Author Topic: 55th Fighter Group Mustangs (Read 1421 times)

xNOVAx · « **Reply #15 on:** November 17, 2007, 01:53:09 AM »

And I've found my new desktop photo..

Widewing · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2007, 08:15:03 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mus51
Hey guys i started to work on the Miss Velma. Its way from finished still but, i'd like some advice about the colors.

For some reason im not getting the color i have in photoshop and in the pictures for the nose cone.. can someone explain how to get this right?

I know about the wings and tail not done and all, im just focusing on the colors atm.

~~Mus51~~

It looks good, except for the green checkerboard color, which is incorrect. Here's a photo of Miss Velma (2nd P-51D of that name belonging to Birtciel).

Below is the first Miss Velma.

Here's Elwyn Righetti's P-51 (Eager El was top scorer in the ETO when combining air and ground kills). Note the color of the green checkerboard. I started to do this skin, but stopped when the the number of P-51 skins reached the limit.

My regards,

Widewing

Mus51 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 17, 2007, 10:21:59 AM »

Thanks for the pics, NOVA, widewing! I guess i should work on the real Miss velma then, the only thing that changed is the Miss Velma noseart wich is red now and in war it was green.

Il post a new thread when its nearly done.

Widewing · « **Reply #18 on:** November 17, 2007, 11:14:22 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mus51
Thanks for the pics, NOVA, widewing! I guess i should work on the real Miss velma then, the only thing that changed is the Miss Velma noseart wich is red now and in war it was green.

Il post a new thread when its nearly done.

Yep, all 55th FG nose art lettering was green. I don't know why the warbird owner opted for red. I suppose he didn't do enough research (many of them don't, which explains blue Mustangs).

Also, the stripes on the horizontal stabs were white, not black. Likewise, there were no stripes on the upper surfaces of the wings.

Here's a profile from the 55th Fighter Group history, the 55th Fighter Group Vs the Luftwaffe by Gray, published by Specialty Press....

If you use the link below, you'll find another profile of Miss Velma. This one shows the demarcation stripe as red... It's incorrect. The demarcation stripe color corresponded to the squadron's tail color, which was yellow.

Osprey's Down to Earth, ETO Strafer Aces

Oh, Righetti had 7.5 air to air kills and 27 strafing kills. Thus his moniker of "King of the strafers". Vulcher extraordinare....

Here's a link to a modeler's site that shows Righetti's Mustang and it's nose art to great detail.

Mus51 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 18, 2007, 10:03:06 AM »

Nice link Widewing, but thats a link to Katydid, but im confused now, do i need to paint the Miss Velma green? or let it how it is right now?

Widewing · « **Reply #20 on:** November 18, 2007, 10:23:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mus51
Nice link Widewing, but thats a link to Katydid, but im confused now, do i need to paint the Miss Velma green? or let it how it is right now?

Miss Velma needs the following to finish it.

Adjust the green checkerboard color. Change the black stripes on the horizontal stabs to white, and eliminate the black stripes on the upper wing surfaces. Other than that, it looks very nice.

The Katydid link is for color reference only.

Oh, and I have another photo of Miss Velma's nose. Should you need it, I can scan it. However, you have it correct now, except for the color. Since the photo is B&W, it won't help you there anyway. There was only minor chipping to Miss Velma's checkerboard, unlike Katydid, which was heavily eroded when Flak knocked it down in April of '45.

My regards,

Widewing

xNOVAx · « **Reply #21 on:** November 18, 2007, 10:42:09 AM »

Also,

On Miss Velma, It looks like the upper surfaces of the horizontal stabs were olive drab, not bare metal..