Warbirdsim's "Mustang Tales" Now Available!

[Bomber_12th]

Warbirdsim's latest product, "Mustang Tales: Post-WWII and Navy Service", is now available here: http://warbirdsim.com/

This product tells of the individual stories of 15 different Mustangs, that combined tell of the greater developmental and service legacy of the P-51D & F-51D from WWII to Korea, and from WWII until the present day. The product features the following aircraft, which have all been developed as different aircraft from one another, throughout, ensuring that each is accurate and authentic through the over-all airframes, cockpits, aft cockpits, gun bays and wheel wells to each specific variant. Throughout development, the original NAA blueprint drawings, USAAF and USAF Technical Orders, assembly and maintenance manual, pilot's manuals, period photographs, and other leading research and resources were all consulted.

1944 - P-51D-5-NA 44-14017 (modified by Navy and used in carrier operations trials)
1945 - FJ-1D Seahorse ("what-if" Navy variant following 1945 production standards)
1945 - P-51D-30-NA 44-75025 “Shangri-La” (Maj. Don Gentile displayed this aircraft (flying and static) at the week-long Air Force Fair, held at Wright Field in mid-October 1945)
1945 - P-51D-30-NT 45-11513 “Royal New Zealand Air Force” (No. 1 Auckland Squadron, Whenuapai AB, New Zealand)
1947 - P-51D-25-NT 44-84489 “Royal Australian Air Force” (No. 77 Squadron, Iwakuni AB, Japan)
1947 - ETF-51D-25-NT 44-84900 "NACA 127" (heavily modified for dive tests, stationed at Langley AFB, Virginia)
1950 - P-51D-30-NA 44-74423 “Royal Canadian Air Force” (No. 442 City of Vancouver Squadron, Sea Island Airport, Vancouver)
1950 - F-51D-25-NT 44-84602 “Little Beast II” (12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Chinhae AB, Korea)
1951 - P-51D-30-NT 45-11471 “South African Air Force” (No. 2 Squadron, Kangnung AB, Korea)
1951 - F-51D-30-NA 44-74692 “By Faith I Fly!” (Col. Dean Hess, commander of 51st Provisional Fighter Squadron, ROKAF, Seoul AB, Korea)
1952 - RF-51D-25-NT 44-84837 “Little Lynn” (45th Tac Recon Squadron, Kimpo AB, Korea)
1952 - F-51D-20-NA 44-72197 “FF-197” (192nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Keflavik AB, Iceland)
1953 - F-51D-25-NT 45-11489 "ANG-489" (Minnesota ANG, 109th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis)
1972 - P-51D-30-NA 44-74452 “N74190” (purchased surplus from Guatemalan AF, modified slightly for civilian operation, flown to and operated out of Texas)
2001 (To Present Day) - P-51D-30-NA 44-74543 "Geraldine" (stock-restored, privately hangared at Kenosha, Wisconsin)
2010 - P-51D-30-NA 44-74543 "Geraldine" (Reno racing modified (lighter and faster than stock model, coupled with visual modifications))

Also included is an authentic reproduction of the carrier U.S.S. Shangri-La, produced by Michael Davies, depicted as it was at the time of the carrier operations trials conducted with the Navy-modified P-51D 44-14017, in November 1944. The carrier is setup with an AI route that has the ship sail from the Norfolk docks up into Chesapeake Bay, where the original trials took place, and docking back at its berth again in the evening. Once into the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the ship sails a NW/SE route, back and forth throughout the day, allowing you a great many opportunities to practice carrier landings and takeoffs when heading into the prevailing winds out of the NW.

Included as well are saved flights that have each of the included aircraft positioned in all of the locations around the globe where they were originally stationed or are currently hangared, and some with flight plans. One such saved flight places the historic Navy-modified P-51D on the deck of the USS Shangri-La, while at sea, early in the morning of November 15, 1944, with the aircraft cold & dark, ready for the day's historic trials. Another set of flights, complete with flight plans, traces Geraldine's 2010 journey across the US from Kenosha Wisconsin to the air races at Reno, Nevada, with a stop-over first at Ione, California, where the actual race modifications are undertaken.

User Guide:
Here is a download page for the product user guide, as also included (please read carefully before first using the aircraft in FSX, otherwise your experience with the aircraft will be greatly diminished): https://www.wetransfer.com/downloads/d67a039c0a13e637f16fdfae797508d520130313133405/075df5fc51c2ce0825803cebb77f345020130313133405/82c619

Paintkit:
If you are interested in the product paintkit (just completed in-time!), please send your purchase details and specific request to Warbirdsim Support: support@warbirdsim.com

Additionally, please refer to these pages for more images and information about all of the variants and some of the details and features included:
All Variants: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.419153371508873.1073741825.411008492323361&type=3
P-51D to the F-51D: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?76424-New-WBS-Mustangs and https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.411386755618868.97187.411008492323361&type=3
Historic Navy P-51D: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.411036362320574.97123.411008492323361&type=3
FJ-1D Seahorse: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?76242-Taking-the-Mustang-to-Sea
Guatemalan AF F-51D: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?76196-Importing-an-Old-Crate-Across-the-Border
P-51D "Geraldine": http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?76177-Going-to-Reno and https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.414170418673835.97517.411008492323361&type=3

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8553938647_0c161c51cc_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8553938647/)

[Bomber_12th]

Additionally:

Once you have completed a purchase, your download link shall arrive to your e-mail just about instantly. If you have checked your inbox and spam folder and still suspect that it has not arrived after a brief wait, please send a prompt e-mail to Warbirdsim Support requesting that the product download link be re-sent and it will be taken care of quickly.

We have included a number of saved flights in a separate .exe file that you may install if you desire, and in order to install them to the proper location on your system, it is very important to follow the 'Read Me' documentation with the installer for the flights files.

[robcap]

Been thinking about buying one of your Mustangs for a long time, but this package might be it ;-)

[Tartuffe]

Allready paid !
Looking for the download link...

Thanks ! :applause:

[Mach3DS]

A few of my favorite shots...

John has outdone himself on this packag. I particularly like the high polish aluminum effect on "Geraldine".


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[Mach3DS]

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[Mach3DS]

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[Mach3DS]

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[huub vink]

Beautiful, as always!

[ZsoltB]

:jump::jump::jump::applause:

Thank you!!!

[Bomber_12th]

Please note at the beginning of the user guide, there are a couple of important items about an environmental map that you will want to have installed (either into each aircraft texture folder, or your root FSX texture folder), and a modification to the FSX.cfg file, to allow for proper carrier catapult launch results (the same modification as recommended prior to operating any aircraft from a catapult in FSX Acceleration, especially light-weight aircraft). Also, there are important items about carrier operations and where and at what times to find the carrier. It is also important to know how items like the canopy emergency release and coolant door emergency release systems work, as they might be a bit confusing to operate (fully) without first reading about them.

Here is a full-sized copy of the carrier route map, as also seen in the user guide.

[peter12213]

Great news, can't wait to try that Guatemalan version!

[Bomber_12th]

Great news, can't wait to try that Guatemalan version!

