Some Mustang Repaints Uploaded

[Bomber_12th]

I finally got around to finishing these three repaints and have uploaded them here and to Flightsim and Avsim, covering three of the Mustangs that will be taking part in the Flying Legends airshow at Duxford this weekend (I'm still working on another, though I don't know if I'll have it completed before the weekend). They are for the Warbirdsim "Mustang Tales" product. Two of these paint schemes I've released before, but these are now almost entirely new versions in every detail, having gone over them again, completely, and correcting all of my faults. All of the repaints have newly-applied lighting effects and high-quality normal maps.

"Frenesi" V.2 - this aircraft, owned by Dan Friedkin/Comanche Fighters and registered N357FG, was sent to Midwest Aero Restorations in 2009 to be fully restored to complete WWII-stock configuration. It was completed in January of this year, and is of a quality and level of authenticity and detailing that is on par with the likes of "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". It is based at Comanche Ranch, in Eagle Pass, Texas, but was shipped over to Duxford, England last month to take part in the Flying Legends airshow this weekend. When I originally did a repaint of this aircraft, it was just after its first test flights, and I only had a few photos to go by. Since then, I've had all the photos I could hope for to properly recreate the paint scheme and details of the actual restoration - this includes details of the prop blades, wheel wells, and cockpit as well, to match the restoration. Items such as the "Frenesi" nose art/writing is taken directly/copied from photos of the real aircraft. Details like the fact that the gun port mounts are painted/left silver on the real aircraft have been addressed now in the updated work (in-fact, just about every aspect of the markings had to be changed from how I had it to now matching the real aircraft). This weekend, "Frenesi" will be one of three Mustangs flown together by the Horsemen aerobatic team at Flying Legends.




"Miss Helen" V.2 - this aircraft, owned by Robert Tyrrell (a very distant relative) and registered G-BIXL, is on loan to the Boultbee Flight Academy and is usually hangared at the Chichester/Goodwood Airport. The aircraft is of course well known for having been owned by Robs Lamplough for many years. He recovered it from Israel in 1976, and had it restored and flying by 1987. The fuselage of the aircraft is believed to be that of 44-72216, the P-51D-20-NA that was assigned to Capt. Raymond Littge of the 487th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, in the spring of 1945, and for which markings the aircraft displays today. For this repaint, I mainly did a lot of overall clean-up work from the way I originally had it depicted. Little details have been added or adjusted here and there, including how the blue paint of the nose scallops up onto the windscreen framework. The number and placement of kill markings on the starboard-side of the canopy has been corrected and adjusted as well. The cockpit textures have been modified with a number of the type of details seen in the cockpit of the actual aircraft.




"The Shark" - here is the new one, depicting "G-SHWN" owned by Shaun Patrick and operated on loan to the Boultbee Flight Academy and, this season, the Norwegian Spitfire Foundation. The aircraft typically resides at the Chichester/Goodwood Airport, but has received regular servicing/maintenance at Duxford. The aircraft is painted in the authentic markings of an RAF 112 Squadron Mustang Mk.IVa (P-51K), KH774, which in 1945 was based at Cervia, Italy. The original aircraft was piloted by a Lt. Blanchford, flying ground-attack missions over the Balkans and along the Adriatic coast. For this repaint, I spent even more time than the previous two in detailing the cockpit, wheel wells and landing gear areas to closely match the real aircraft. This one has got the civilian straight-groove tread tires (that wear less), where as the previous two have the WWII diamond-tread tires. This weekend, this aircraft will be one of three Mustangs flown together by the Horsemen aerobatic team at Flying Legends.




More screenshots here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/343636...h/35636877481/

[Mach3DS]

John, these are VERY IMPRESSIVE!!! Every time I see your work especially new stuff, I am reminded of how much I have yet to learn! Great repaints! And my favorite part of all is the descriptions that accompany them!

[jankees]

John, as always, fantastic work!

[DaveQ]

John, as always, fantastic work!

+1 in spades!! Going to Duxford tomorrow for the first time since 2009. A stellar line-up this year.

DaveQ

[noddy]

Not going to Duxford, but down at Headcorn for the Battle of Britain display.

And great skins John.

