Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Vraciu on March 18, 2018, 07:20:01 PM
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This is Lt. Frank H. Bouldin, Jr.'s North American P-51D 44-14495 "Dallas Doll" of the 352nd FS, 353rd FG. Lt. Bouldin named the airplane after Miss Christine Crisp of Dallas, Texas. He was officially credited with three confirmed aerial victories.
The aircraft flew 85 missions between October 1944 and April 1945 and was the only P-51 to carry the SX-I code letters. Bouldin flew the aircraft for 30 of those missions, completing his tour in mid-January 1945. Lt. Michael J. Martorella was then assigned the aircraft which he renamed “Jeannie” for his fiancé Regina (they married after his return from Europe). Martorella flew 18 of his 40 assigned missions in the aircraft including the Group’s final mission of the war on April 25, 1945.
A couple of these shots are with shadows disabled. I don't recall the lighting I used to get them the first time so I posted them as I likely cannot duplicate them anytime soon.
You can also see the comparison between the original and mine. I redrew everything except the nose art--which I kept, but cleaned up (h/t Dutchguy/Mus51).
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=392259.0;attach=29427)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=392259.0;attach=29431)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=392259.0;attach=29429)
(http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=392259.0;attach=29415)
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Looks damn good.
My only issue is the strange brown smudge on the left side fuselage over the insignia. It that seen in reference photos?
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Looks damn good.
Thanks, bro.
My only issue is the strange brown smudge on the left side fuselage over the insignia. It that seen in reference photos?
Yes it is.
It's a fuel/dirt stain. It is not present on the NMF in between.
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Looks like the stain is also present on the invasion stripes.
(https://353rdfightergroup.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/dallasdoll.jpg)
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That’s why I have them darker, particularly the forwardmost white one.
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That’s why I have them darker, particularly the forwardmost white one.
Doesn't look like it.
maybe make it more brown like the insignia.
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:aok
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Doesn't look like it.
maybe make it more brown like the insignia.
It's the color/shade of the middle section of the star. The left national insignia bar is darker than the forward invasion stripe so it isn't that color. I'd say the invasion stripe is about 20% the darkness of the insignia bar. I might need to whiten the other two stripes a tad. Let me see what I can do either way.
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A fine improvement. The metal effect looks real good to me. The yellow shade you're using is so much better and more accurate than the lemon yellow of the original.
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:aok
TY, sir.
A fine improvement. The metal effect looks real good to me. The yellow shade you're using is so much better and more accurate than the lemon yellow of the original.
Thanks, Oboe. Truth be told I was inspired by your work to step up my game significantly. I still have a way to go to catch up to you, but major props for setting a high bar for folks to aspire to. Your Mustang NMF is astonishingly good. :salute
Thanks to the usual suspects as well, especially Devil for his long-ago step-by-step when we were working on Jo-Baby. That's kinda' where this one started even if I didn't know it yet.
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Doesn't look like it.
maybe make it more brown like the insignia.
Fixed.
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I think that is some of the best bare aluminum I have seen in a skin. Good job.
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I think that is some of the best bare aluminum I have seen in a skin. Good job.
Thanks, Skuzzy. Getting your public approval was on my bucket list. :cheers: :salute
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Very nice skin Vraciu, that's a great NMF effect.
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Very nice skin Vraciu, that's a great NMF effect.
Thanks, Greebo. You’ve been a great help and encouragement. :salute
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Hello, I am new to the Aces High Bulletin Board. I have a question that I am hoping someone can answer. Does anyone know the correct paint color of the wording 'Dallas Doll' on Lt Frank H. Bouldin's P-51D? In all the photographs, models, paintings and other artwork, the wording is painted black. There are some that believe that the wording was painted red with black outline.
Any help with this question would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all very much!
Best Regards,
Lance
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I do not have an answer on this one but perhaps some of my colleagues can weigh in. Lyric1 may have something in his massive archive that will tell us.