I have an 'in-service' repaint I'll make available shortly, which reverses the exterior paint work back to the original full "Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca" markings, if desired.

(I was just reading this morning again about the Guatemalan AF fighter planes. The F-51 Mustangs enterred the Guatemalan AF in 1954, and the aircraft they replaced - the Boeing P-26! I can only imagine what that transition must have been like!)

[Bomber_12th]

Regarding repaints, I also just had to make this one, which will be available shortly, having put it together while testing out the new paintkit. Going with the theme of "Mustang Tales", it marks yet another unique time period in the P-51D/F-51D story not often covered. This aircraft is depicted as it was in 1946, and at this time the aircraft wasn't only just serving in a training and potential home defense role, it was also serving as an enlistment billboard! The repaint of the aircraft, a P-51D-30-NA, fits the "Shangri-La" model, and thus has all of the right D-30 details (SCR-695 IFF set w/ intertia switch and indicator lights behind headrest, cuffless prop, BC-1206 receiver, g-suit provisions, etc.). Note the buzz code starting with 'PF', which would change to 'FF' in USAF service, going along with the change of name from P-51 to F-51.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8557515363_33afbb7996_h.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Here's another view again of just a few of the 'offices' included:

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[Bone]

And 'they' said FSX is dead...HA!

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/BonesFlightBag/IMG_1624.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Awesome screenshot, Bone! I hope you are enjoying it, then! I know most of these aircraft didn't have lives in the desert (Iceland, Japan, Korea, Canada, ect.), but I really enjoy flying them from Edwards AFB as well - it makes for some great backdrops, both in the air and on the ground.

[Bone]

Just chasing around the NACA bird, is all, John. ;)

http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/BonesFlightBag/IMG_1630.jpg

[Bone]

...make that two NACA birds.


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[Bomber_12th]

I love the edit-effects!

Here are some shots of "Little Beast II", which operated from Chinhae, Korea. Although the airport name has changed, the airport still remains and can be flown from in FSX. The aircraft had been operating in Japan prior to the outbreak of war in Korea, and thus was one of the first F-51's available.

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[Daveroo]

i cant purchase this for awhile yet..can someone show me Col Hess' F-51 ,in the ROK colors?....in the mustang magazine they said he used plane #18 with a yellow spinner..bomber?..that the one you did?..

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Dave,

Col. Hess actually used a number of different Mustangs, with at least two different #18's that I found. The one I chose to depict doesn't have the yellow nose or yellow fuselage band as some of the ROKAF Mustangs had at one point. I rather liked this particular one as it had a very non-standard insignia - including the fact that the placements were on the 'incorrect' sides of the wings.

Dave, knowing that you have the "Mustangs International" magazine, Spring 2013, if you turn to that article on Dean Hess, this particular aircraft shows up in the photos on page 48. Most all profile illustrations I've found are not correct to any of the examples that Dean Hess flew, based on the evidence seen in photos.

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[Daveroo]

i see what you mean john,and looking at the photo on page 48,compaired to pg47...if you look where the yellow stripe is on the drawing/painting on pages 42/43..it looks like its there on #18 on pg 47...is this a differant plane?..or is that maybe a shadow im seeing?.just forward of the tailwheel..narrow dark line on the fusalage..im NOT arguing here...im asking...lol....and as to the "many differant planes"...id forgotten that part of the story...i read so many magazines and books every month i tend to get confused..

mustangs international
warbirds international
air classics
air forces international
air international
flying
plane and pilot
military machines international
and i belong to the MVPA so i get their publications aswell...
im also collecting a series of softbound books from a german company called "Tankograd"...the TM series,,mostly technical service profiles of american world war two equipment..

[skyhawka4m]

82953

[skyhawka4m]

82954

[dvj]

...make that two NACA birds.


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Holy Smokes, that's a real photo!

[DaveQ]

I was very privileged to play a very small part in developing this stunning new Mustang in all its post-war guises and was particularly excited by the 'what-if' navalised version. So I did some messing about with old paint kits and stuff and these are five that will get done with the new paint kit as soon as I get the time.

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DaveQ

[ZsoltB]

I buy the next week!!!

[skyhawka4m]

I was very privileged to play a very small part in developing this stunning new Mustang in all its post-war guises and was particularly excited by the 'what-if' navalised version. So I did some messing about with old paint kits and stuff and these are five that will get done with the new paint kit as soon as I get the time.

82965829668296782968829708297182972

DaveQ


Great stuff Dave! I am hoping to do a couple NAVY reserve aircraft myself....Akron and Willow Grove, thought about maybe doing a VC type scheme like was used on the late F4u5N's too.

[WarBert]

Love it Dave!

It makes you really wonder what if.
The only one that for me doesn't quite work is the Korean Royal Navy style scheme. But that's only because I am only used to seing sit on my favourite aircraft, the SeaFury!!

Great work.

Albert
www.warbirdsim.com (http://www.warbirdsim.com)

[jim]

F-51D_75_Tanks: Both aircraft have the same textures (Minn. ANG)
F-51D_Bombs: RAAF & SAAF Have the same textures. (RAAF)
Is it me or is there a problem with the software.
Otherwise a fantastic set of aircraft. Good Job!!

[Ferry_vO]

Been thinking about buying one of your Mustangs for a long time, but this package might be it ;-)

You can't go wrong with any of the WBS packages Rob; I have two myself. Great models with wonderful attention to detail. Might get this pack myself too!

[WarBert]

F-51D_75_Tanks: Both aircraft have the same textures (Minn. ANG)
F-51D_Bombs: RAAF & SAAF Have the same textures. (RAAF)
Is it me or is there a problem with the software.
Otherwise a fantastic set of aircraft. Good Job!!

Thanks for pointing that out.
We will get an updated set of files up as soon as we can.
Hang on to your download links, as you will be able to redownload the exe files to correct this.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Albert
www.warbirdsim.com

[Bomber_12th]

F-51D_75_Tanks: Both aircraft have the same textures (Minn. ANG)
F-51D_Bombs: RAAF & SAAF Have the same textures. (RAAF)
Is it me or is there a problem with the software.
Otherwise a fantastic set of aircraft. Good Job!!

Jim, I believe that might be a fault with how a few of the texture folders are setup (to save space).

If you were to load the RCAF model, and then the MINN ANG model, everything will be fine, but if you load the MINN ANG model and then the RCAF model, sometimes the MINN ANG textures will show up again on the RCAF model. The same goes for the SAAF and RAAF textures - fine as long as you load the SAAF variant first, but not always the case if you load it after the RAAF variant.

Here is an easy fix:

1. Open the 'Texture.Minn ANG' folder within the 'Warbirdsim_F-51D_110_Tanks' folder and copy all of its contents.
2. Next, open the 'Texture.RCAF' folder and first delete the Texture.CFG file that is found there.
3. Paste the contents from the 'Texture.Minn ANG' folder into the 'Texture.RCAF' folder, not overwriting any files, just adding ones that are not already there.