[DaveB]

Thanks for these John.. especially the 'new' Miss Helen. This P51 always revives happy memories of when I used to take my daughter (Helen) to airshows on the back of my ZX9R when she was just a wee pup. She was quite taken by seeing an aircraft with her name on Happy days

ATB
DaveB

[MDIvey]

Thanks John

Matt

[stovall]

Superb John, off to download.

[Greenhouse357]

Just beautiful work John.

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you all very much for your replies and warm regards, I appreciate it!

Here are a few more ground-shots taken during testing that I liked (some items changed/adjusted in the final release versions of the repaints):

[Bomber_12th]

The Malcolm-hooded P-51B "Berlin Express", that had flown across the Atlantic over the past 1-2 weeks to participate in the Flying Legends air show this weekend, lost its canopy during the entry into its very first (solo) display by TFC's Nick Grey during the airshow today. The plexiglass section is seen to have spontaneously shattered/disintegrated in-flight. Unfortunately it left a couple dents in the leading edge of the vertical fin. The sliding frames for which the canopy is mounted to remained attached to the rails, so it was only the actual plexiglass portion that came off. Fortunately, I believe Pacific Fighters has another Malcolm hood canopy that can be supplied (not to mention the ability to make new ones, as this one was), though of course things take time, and that doesn't cover the damage to the tail either.

The Horsemen P-51 aerobatic team were going to be using "Berlin Express" for their three-ship routine, along with "Frenesi" and "The Shark" - that is the whole reason why the airplane was flown over there (it would have been shipped over, but it wasn't purchased by Horsemen pilot Dan Friedkin until just last month, and thus not enough time to have it arrive before this weekend). With "BE" now unserviceable, this evening the Horsemen team were seen flying a practice routine over Duxford using "Miss Helen" in its place, to be ready for tomorrow's show.

Just as the three repaints I've released, here are the three real examples together at Duxford this evening, prior to the Horsemen practice, now with "Miss Helen" replacing "Berlin Express" in the left wing slot (photo by David Witworth):

[MustangL2W]

Argh!! Glad things with "Berlin Express" wasn't any worse! I'm sure that was a real "Moment" when that occurred!! Thanks for the Updates John... and of course the Re-paints we all enjoy so much!!

[Bomber_12th]

It happened in a split/fraction of a second, with the glass shattering into what looks like dozens of pieces: http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=78017
(In the one photo posted at the above link, where the photographer thinks there is a crack in the canopy, it is just a reflection - because of the shape/bulging of the canopy, it is a reflection of the canopy former/lower frame, and something you see all the time in photos of this Mustang.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6LmJvCmMhE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZL9ypaoVNw

[DaveB]

Are you now wondering John that had you done a fresh paint of BE, this wouldn't have happened...

SPOOKY or what!!
ATB
DaveB

[Bomber_12th]

All I know is that it's weird, or at least feels that way, but I'm glad pilot and plane got down safely. The more I've read and seen, the horizontal took a good beating too (on both sides), unfortunately: https://www.flickr.com/photos/123146...044756/sizes/l

According to Nick Grey, he was flying at 360kts (over 410 mph) at the time the canopy split open and disintegrated (the sound in the Youtube video implies this as well - on this fast pass/dive in to the display, it sounded like one of the stock Mustangs rounding the courses at Reno). The P-51B "Impatient Virgin", which was also restored/built by the same company as "BE", has been flying since 2008 with the exact same canopy/configuration and has never had an issue as far as I know.

[MustangL2W]

Ugh... That isn't an easy fix there. Lucky..... You can tell that vertical took a big hit. I'll bet "Berlin Express" hasn't been wrung-out like it is in preparation for that show. Wonder what will have to be done to make the next bubble tougher?

[Bomber_12th]

Yeah, it makes you wonder if the owner, Dan Friedkin, would be keen on simply putting a new Malcolm hood back on, or go the more tested approach of fitting a birdcage canopy. I don't know if the owner would see fit or not to placard it at say a never surpass airspeed of 400mph, and live with that. Someone suggested that perhaps the plexiglass had become too brittle due to the changing/cold temperatures it could have experienced on the trans-Atlantic flight(?). The display routine had already been practiced by the pilot, in the very aircraft, at Duxford this past week, and everything went smoothly then - not sure if a mph or two could have been the difference. As I have been thinking, I wonder if the aircraft had ever been flown that fast yet - as you say, Jim, I believe this past week has been the first time the aircraft has been put through aerobatic displays since its restoration was completed in 2014.