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Hello, I am new to the Aces High Bulletin Board. I have a question that I am hoping someone can answer. Does anyone know the correct paint color of the wording 'Dallas Doll' on Lt Frank H. Bouldin's P-51D? In all the photographs, models, paintings and other artwork, the wording is painted black. There are some that believe that the wording was painted red with black outline.
Any help with this question would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all very much!
Best Regards,
Lance
Hi Lance.
I don't have a definitive answer to your question however I do have a book with a few more photos of this aircraft that maybe be the answer to the different nose art colours.
https://fighting-high-books.myshopify.com/products/slybirds
First off the most common photo known.
(https://i.imgur.com/947DLA2h.jpg)
Not that this colurised image is proof this particular guy does some excellent interpretations of the black and whites.
(https://i.imgur.com/2VH7Eokh.jpg)
So here is some other black and whites from the book.
(https://i.imgur.com/F3ygS4qh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/runVNV6h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cSjoYklh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jzF1DXch.jpg)
My best guess all of the above images I think the text is all solid black. I'm basing this off what colours were known on these aircraft in that time frame regarding blacks and comparing it to other known colours. Black and gold checker pattern on the nose, solid black theater lines on wings and tail, black serial number, solid black squadron code as well at that point in time, and the green anti glare panel. The text is very large in the above photos now look what happens later on.
(https://i.imgur.com/o8g0NXBh.jpg)
The nose art has shrunk considerably and I think that was done because the checker pattern was extended further down the nose. The quality of the above three images is not so great I do think that other colours come into play like these colour images I found online.
(https://i.imgur.com/iQ1omh7h.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/UkJBEVeh.jpg)
Squadron code now has a yellow lining. The text now has shading on some portions and painted red as well in the first image. These colour images from the book shows some shadowing as well in the photos below.
(https://i.imgur.com/NYNXq5Ch.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IqFXiFMh.jpg)
Here is its new configuration with the new pilot.
(https://i.imgur.com/KBcT87gh.jpg)
So I hope this helps Lance based off what is here I think its possible both red and black are in play depending on what time frame.
Others in this forum are better at interpreting black and white images and I am sure they will make some more posts so keep looking in to see what they have to say.
Regards, Rodney.
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Invasion stripes on the underside, did I read that right?
Good stuff Lyric1, as always.
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Invasion stripes on the underside, did I read that right?
Good stuff Lyric1, as always.
Yes. I don’t think the picture quality is good enough to confirm it though.
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Midwest Aero Restorations just finished a P-51D in these markings, I wonder if that was why Lance was asking.
They did some research on the nose art that is worth looking at.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0BDGgt5UhybomcLLjDcLbBayKre4ETz7xSpCxdAtkGV9n6KSXQ1vYkQzHHz4T2ap1l&id=100057354194115&mibextid=Nif5oz
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Midwest Aero Restorations just finished a P-51D in these markings, I wonder if that was why Lance was asking.
They did some research on the nose art that is worth looking at.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0BDGgt5UhybomcLLjDcLbBayKre4ETz7xSpCxdAtkGV9n6KSXQ1vYkQzHHz4T2ap1l&id=100057354194115&mibextid=Nif5oz
With the one photo that I have this version is much clearer than mine and it is two different colours. Also Gary Velasco is involved written a few books on nose art and accomplished artist himself. He has a huge archive of photos.
Good catch Fencer. :salute
(https://i.imgur.com/WOqeaIVh.jpg)
Well I guess based off the new image Vraciu has another revision coming. :bolt:
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Lol Lyric.
Thanks guys for the info.
Red? Man that seems an odd choice. The original skin is purple which seems close to my mental picture of it.
Getting these borders to look good is going to be a challenge regardless.
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Lol Lyric.
Thanks guys for the info.
Red? Man that seems an odd choice. The original skin is purple which seems close to my mental picture of it.
Getting these borders to look good is going to be a challenge regardless.
If you have Facebook go to the link that Fencer posted there is a whole bunch of images on the restoration.
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If you have Facebook go to the link that Fencer posted there is a whole bunch of images on the restoration.
Yeah, I see that. It looks garish as hell. :O