Photo Interpretation Help

[Vraciu]

Do I see the following or am I crazy?

- Yellow theater band under wing.
- Yellow or red gear door.
- Yellow or red main wheel (see red anti-glare demarcation stripe).
- Lack of outboard yellow and black wing bands.

[Devil 505]

looks like yellow stripe under the wing, outlined in black with red wheel. Gear door may be yellow or metal.

[JOACH1M]

I see red wheel with red door. Yellow band under wing

[Vraciu]

Thank you, gents.   

Lyric?   Any thoughts?

[Greebo]

I'd say black-bordered yellow bands under the wing and red gear doors and wheels, with the paint wearing off the gear doors a bit. Also the anti-glare panel looks to have a thin yellow or red border. Something like 8Y or BY seems to written within the "5" on the vertical stab.

[Vraciu]

I'd say black-bordered yellow bands under the wing and red gear doors and wheels, with the paint wearing off the gear doors a bit. Also the anti-glare panel looks to have a thin yellow or red border. Something like 8Y or BY seems to written within the "5" on the vertical stab.

Thanks.  I have seen those black bordered stripes on drawings.  I need to dig up some others with it to get a feel for them.  Would they be the same on top?

The cowl stripe is rendered red in profiles—not that they can be trusted—and the rudder letters seem to be BY.

Such an odd duck of a scheme. 

I will dig through “SPITFIRES AND YELLOW TAIL MUSTANGS” to see if it has any helpful photos.

[horble]

It's all various shades of grey to me.

[Vraciu]

It's all various shades of grey to me.

That's just terble.   

[lyric1]

Bare metal gear doors covered in dirt the higher up the door you go the less dirt there is.

[Vraciu]

Bare metal gear doors covered in dirt the higher up the door you go the less dirt there is.

So that is not paint overspray/erosion or dirt over paint?   The 52nd had a number of airplanes with painted gear doors, fwiw.   

Dang, I wish that other P-51 wasn't cut off just this side of the mains.  "Spitfires and Yellow Tail Mustangs" doesn't have a single photo of this plane--I'm amazed at that oversight, frankly.

[bustr]

If you look at the tires you can see this plane rolled trough a mud puddle. Then look at the gear door once again and you can see the mud splash on it.

[Vraciu]

If you look at the tires you can see this plane rolled trough a mud puddle. Then look at the gear door once again and you can see the mud splash on it.

I agree there.  But I think the door is also yellow.   Yellow with a mud splash.  What do you think?

[Mister Fork]

Here is a D variant in a simliar paint scheme...not sure if it'll help

[Mister Fork]

And here a model from modeller P.k. from imodelers.com (that group is nuts about historical accuracy than we are...)

[Vraciu]

I still do not see painted wingtips in that photo...