Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Devil 505 on August 04, 2018, 04:01:06 PM

Title: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Devil 505 on August 04, 2018, 04:01:06 PM

I plan on skinning this aircraft: P-40L flown by Charles Hall of the 99th Fighter Squadron.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Curtiss_P-40L_of_99th_FS_%28USAAF%29_in_North_Africa_1943.jpg)

(https://static.thisdayinaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/tdia//2015/07/141208-F-DW547-013.jpg)

Now what I'm looking for is a photo of the tail of this plane or another from this unit with the diagonal stripe on the tail.

Here are some profiles of this plane, but they are iffy in terms of details.

(http://www.jollyrogers1942.com/uploads/1/5/0/5/15058414/12x18-p-40-red-tail-serial-no-96_orig.jpg)

(http://www.blackartphotoart.com/HallP40Profile(Brown).jpg)

Based on the reference photo, which shows the front of the tail, the stripe looks to be the same color as the serial number - probably yellow. Also, if you look closely, the tip of the fin is a color lighter than the stripe or the lightest camouflage color. In my opinion, the fin cap is white. So the question is, does the white cover the entire tip including the rudder, or just the forward portion?

Also, does the serial number change color over the stripe, as seen in the profiles, or is the stripe interrupted at the serial number?

Another interesting detail is the painted wheel hub. It looks to me to be mostly red and white, with Insignia Blue separating them.

Opinions?

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: lyric1 on August 04, 2018, 11:02:14 PM

Couple to be seen in the film.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675062604_99th-Negro-Fighter-Squad_World-War-II_briefing-pilots_P-40-airplane

(https://i.imgur.com/SUCUD6X.jpg)

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Devil 505 on August 05, 2018, 12:41:34 AM

Thanks Lyric

Quote from: lyric1 on August 04, 2018, 11:02:14 PM

Couple to be seen in the film.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675062604_99th-Negro-Fighter-Squad_World-War-II_briefing-pilots_P-40-airplane

(https://i.imgur.com/SUCUD6X.jpg)

So the plane on the left in that still looks like it has a yellow stripe and the one on the right clearly has a white one. In neither case dies the serial number have a black portion.

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: lyric1 on August 05, 2018, 12:58:21 AM

Not that this helps much.

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/JohnRogersPilot_zpslympycdv.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/JohnRogersPilot_zpslympycdv.jpg.html)

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%20p40_zpsb7imv9ta.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%20p40_zpsb7imv9ta.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: lyric1 on August 05, 2018, 04:44:52 AM

Quote from: lyric1 on August 05, 2018, 12:58:21 AM

Not that this helps much.



(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%20p40_zpsb7imv9ta.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%20p40_zpsb7imv9ta.jpg.html)

Looked into this one some more.
Turns out the 99th were given hand me downs from other units hence the red stripe on the tail.
Potentially all these striped tailed P-40's the Tuskegee flyers were using are other squadrons tail markings that just didn't get painted over.

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%2099_zps6gah6fte.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/Untitled%2099_zps6gah6fte.jpg.html)

This skin is wrong but it shows the nose art the best.

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/IL2-SL-Curtiss-P-40L-Warhawk-79FG99FS-A10-42-10499-Italy-1943_zpshfd6dvoc.png) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/IL2-SL-Curtiss-P-40L-Warhawk-79FG99FS-A10-42-10499-Italy-1943_zpshfd6dvoc.png.html)

(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/P%2040%20pictures/19278d2d56b92288d8e4c096ecbf6760--public-flyers_zps7jrbnxx0.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/P%2040%20pictures/19278d2d56b92288d8e4c096ecbf6760--public-flyers_zps7jrbnxx0.jpg.html)

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Devil 505 on August 05, 2018, 11:49:07 AM

Well I guess we need to find some 33rd FG reference to see what they were doing with the tails.

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Devil 505 on August 05, 2018, 12:50:51 PM

I found these images:
(https://s6.postimg.cc/ijxocv0rl/P-40_L_Charles_Duncan.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

(https://s6.postimg.cc/yi6e32fkx/P-40_L_Charles_Duncan_2.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Taken from this book:
https://issuu.com/rafa51164/docs/43_p-40_warhawk_aces_of_the_mto

It seems the 33rd FG had their stripes interrupted at the serial numbers. I will go with that.

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Guppy35 on August 05, 2018, 11:34:22 PM

Keep in mind it might be a red outline to the star and bar as well.  Hard to say as they later covered the red with darker blue

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/12th%20Air%20Force%20Scenario/P40FRedTailTest1_zpsijzufqhs.jpg)

Title: Re: Photo Help: P-40F or L of 99th FS.
Post by: Devil 505 on August 05, 2018, 11:44:22 PM

Quote from: Guppy35 on August 05, 2018, 11:34:22 PM

Keep in mind it might be a red outline to the star and bar as well.  Hard to say as they later covered the red with darker blue

(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s199/guppy35/12th%20Air%20Force%20Scenario/P40FRedTailTest1_zpsijzufqhs.jpg)

Based on the reference, the insignia definitely has an outline. Since it is lighter than the blue portion, I will be using red.