Do the same process with the 'Texture.RAAF' and 'Texture.SAAF' folders, contained within the 'Warbirdsim_F-51D_Bombs' folder:

1. Open the 'Texture.RAAF' folder and copy all of its contents.
2. Next, open the 'Texture.SAAF' folder and first delete the Texture.CFG file that is found there.
3. Paste the contents from the 'Texture.RAAF' folder into the 'Texture.SAAF' folder, not overwriting any files, just adding ones that are not already there.

This will completely solve the problem.

We've already got a minor update in the works to be released as soon as possible, and this will be something that is addressed by it. Make sure to keep your download links handy! ; )

[Mach3DS]

You can't go wrong with any of the WBS packages Rob; I have two myself. Great models with wonderful attention to detail. Might get this pack myself too!

If Art and Engineering were brought together during the dark days of WWII, then the Mustang was their offspring.

John has faithfully reproduced this again, in even greater measure I think this time around. Well done. You will never regret the WBS purchase. Because they are more like virtual Flying Heritage Collection (http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplateHome.aspx?contentId=1), museum worthy aircraft than anything else. The attention to historical and technical accuracy is mind boggling at times. The History behind these aircraft comes to life. And that's the real beauty of the WBS aircraft. Well done John and Albert!

[jim]

Bomber 12; Works fine, thanks for the fix.

[Bomber_12th]

I'm glad to hear it, Jim!

So yes, a set of updated files will be available shortly, which addresses that issue and a few minor cosmetic items, to set everything just right.

Curious to know of anyone's experiences thus-far with carrier operations with either the historic Navy-modified P-51D or the "what if" Seahorse! Hopefully the user guide is clear enough about the use of the two different versions of each aircraft, and why the different versions were included. Using the settings mentioned within the "Navy Pilot's Notes" (and starting off with a light fuel load) should help provide for the most satisfying experience. When landing aboard a carrier with the Mustang, it is important to keep a continuous curve throughout the aproach, so that you can see the deck at all times up to the last moment (this was also something that Bob Elder mentioned, but was not a problem as it was the routine practice at the time for Navy aircraft). My preference is to move my head-point out to the left of the cockpit (the canopy is already open anyway), and keep the airspeed indicator still in-sight, at the right-side of the screen. For me, to make sure I'm landing in the center of the deck, I have to aim for a spot that is just left of where the aircraft needs to be when it hits the deck (with the USS Shangri-La, included, I aim for the left-most deck line), otherwise I'll have drifted too far to the right of the deck by the time I round-out and connect with the cables. The best conditions when landing, are setting the aircraft down in a tail-first three-point attitude, and connecting with the cables at a speed under 85-90 mph (stall speed for the historic-Navy Mustang, being lightly loaded, is around 80-82 mph).

The type of tail hook the aircraft had would have been a simple release type, which would have to be reset by crewmen aboard the ship (as was the case with several Navy aircraft that were in operation during WWII as well). However, although the lever in the cockpits of the Navy Mustangs to lower the tail hook are a spring-action type, suitable to just serve as a release, when you click on it again it will raise the hook back up (even though that isn't accurate). In general, I wouldn't expect anyone to be actually using the lever anyway, as it requires you to look down into the cockpit, and instead just use the key assignment (Shift+Q is the default Acceleration key assignment for the tail hook).

[Bomber_12th]

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[Bomber_12th]

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[Bomber_12th]

Hi all,

I have been informed that the new updated files are now 'active'. If you have already purchased the product, please re-download the files from your download links and re-install. If you purchase/download the product from here on out, the updates will have already been included.

This update:

-Makes sure that when loading either the RCAF or SAAF models (the only ones that were affected), that only the correct textures will load every time
-Corrects the tail number on the starboard-side of "Little Beast II" (doh!)
-Corrects a few items in the aft-most cockpit of "FF-197"

I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience!

[TuFun]

This is a must have... I'm blown away John with this level of detail and I love detail! That's the kind of detail I would love to do in repainting projects!!! -Ted

[Sundog]

I've tried re-downloading from my links. I just get a blank page.

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you for letting us know of this Sundog! As I've mentioned to you via PM just now too, whatever the problem may be will get sorted as soon as possible.

[PRB]

The "attention to detail" poured into these packages is fantastic. I have the WBS P-51B/C and the D "then and now" package. The B/C is still my favorite. While I'm more a P-38 guy than Mustang, this whole series is so good you can't help buying them! :icon_lol: This plane has a proud history, probably represents the pinnacle of US WW-II fighter design, and as such is an important topic for history, the "not another P-51" crowd notwidthstanding, hehe. John and WBS have certainly done it right. :salute:

I'm hoping John finds "enlightenment" and turns his passion to the Lockheed twin in the near future... :)

[ColoKent]

....would love to see an F-82E and G.

The quality of John's work is fantastic! Wow...

Kent

[Sundog]

The only real problems I have with John's Mustangs is figuring out which one to fly next. ;)
There are so many great choices!

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you Paul and Ted, Rick, Ferry, Huub, Zsolt, Rob, Pete, Daveroo, Kent, and everyone else who have left compliments and feedback on the work! It really means a lot!

[Bomber_12th]

At the "Minnesota Office", this photo hangs proudly on the wall, and when we were ever going to be doing an F-51 project, I knew it had to be included. Through the help of Martin Kyburz (Swiss Mustangs) and an article by Scott Bloom, I was also able to have two more photos of this exact same aircraft, taken from other angles, so that I could get both sides looking correct. Following Guard duty, the aircraft would be sold to Trans Florida Aviation and became the second prototype Cavalier F-51D, registered N5421V. Later this was changed to N551D, and the aircraft was unfortunately destroyed in a crash at Lincoln, Virginia on April 17, 1966 (the registration, N551D, was later applied to a CAC manufactured Mustang, currently owned by Jack Erickson, on display at Tillamook).

For those familiar with Mustang markings/details, note the re-positioned grounding jack for the fuselage fuel tank (black circle with the words "Ground Here").

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8561230968_332b536a5d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561230968/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8561241896_37cc386b81_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561241896/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8560135059_7a38bae258_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8560135059/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8561247820_1ef9d24709_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561247820/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8561247804_8c96f0b7ca_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561247804/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8561247760_9ceaffb03f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561247760/)

[Bomber_12th]

i see what you mean john,and looking at the photo on page 48,compaired to pg47...if you look where the yellow stripe is on the drawing/painting on pages 42/43..it looks like its there on #18 on pg 47...is this a differant plane?..or is that maybe a shadow im seeing?.just forward of the tailwheel..narrow dark line on the fusalage..im NOT arguing here...im asking...lol....and as to the "many differant planes"...id forgotten that part of the story...i read so many magazines and books every month i tend to get confused..

Hi Dave,

I've finally gotten around to collecting the various photos, and here is the 'Tale of the #18's'...

When I was looking into the various available photos of the aircraft that is attributed to being assigned to Col. Dean Hess, that being ROKAF #18, with the Korean characters forming the phrase "By Faith I Fly!" scribed on both sides of the nose, I noticed that the markings between one, and the markings between another, weren't alike, but that I could find several photos of one, and several more photos of another (including video), and so I decided to go with the one I had more photos (and video) of.

