses of open ocean were just some of the challenges faced by these fighter pilots. Though they did not have the opportunity to chalk up the victory totals of their European counterparts these brave young men established decisive air superiority over the Japanese home islands in the last months of the war.
Some sources suggest the black is actually dark blue. I have no conclusive evidence either way.
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=401388.0;attach=33349)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=401388.0;attach=33351)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=401388.0;attach=33353)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=401388.0;attach=33355)
This is the sixth in my series of VLR Mustangs. The other five can be found here:
* Pete Nowick's #599 of the 506th FG, 458th FS
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,400576.0.html
* Harold Marx's "Tiny Gay Baba" #234 of the 21st FG, 46th FS
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,400632.0.html
* Capt. Stanley C. Zagorsky's / Lt. Charles Frank Seale's "Shawnee Princess" / "Empire Commuter" #640 of the 506th FG, 462nd FS
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,400847.0.html
* Lt. Charles G. Pfost's "The Deacon #300 of the 21st FG, 531st FS
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,401118.0.html
* Maj. Robert W. Moore's "Stinger VII" #67 of the 15th FG, 45th FS
https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,401293.0.html
(https://i.postimg.cc/xJt3Yqqg/MODahss34.png) (https://postimg.cc/xJt3Yqqg) (https://i.postimg.cc/N2F70YHt/MODahss39.png) (https://postimg.cc/N2F70YHt)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4Kv1LWgD/MODahss45.png) (https://postimg.cc/4Kv1LWgD) (https://i.postimg.cc/Nyv4kWW8/MODahss49.png) (https://postimg.cc/Nyv4kWW8)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dLXnL76x/ahss50.png) (https://postimg.cc/dLXnL76x) (https://i.postimg.cc/njHG6qVC/ahss51.png) (https://postimg.cc/njHG6qVC)
-
Very nice.
-
Very nice.
Thanks.
Here's the nose art up close. The right side artwork flared up JUST a bit in the picture but you get the idea.
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=401388.0;attach=33357)
(https://i.postimg.cc/KR4JG7PT/Moonbeam-Nose-Art.png) (https://postimg.cc/KR4JG7PT)
-
Thats a damn good looking plane. Nose art is so clean too!
-
Thats a damn good looking plane. Nose art is so clean too!
Thanks. My research team (Lol) provided some great stuff to work with.
-
Nailed it :aok
-
Nailed it :aok
Thanks, bro. I think I finally figured out how to make the stripes look the way I want.
-
:aok
-
Ooooo, I like the strips on that one. Nice! :aok
-
Very nice skin Vraciu, great work.
-
Thank you, gents.
-
This looks great.
The Aggies would have replaced the stripes with dotted lines. This is thought to make the wings stronger. Everyone knows nothing ever tears on the dotted line.
-
:rofl
(And thanks.)
-
Excellent execution! Looks beautiful :cool:
-
nice
-
Thanks you guys.
-
Really like your Pacific Ponies. :aok
:salute
Sik
-
Really like your Pacific Ponies. :aok
:salute
Sik
Thank you, my friend. They're a bit of an overlooked bunch, but they did one heck of a fine job.
-
Back after a short break.
Geez, that's fine work Vraciu - and that may be the sharpest nose art I've seen yet. Also I like the detail of the small scoop on the leftside cowl panel. Was that a detail on later mdel Pacific Mustangs?
-
Back after a short break.
Geez, that's fine work Vraciu - and that may be the sharpest nose art I've seen yet. Also I like the detail of the small scoop on the leftside cowl panel. Was that a detail on later mdel Pacific Mustangs?
Welcome back. Thanks for the kind words. I'm also back so let me know when you want to do that Red Tail formation.
I started with a huge nose art master image then resized it in Paint Shop Pro 7 rather than 5 (I think any way). That may have helped keep it clean.
The scoop, if memory serves, was to ventilate the battery compartment. They had a problem with overheating and most Pacific Mustangs had it.
(http://www.506thfightergroup.org/Images/462nd/615GrantLee/615-MyBonnie_550.jpg)
-
Thanks, I try to get on in the late afternoon to middle evening hours almost daily - just holler. I'm Mountain time.
Looks like we'll be safe from evacuation from the Cameron Peak fire. Came really close; mandatory evacuations came within a mile from home over the weekend.
(https://i.imgur.com/BzRGmNe.jpg)
-
Wow.
I was in and out of Rifle, Colorado last month. It was a hazy mess from the smoke but nothing like THAT.
-
This is your best Mustang to date. First rate work no matter what the passive aggressive club of dweebs think.
-
Lol! Thanks, man.