[MustangL2W]

Can't imagine the sound..... must have been a pretty good "POP" when that canopy shattered. From a safety and equipment standpoint, thank goodness nothing struck the pilot. (that we know of) Plexiglass to the face at low
level/high speed could be incapacitating. He was wearing a great helmet and hopefully those goggles were down. I think those guys have a lot to debrief!!

Wonder if that happened much in operational use during the Wartime?? I'd like to hear Bud Anderson's recollection on this topic. Is the Canopy on Roush's "B" Model "Old Crow" manufactured by a different entity that "Impatient Virgin" and "Berlin Express?"

[Bomber_12th]

Practicing some of my three-ship formation flying (no way I could recreate the Horsemen routine - especially as I have a heck of a hard time flying in the left-wing position, just doing gentle turns):

[Bomber_12th]

[AussieMan]

John, is it your intention to produce a repaint of the current "Berlin Express"? Bruce Martin made a birdcage canopy repaint of BE not long after the P-51B was released (screenshot below) but there doesn't appear to be a Malcolm Hood version. The current BE appears to be an all over Olive Green with invasion stripes where as the birdcage version is mainly metal.

Also do you intend to update your P-51s to P3D V4 standard? At the moment I have the "B" model in V4 and it works ok except for missing switch "click" and canopy opening sounds. So far as I can see all switches work and I have fuel pump sound when I move that switch to the "on" position and the starter switch also works.

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Pat,

No, I haven't had any intention on doing a repaint of "Berlin Express", but that could always change. I've been working, on and off, on a completely new set of early Mustangs, and I've thought I would include the restored "Berlin Express" with those.

Note that there were three different B/C-models flown by Bill Overstreet, two of them named "Berlin Express". One was P-51C 42-103309 (as the repaint you have pictured depicts), which Bill had up until July 1944, and the other was P-51B 43-24823 (which the restoration depicts) which Bill got in July 1944 after Bud Anderson went home following his first tour (43-24823 had previously been painted as "Old Crow" - Anderson's 3rd and final B-model). The first "Berlin Express", 42-103309, was sent to the 55th FG in July 1944, and within days was destroyed in a take-off accident. However, the second "Berlin Express", 43-24823, which the restoration depicts, continued in operation until May 30, 1945 (one of the last B/C models that was still in operation with the 357th FG by that point).

With regard to P3D V4 compatibility, we haven't heard of or seen any issues with the products as they already are - they seem to function no different to how they are in FSX (likely due to their simplicity/lack of c++ coding I'm sure). For all future product releases, however, we will be testing in P3D ahead of release and will make any necessary P3D-inclusions as we see fit.

[DaveQ]

I was at Duxford yesterday. Saw BE do one fast pass then disappear. Sadly was concentrating on the previous display and missed the canopy coming off, though I did see it was missing when Nick taxied past. He said afterwards that there was a loud bang and clatter and suddenly he was driving a convertible P-51! As it was a bit windy in the cockpit he decided to abort and land. Sensible choice. He apologised to Dan for bending his aeroplane but I think everyone concerned was just relieved he got down safely!

DaveQ

[Bomber_12th]

Hearing now of initial reports of the TF-51D 'Miss Velma', the only other P-51 at Flying Legends not yet discussed here, having "ditched in a field" by Duxford - pilot okay. I've just been finishing a repaint of that one now and was hoping to release it soon - I think I'm just going to stop for a while.

Edit: Update on 'Miss Velma': http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2017-07-09/crop-duster-heritage-fighter-plane-ends-up-in-field/

It sounds like it went into the field across the M11 from Duxford. Very glad the pilot is okay. It is said that the gear could be seen down, but obviously in the photos the main gear must have failed or buckled (you can just see the tail wheel doors are open).

[AussieMan]

Hi Pat,

With regard to P3D V4 compatibility, we haven't heard of or seen any issues with the products as they already are - they seem to function no different to how they are in FSX (likely due to their simplicity/lack of c++ coding I'm sure). For all future product releases, however, we will be testing in P3D ahead of release and will make any necessary P3D-inclusions as we see fit.

That is great news John. If you need someone to try breaking something in P3D V4 then my hand is up. Hopefully when the P-39 is released it will also work in V4.