I couldn't find any information about whether or not the aircraft were one in the same, and if it was just photographed at different times in its service life, or not. From what I've seen, I'm led to believe that that is the case. Early on, the aircraft has the yellow stripe around the aft fuselage and appears to be bare metal (though dull), with the USAF stars & bars still present, having just been painted over with the ROK insignia. Take note of the specific style of the K on the tail, the #18 on the side of the fuselage, the insignias, and the characters on the nose. The yellow band can just barely be seen just aft of the rear fuselage/tail joint.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8561362778_5d6e376544_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561362778/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8561362744_267860be44_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561362744/)


Now here is the version of the aircraft that I chose to duplicate. It appears that later on, the aircraft was painted over-all silver (as all of the ROKAF Mustangs were eventually). When this was done, all of the markings (nose characters, number, insignias, and tail 'K') were repainted (which could also explain why when after the aircraft was painted silver, the person in charge of applying the insignias got it wrong in a few different ways). Unlike the earlier markings, the later silver-painted ROK Mustangs didn't have the yellow bands. The 'K', the '18', and the insignias are very different than before.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8561362688_63f8d6da2f_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561362688/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8560255633_c50f1d536e_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8560255633/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8561362610_06c168fb7a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561362610/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8560255549_6fca107493_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8560255549/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8560328189_f5a19838a6_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8560328189/)


To complicate matters, Hal Wilson, who was Dean Hess' exec, also supposedly had a #18 as well (which Wilson would joke about with Hess, that his #18 flew better than Hess'). Hal Wilson's had the phrase "Last Chance!" scribed on each side of the fuselage, as shown in the below photos (note that this aircraft doesn't have the characters on the nose like Dean Hess' aircraft, and had a black band around the spinner):

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8561362554_f8112ec39a_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8561362554/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8521/8560255475_a092b07922.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8560255475/)

[Bomber_12th]

Speaking of ROK Mustangs, this is one of my favorite Korean War era color photos. The photo shows the ROKAF Mustangs (in late markings) when they were stationed at K-18. Some had the 'K' and the numbers painted in the same blue as the insignia, while on others, like Col. Dean Hess' aircraft, these were painted black.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8561502680_2d898a7b38_b.jpg

[Daveroo]

thanks for the reply and explanation on the Hess aircraft John,goes to show why you are one of the best at what you do.deep and thought out research...well done mate!...

[Bomber_12th]

For those who have purchased the aircraft before the update was made:

If anyone has any problem getting access to their download links again, and/or just wants the updates without having to re-download the full set of files again (as it is quite big), just shoot me a quick PM or a quick message to my e-mail at johnterrell87 @ comcast.net (no spaces) or an e-mail to Wabirdsim Support.

For those who purchase the product from here on out, since the time the updates went into affect, the update is already included in the files.

[MenendezDiego]

Congrats on the release. Big fan of your work!

DM

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you Diego! And thanks again Dave! I appreciate it, both of you!

I've been thinking we need to get some F-51D's together with some F-86's, L-19's, Skyraiders, LT-6 Mosquitos, B-29's, A-26's, F-84's, and T-28's (will really be slick too when A2A releases their P-51H/F-51H). Anyone know of any Korean War sceneries that work in FSX? I hope it's not lost on the minds of many, but this year marks the 60th Anniversay since the end of the Korean War.

Again, if anyone has any questions or needs any help, please don't hesitate to contact Warbirdsim support or me directly.

[MenendezDiego]

Thank you Diego! And thanks again Dave! I appreciate it, both of you!

I've been thinking we need to get some F-51D's together with some F-86's, L-19's, Sky Raiders, LT-6 Mosquitos, B-29's, A-26's, F-84's, and T-28's (will really be slick too when A2A releases their P-51H/F-51H). Anyone know of any Korean War sceneries that work in FSX? I hope it's not lost on the minds of many, but this year marks the 60th Anniversay since the end of the Korean War.

Again, if anyone has any questions or needs any help, please don't hesitate to contact Warbirdsim support or me directly.

Sounds like a plan. Let me know when and where. I'm sure I can scrounge up some F-86 testers/devs to also take part.

DM

[Bomber_12th]

Will do Diego! I've been meaning to get back into multiplayer flying for quite some time. One of the great things, as I started writing those aircraft out, is that most of them are already available as FSX native aircraft, or are in the works right now for FSX (like Ant's superb T-28). I don't know if we'll ever see a Yak-9, which was the F-51D's main adversary during the Korean War.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8561749214_fb77d343cf_h.jpg

[jankees]

I notice quite a few of thos ANG aircraft have the tailwheel extended during flight. Was this standard practice, to block the tailwheel, and why?

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Jankees,

As of January 1953 and beyond, it did become an order for all USAF F-51D's that were in operation at the time that the tail wheels be locked down.

This is all that the technical order says for the F-51D in particular, as to the purpose behind the modification:

"Failure of the tail gear to extend to the "Down and Locked" position results in extensive damage to the aircraft during landing."

http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/sig/TO/01-60JE-51.pdf


Some have attributed this to the P-51H's tail gear, which was noted to have had problems, and possibly all "F-51s" across the board were subject to the modification simply because of the P-51H (I don't know). There was a time period a couple of years ago when the Collings Foundation were having some troubles with the tail gear on their TP-51C, and just had it locked down for a while, while on tour, until some detailed work could be done on it to fix the problem and make sure it was safe to go again.

The P-51D on display at the USAF Museum is actually the last F-51D to be retired from the USAF (1957), and was, for a long time, missing tail wheel doors, as they were removed when the tail wheel was locked down following the 1953 T.O. The cockpit on that aircraft was a big help to authentically reproduce the post-1950 black-painted cockpits seen on "Little Lynn" and the "ROKAF/Dean Hess" models.

[Bone]

PM sent. I just need the update files, not the whole bananna. Thanks!

[Bone]

I have a request, if it's not too much to ask. The gunsight on some of these models has a really dark texture on the aft plate of glass. I'm sure that's technically correct, however, it does reduce forward visibility as far as the sim is concerned. Call it a sim'ism, that doesn't make the best transition from real world to sim world (at least for me). Would it be possible for you to make an alternate texture for the gunsight's aft plate, one that matches the forward glass plate?

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Bone,

That would be the sun shield, of the type seen on the K-14B. If you click on the arm that extends out to the left, as shown below, it slides the sun shield down so that it is out of the way. I've seen on the few warbirds that have the sun shield fitted today, that they often fly with the sun shield up (though perhaps just to show off that it has it).

I'll get a picture or two up of the real thing - it really is just a very dark, feature-less slab of black glass.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8561759919_3ba5aa4c4a_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8561759679_e7e701c9ed_h.jpg

[Bone]

OK, that works so much better! That's probably one of the finer points in the manual, in which case I totally missed it. Also, thanks for the link to the update files.

[skyhawka4m]

Enjoying the new airfield, EGBG, from Aviasim at Simarket.


83015

[Barnes]

I have to be honest. I was trying to resist getting this pack but knowing how good the warbirdsim products are i gave in and glad i did!

Great work as always Bomber and worth it just for the great manual.

[skyhawka4m]

83016

[Bomber_12th]

Bone, I'm glad it's good to go for you. I should have made it an item that was illustrated visually within the manual, rather than just a brief mention in the K-14 paragraph.

Thank you Barnes, we appreciate it! One of our goals for this project was to make it more of an 'experience' than we've done in the past, so that there is more to it than just having the aircraft alone.

And John, those are some awesome screenshots! I'll have some information posted tonight about that original aircraft.

[JensOle]

How is it with the paintkit John? Im researching some north dakoto ANG 178th FS mustangs.

[Bomber_12th]

Hi JensOle,

The paintkit is available, which we're handling through Warbirdsim support (just send a quick e-mail with the request and your purchase/order number to the Warbirdsim support e-mail). It's setup differently to those I've made in the past, to both be smaller and easier to manage, but at the same time still provides support for all of the different key variants. Included are .PSD and .PSP files, both with layers that are separated into folders. The repaint that I showed earlier in this thread, was just compiled together within an hour, using the paintkit.

For those that have the paintkit, be sure to read through the guide that is included. The rivets are handled quite a bit differently than in the past, and it's good to know how to use masks.

[Sundog]

Oh yeah, make sure Jens gets that paint kit pronto, I need some more ANG Mustangs! ;)

BTW, thanks for the update link John. :)

[JensOle]

:-) As an Norwegian I'll start with Mustangs from the "Norwegian states" in the upper midwest (we already have Minnesota in the pack!). Just need to finish my Hungarian Mig-21 paints and the UAE PC-21. I have had a good flow with releasing old work which have been collecting dust in the last week and hopefully I'll get the Mig and PC work out tomorrow... The problem is not making the paints, but to have the motivation do to all the support files..

The post war service of the Mustang sure makes for some very interesting paint scheme.

John, can you help me with confirming it was red which was the color the 178th FS (N-D) used on the nose and leading edge on the tail?

[Bomber_12th]

I'm very excited about those, JensOle! Yes, the nose and tail color on the North Dakota ANG (178th FS, aka the "Happy Hooligans") Mustangs was red.

[skyhawka4m]

I call the KY ANG paint!!!! Also will be doing a PA and NJ ANG versions.

[Bomber_12th]

JensOle, and other repainters, here's a nice study of some of the 1950's era stencils that were common on F-51D's operating during that time. In this particular case, the Mustang happens to be a North Dakota ANG example.

Note that around the fuel cap/fuselage tank ground jack, there are all of the following stencils:

"SERVICE THIS AIRCRAFT
WITH GRADE 100/130 FUEL."

"SUITABLE FOR AROMATIC FUELS."

"RESTRICT TANK
TO 65 GALS."

"BATTERY LOCATION
UNDER COWLING
FWD. OF OIL TANK."

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6636537475_32b54bb76c_b.jpg


And another one, this being from Korea, with similar stencils applied around the region of the fuselage filler cap. This is much the same as on "Little Beast II", included. The vast quantity of "NO STEP" and "NO PUSH" stencils were also a post-WWII USAF addition.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8564709289_d87572b98f_b.jpg

[robcap]

I got it.
Fantastic. Have to go to work soon,will pick up some more flights later. I tried to make a carrier landing, but failed to trap. Could fly on though, luckily there was an empty deck:kilroy:
Lot's more to explore.

I tried the Little Lynn flight, and I noticed a problem with the throttle cable (animation issue) maybe you can look into it.

Will be home later this week, and I will hop into that pit for sure, with the printed manual on my lap.

Cheers, Rob

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you Rob!

Regarding the throttle cable (and antenna wires), make sure that 'Advanced Animations' is checked, under the Global Options within the FSX Settings-Display menu (yet another item I left out of the user guide by mistake!).

[JensOle]

John,

That 178th picture popped up together with a few more hi res pics NDAK mustangs on "http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com" when I started to research. They have a nice collection of post war mustang pictures.

[noddy]

Well I was thinking no more Mustangs for me and you go and produce these superb ponies.

You have raised the bar yet again.

[Bomber_12th]

JensOle, those are some excellent resources! I used quite a number of them throughout development of this project.

And thank you Noddy!

[Bomber_12th]

I took "N74190" out for an evening flight tonight, and here are some of the shots I liked most:


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8567535566_0b706fca0f_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8525/8567535210_0a5ad9f7a1_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8567534882_1397d47f6a_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8238/8567534598_768d33ea97_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8567534270_51c977dabc_h.jpg


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8566436059_a9fa21573c_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8567533910_982aacea10_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8567533722_e1665e8be5_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8566435533_663477f534_h.jpg


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8567533380_db0ad43cc5_h.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

An amazing fact about the aircraft above, and the others included that have those largest of external tanks, is that with all of the fuel combined (externals, wing tanks, fuselage tank), the total capacity is 599 gallons! So even if you are burning 65 gallons per hour (normal cruise operation (even less when you get down to economy cruise)), that means you can stay in the air, theoretically, for more than 9 hours! You can do a pretty good job of flying just about to anywhere you want, not worrying about a fuel stop - of course getting off the ground will require a bit more runway.

[MenendezDiego]

Alright,

Those shots have sealed the deal. I haven't bought an addon aircraft in a long time.

As soon as I'm able to, I'll be picking up a copy. Wow!

[Bone]

He's got the wing man stare...


http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/BonesFlightBag/wing3.jpg

[Fireball6]

Alright,

Those shots have sealed the deal.

Same for me - could'nt resist and purchased this morning - still waiting for a download-link-email. It is so hard to wait for all the beauty's. As always said - fantastic work John !!!

[Bone]

Same for me - could'nt resist and purchased this morning - still waiting for a download-link-email. It is so hard to wait for all the beauty's. As always said - fantastic work John !!!

You've probably already checked your junk mail folder, but if you haven't, give it a look. That's where my link ended up.

[Bomber_12th]

Hi all,

When a purchase is made, a download link is automatically sent immediately at the time of the purchase being completed, so you should expect to find the e-mail with the download link right after you have made the purchase. Sometimes, depending on e-mail accounts/settings, the e-mail will either be forced to the spam folder or blocked altogether. If you don't find the e-mail to download the files within a few minutes after purchase, in either your inbox or spam folder, please let Warbirdsim support know, and it will get sorted ASAP. support@warbirdsim.com

For all of those who purchased the product before the update was released on Friday, you should have received an e-mail today with a new link for the complete updated file set. For those who purchased after the update was made, there wasn't a need for this, so you wouldn't have received the e-mail.

Thank you all again so much for your support!

[Bomber_12th]

Over the weekend I put together another repaint, to join the Minnesota ANG example (which has a very similar lightning bolt design).

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8516/8570890296_9d4060c53c_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8570890040_89732c3998_h.jpg

[skyhawka4m]

I will be doing both of these aircraft...

83214

[skyhawka4m]

John........any chance you could do the this Minn. ANG bird...looks like the same lightning bolt treatment?

83215

[Mach3DS]

John, I love it! Especially the white wing tips! I very much like these post war Early-USAF/ANG schemes where it was almost like they were trying to find "where they belonged" between the flashy schemes of WWII, and the post war era. Honestly, in some cases, they chose even more flashy! :)

[Odie]

Hi all,

When a purchase is made, a download link is automatically sent immediately at the time of the purchase being completed, so you should expect to find the e-mail with the download link right after you have made the purchase. Sometimes, depending on e-mail accounts/settings, the e-mail will either be forced to the spam folder or blocked altogether. If you don't find the e-mail to download the files within a few minutes after purchase, in either your inbox or spam folder, please let Warbirdsim support know, and it will get sorted ASAP. support@warbirdsim.com

For all of those who purchased the product before the update was released on Friday, you should have received an e-mail today with a new link for the complete updated file set. For those who purchased after the update was made, there wasn't a need for this, so you wouldn't have received the e-mail.

Thank you all again so much for your support!

John, bought it this evening and got the download email links about 10 seconds later....looking forward to taking the Mustang to sea!

[Fireball6]

Got mine ! Holy Ghost - what a package - i have only two attributes for it, "BREATHTAKING" and "A CLASS OF ITS OWN". Thanks to all involved Team-members and specialy to you John for creating such wonderfull aircrafts.

Kindest regards

Dirk

[Bomber_12th]

I can't fully express how great that is to hear! Thank you Dirk, and Odie! Speaking for both Albert and I, we appreciate the support tremendously, and only hope for the best experience all-around.

Rick, thank you for the kind remarks regarding the repaint! Photos of South Dakota ANG Mustangs seem to be quite hard to find - in the case of the one I've depicted, it was through finding a very rare high-quality photo showing the left profile of this aircraft. Being in black & white, I could only notice that the wing tip appeared lighter than the bare metal, and I've interpreted that as being white (matching the outline of lightning bolt (which I've also figured to be white, because of how much lighter it is against everything else)). As things are and were with ANG markings, there are certain regulations/specifications as to what the markings should resemble and where they are to be located, so you do see the 'lighting bolt' show up on several different ANG Squadrons, and painted wing tips.

John, I'm really looking forward to the Kentucky ANG repaint when you've got the time to produce it (I'm saving it for you)! : )
I have seen that version of a MN ANG scheme, as well as a few others, and it would be fun to work on reproducing those as well. There was quite a progression in ANG schemes, throughout many states, from 1946 to the 1950's, starting with schemes that were really quite dull and becoming more flashy over time. In the photos below, these just show the earliest of ANG schemes on some Minnesota ANG and Michigan ANG Mustangs.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8571135855_44dc37fe70_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8571135855/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8572230330_9634b85b4d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8572230330/)

[Bomber_12th]

In 1950, with the outbreak of the Korean War, a large number of Mustangs that had been in storage got the call-up to active duty. All of the aircraft pulled from storage came from Kelly Field in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><u1:STATE u2:st="on"><u1:PLACE u2:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:State></u1:PLACE></u1:STATE>, where they had been in outdoor storage in the years following the end of WWII. All of these aircraft pulled from storage had been built too late to see combat, and having been in storage for 2-5 years, each only had an average of about 100 hours on the clock. Four separate companies were contracted to take on the massive task of overhauling all of these aircraft, making them like new again. These companies were; Grand Central Aircraft Co. and Pacific Airmotive Corp., located in <u1:STATE u2:st="on">California</u1:STATE>, Temco in <u1:CITY u2:st="on">Dallas</u1:CITY>, <u1:STATE u2:st="on">TX</u1:STATE>, and Lockheed Aircraft Service in Sayville, <u1:PLACE u2:st="on"><u1:CITY u2:st="on">Long Island</u1:CITY>, <u1:STATE u2:st="on">NY</u1:STATE></u1:PLACE>. From Kelley Field, they were trucked to the Temco and Lockheed plants, but they were flown out to the Grand Central and Pacific Airmotive plants, having just had the systems checked over and a new battery installed. Once at the overhaul facilities, the aircraft were run through a remanufacturing process. The aircraft were taken apart down to their center spars, and then put all back together again, going back onto the flight line as good as new. When this process took place, the aircraft would receive new USAF markings and stencils, and all of the Technical Orders that had been issued prior to the overhaul were addressed. In some cases, the cockpits were also painted over-all black at this time.

It's difficult to find any photos that were taken during that time, either at the overhaul facilities or especially at Kelly Field. However, this great photo below was taken at Grand Central Aircraft Co. (Grand Central Aiport), showing the ramp of Mustangs having arrived from Kelly Field and in the process of being stripped down before entering the remanufacturing-line inside. These aircraft would exit back out onto the ramp looking brand new. One of the facts perhaps lost to time, is what type of preservative was used on the airframes while in storage at Kelly, which can be seen in this and the other few rare photos of these aircraft having arrived fresh from storage. It appears they may have used chromate zinc (with some darker than others, through different batches of primer). A few of the Mustangs can be seen stripped bare of the preservative coating, getting nearer to entering the facility and their full tear-down. Note too, that each Mustang fresh from Kelly Field also had a number quickly scribed on the tail. In the background are some B-25's which were also being remanufactured for the USAF (which would produce the post-WWII modifications that have to be removed these days in order to restore many a surviving B-25 back to WWII stock condition).

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8572130404_f15ec9a45a_h.jpg

[ZsoltB]

The USS CV-38 Shangri-La operates AICarriers?

I need ANG painting guides
Can anyone help?

[Mach3DS]

@zsoltquack,

I haven't used it with AIcarriers, but I have used it with TacPack AI Carriers module and it works great.

[Mach3DS]

to the talented repainters out there. There is only one photo I can find, and I can't reference it here as it's copyrighted, but there is a Nevada ANG F-51 with Blue/White Checkered Tail/Nose rim/cone and Checkered Landing gear doors. John, not sure if you've seen or have the picture I'm thinking of...I'll attempt to find another picture of it.


EDIT: Found one!
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Airframe/Gallery/0/16/0000016138.jpg

[ZsoltB]

@zsoltquack,

I haven't used it with AIcarriers, but I have used it with TacPack AI Carriers module and it works great.

Unfortunately, I do not know TacPack AI Carriers

[Bomber_12th]

Zsolt, I have yet to try AICarriers with the Shangri-La, but it should work just as well as any other carrier model. By default, when you install "Mustang Tales", the carrier will be found sailing in Chesapeake bay (north of Norfolk NS), every day, as the included map and schedule shows.

Regarding guides for ANG paint schemes, I'm not aware of any specific guide, as it would have to be very extensive - as there was so much variation between ANG squadrons, between different years of operation and where the aircraft came from, which stencils were present (or not present), etc., it greatly depends on a specific aircraft and moment in time. The best way to recreate one of these aircraft is finding a quality photo of a specific example that will give you enough to go by to reproduce it (markings and tail number, and general idea regarding stencils). There are many photos of ANG Mustangs that you'll be able to find in these following links (as well as Korean War examples (and other post-WWII involvement)):

http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/category/f-51-mustang/

http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/category/f-51-mustang/page/2/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34076827@N00/sets/72157623974114619/

This one is worth searching through: http://warbird-central.com/ with results such as: http://warbird-central.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/44-72969.jpg

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1610&bih=874&q=air+national+guard+P-51&oq=air+national+guard+P-51&gs_l=img.3...1125.4562.0.4703.23.21.0.2.0.0.141.18 31.18j3.21.0...0.0...1ac.1.6.img.2NmzvKLdtvw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81918828@N00/2223393849/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photohound/201805597/sizes/l/

Not ANG, but here are some additional Korean War F-51 photos:
http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=joe+scherschel+korea+source%3Alife&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&biw=1610&bih=874&sei=9ZNIUf6OK-TF0gH6jICQDQ&tbm=isch (http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=joe+scherschel+korea+source%3Alife&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&biw=1610&bih=874&sei=9ZNIUf6OK-TF0gH6jICQDQ&tbm=isch)

http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=joe+scherschel+korea+source%3Alife&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&biw=1610&bih=874&sei=9ZNIUf6OK-TF0gH6jICQDQ&tbm=isch#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Tactical+Air+Power+source:life&oq=Tactical+Air+Power+source:life&gs_l=img.12...3156.4750.0.9875.2.2.0.0.0.0.78.140. 2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.6.img.QRhiI0u2eIc&bav=on.2,or.&fp=b3f514b1ffad0deb&biw=1610&bih=874


How about the 167th Fighter Squadron West Virginia Air National Guard? They adopted the 352nd FG's blue nose scheme in the late 40's.
http://atterburybakalarairmuseum.org/P51_167_Fighter_Sq.jpg
http://www.ww2color.com/nennius/webapps/slides/slides.php?action=update&primary_key=06674
http://www.ww2color.com/search/webapps/slides/slides.php?action=update&primary_key=06673

(http://www.ww2color.com/search/webapps/slides/slides.php?action=update&primary_key=06673)http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn91/bomarc_99/P-51%20SIG/P-51%20Misc/CoonskinBoysCover.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

I've always liked that scheme, Rick! Definitely worth doing.

The Nevada ANG Mustangs were actually quite drab, and bare of markings, though later on they had a blue scallop on the front of the cowlings and blue wing and tail tips. If anyone is serious about doing a few Nevada ANG schemes, I have some more photos that I can scan and send to you.

These two are the most colorful to have come from the Nevada ANG. This first one was the commander's aircraft (the others didn't have the yellow stripes/accents).

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8112/8572575642_1c839d1269_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8572575642/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8571480739_8e01750246_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8571480739/)


This aircraft was a target tug, and thus had orange paint applied to the nose, rudder, and wing tips.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8571494517_dea972cfcf_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8571494517/)

[Fireball6]

Unbelievable reality ...... :mixedsmi:

[JensOle]

Wow! Great shot!

[JensOle]

John,

Another question (if you dont mind!); which model would you recommend for an ANG bird from 1950 with rocket pylons and retractable tail wheel?
http://jetpilotoverseas.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/df-sd-07-260561.jpeg?w=2000&h=

Currently I have been using the RCAF model (to have the 110 tanks).

[Bomber_12th]

JensOle, the RCAF model would work great with that one (same radio setup, props, rocket stubs, Inglewood-produced D-30 details, etc.). What you see through the canopy aft of the armer plate on 44-74814 is a storage bag with shelf that could be added/removed (and typically was removed).

Applying the scheme to the RCAF model, you could carry over the texture that contains the panel (P-51D_INT_1_T.dds) from another example like FF-197, so that it doesn't have the RCAF personalized panel. For the fuselage, you'll want to use the files within the folder "Fuselage Templates 2", and 'activate' the RCAF cooling gills layer. Coincidentally, of all of the different cooling gill configurations, the RCAF model matches the same cooling gill configuration as on 44-84933 seen second from the camera (which would likely be the same on 44-74814 as well).

I love the screenshot, Dirk!

[JensOle]

F-51D Mustang from the “Happy Hooligans” of the North Dakota Air National Guard, 1950.

It is very much an early WIP to learn the paintkit.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot281.jpg:original

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot282.jpg:original


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot284.jpg:original

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot289.jpg:original

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot291.jpg:original

[mohawk3]

First I have to say thank you, John Terrell, for this wonderful package!! I love the Mustang in the post war colours and especially the NACA version, now in its original version. Flying them a lot these days...I've some observations :first, speaking about the NACA 127, the canopy is behaving somehow strange, I mean that using the internal lever I can open it partly in the internal view (VC) but in the exterior view it remains fully closed. After that, using the 'shift+E' combination the canopy opens or closes in the external view but does not move at all in the VC view. The other problem is related to the starting sequence: the engine starts if the starter is energised even if the battery switch is in the OFF position. More the magneto and starter are somehow connected even they are totally separated switches.I mean, if I push the starter switch the magneto selector moves in the 'both' position and if I move the magneto selector to both in 90% of cases the starter engages by himself.This result in a somehow unrealistic engine starting procedure. I checked with some other add-ons and it does not seem to be a general bug in my FSX set up, but who knows?? I decided to ask ...this is the first step finding the truth :)
Thank you

[Bomber_12th]

It's looking great, JensOle! The design of the markings on those aircraft looked quite progressive/modern. It's nice to see the midwest ANG squadrons starting to come together.

Just a few things (most of which is purely my fault, for missing when packaging the paint kit together and writing the included guide):

- Make sure that the 'RCAF Parts' layer in the wings textures is intact, as included stock with the paintkit, as the fuel caps and fuel lines aren't picking up their correct textures from that layer.

- This is a real nitpick (and doesn't have to matter to anyone), but I thought I would mention that the aircraft being an Inglewood produced P-51D-30, it would have the power receptacle on the rear starboard wing fairing. On the Dallas produced D-25 and D-30, this was moved to the starboard fuselage, around the base of the insignia. The 'Fuselage Templates 1' folder is setup for the Dallas D-25/D-30, where as the 'Fuselage Templates 2' folder is setup for the Inglewood D-30. The stencils are a little different because of this as well, with the different positons of that panel. (The RCAF cooling gills layer is also contained within the 'Fuselage Tamples 2' folder.)

- The 'star & bars' on the fuselage - the one in use on the starboard side should be taken and used on the port side as well, replacing the one that is there currently (which is different). This is a mistake with the "Little Beast" paint layer that was included in the paintkit.

[DaveQ]

@zsoltquack,

I haven't used it with AIcarriers, but I have used it with TacPack AI Carriers module and it works great.

I've used AICarriers to make a task force with Shangri-La and it works fine.

DaveQ

[JensOle]

Excactly the kind of detail feedback which helps making the paint as good as possible, thank you John! I started out with the folder 1 kit as it said for "ANG repaints", consider it just a start to check out the model and the paintkit.
A bit of a pain to move over the decals to all of the different textures though...

[Bomber_12th]

First I have to say thank you, John Terrell, for this wonderful package!! I love the Mustang in the post war colours and especially the NACA version, now in its original version. Flying them a lot these days...I've some observations :first, speaking about the NACA 127, the canopy is behaving somehow strange, I mean that using the internal lever I can open it partly in the internal view (VC) but in the exterior view it remains fully closed. After that, using the 'shift+E' combination the canopy opens or closes in the external view but does not move at all in the VC view. The other problem is related to the starting sequence: the engine starts if the starter is energised even if the battery switch is in the OFF position. More the magneto and starter are somehow connected even they are totally separated switches.I mean, if I push the starter switch the magneto selector moves in the 'both' position and if I move the magneto selector to both in 90% of cases the starter engages by himself.This result in a somehow unrealistic engine starting procedure. I checked with some other add-ons and it does not seem to be a general bug in my FSX set up, but who knows?? I decided to ask ...this is the first step finding the truth :)
Thank you

Mohawk,

Thank you for the feedback! That item regarding the canopy from the VC of the NACA model (having just confirmed myself) is a left over from a different canopy operation code that I had been testing late in the project (bad, bad thing to do), to be able to open the canopy by manually cranking the canopy lever. I ended up sticking with the normal setup in the end. That snuck through, however, and it will be fixed.

Regarding the other items, the mag and starter switch use the default FSX code, and despite those side-effects, I've never been prompted to change it at all, though I will see about what might work better.

[ZsoltB]

I've used AICarriers to make a task force with Shangri-La and it works fine.

DaveQ

Please send me the aicarriers.cfg values

Thank you!

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img825/7366/vglap01ry.jpg

[mohawk3]

Thank you for the quick answer John, I have to say that I liked the way that canopy opened that way ( in the NACA version) as I considered it very realistic, only to find later that something was not OK.I understand also that this would require more work from your side but anyway this could represent a nice feature. :salute:

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img26/4715/58322381.jpg

[noddy]

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/noddy1966/lb.jpg

[Fireball6]

Zsolt, your paints looking very nice - will add them to the fleet .....:jump:

Dirk

[DaveQ]

http://imageshack.us/a/img825/7366/vglap01ry.jpg

Absolutely brilliant Zsoltquack!!

Btw PM with aicarriers file sent

DaveQ

[DaveQ]

From another thread, I picked up Collin Glendinning and Lazarus's HMS Ocean Korean War package. It's very good and ideal for some fictional paints still being worked on. Here's an 800 Sqdn Sea Mustang (I reckon that's what the Royal Navy would call it) recovering to HMS Ocean during the Korean War.

83265

Will publish this week time permitting.

DaveQ

[Fireball6]

Someone make a photo, long time ago ....... "Coming in ... "

[JensOle]

Looks good Zsolt! The Day Glo patches certainly makes that scheme stand out. Alaska bird?

[JensOle]

John,

Most of your remarks should have been taken care of, do you see any mistakes still present?

BTW, do any of you guys have any recommandation for 1950's USAF continental bases to fly the ANG Mustangs from?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot313.jpg:original

[Bone]

Very pretty. Any chance of doing a California ANG paint?
John,

Most of your remarks should have been taken care of, do you see any mistakes still present?

BTW, do any of you guys have any recommandation for 1950's USAF continental bases to fly the ANG Mustangs from?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/Scrshot313.jpg:original

[Bomber_12th]

It looks superb, JensOle! I'm really looking forward to it!

[Bomber_12th]

Zsolt, the repaint of Val-Halla looks great! For those interested to know, the type of red paint used in the markings on Val-Halla and other similar schemes is Artic Red (FS 11105), used for high visibility: http://www.tauromodel.it/immagini/accessori/431.jpg

The same paint could also be seen applied to the tails of other aircraft like B-29's (Kee Bird for instance), that operated routinely around the artic circle. It appears that it would have been a paint that would have faded quite a bit over time, with less saturation than when freshly applied. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kee_Bird_flying_in_formation.png

[Bomber_12th]

BTW, do any of you guys have any recommandation for 1950's USAF continental bases to fly the ANG Mustangs from?

For maybe one of them, when you load the flight for the Minnesota ANG Mustang included, it is actually parked in front of the current Minnesota ANG hangars at Minneapolis International (as included in the detailed default FSX Minneapolis scenery (across from this location, you can also see the Air Force Reserve hangars)). It is where the aircraft was based in the late 40's and 50's, then only known as Wold-Chamberlain Field (and one of the locations in the Minnesota Twin Cities area where George Bush Sr. received his early Navy training). When you fly the route plan that is charted in that flight, it takes you to nearby Holman Field in St. Paul, where the Minnesota ANG Mustangs were also based for a short time, early on (this was also a big B-24 modification center during WWII), and then onto Volk Field, Wisconsin, where the aircraft would gather for a camp during the summer. The 'presentation' drop tanks on the Minnesota ANG Mustang (the way they are painted) are particularly specific to an event/camp that was held at Volk Field from 18 August - 1 September 1956, that was called the "Last Mustang Roundup", having been right on the verge of the Mustang's final retirement from the USAF and the last Mustang camp held at Volk.

[ZsoltB]

Thank you John,

http://imageshack.us/a/img855/2940/24747181.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/583/68006776.jpg

[JensOle]

Interesting, I'll check it it out. Is Volk Field the same as "Camp Williams" as seen on the caption on several of the ndak pictures?

[JensOle]

Zsolt, you might want to take a look at the shape of the "5's" in FF-525

[Bomber_12th]

Beautiful work, Zsolt!

JensOle, that is correct! Camp Williams and Volk Field are one in the same. If I recall correctly, the Squadrons from South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin would gather there for a camp during the summer each year (though I don't know how many of these were held in all). The North Dakota Mustangs came from Hector Field, Fargo (now known as Hector International), and the South Dakota Mustangs were stationed at Sioux Falls, South Dakota and for a time at Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City.

(Besides the 109th FS based in Minneapolis, there was also the 179th FS based in Duluth (today Duluth International), which had Mustangs in different markings to those of the 109th, and you'll very likely see a repaint of one of those soon.)

Annual camps were held elsewhere as well, where several state's ANG Squadrons gathered together. One of these was held at Santa Rosa, California, each year, which gathered together Mustangs from the California ANG, Utah ANG, and Nevada ANG.

It's somewhat interesting to note, that some Mustangs from different ANG Squadrons were sent to units in Korea when war broke out, with, for instance, the South African Air Force operating some of these same Mutangs that had been in operation with ANG units in the late 40's.

[jetstreamsky]

From another thread, I picked up Collin Glendinning and Lazarus's HMS Ocean Korean War package. It's very good and ideal for some fictional paints still being worked on. Here's an 800 Sqdn Sea Mustang (I reckon that's what the Royal Navy would call it) recovering to HMS Ocean during the Korean War.

83265

Will publish this week time permitting.

DaveQ

That just looks right :salute:

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img96/5369/40666264.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Some more time with "Geraldine", flying out of its home aiport in Kenosha, Wisconsin. If I can't have spring for real, at least I can have it in FSX. : )


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8575396173_66f44702a2_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8576492280_308db80f98_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8576492238_badc20fede_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8576492134_25333c0aa5_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8575395839_118e4280b8_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8576491982_78fa85813e_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8516/8575395755_aec3e56c3f_h.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Zsolt, that is a unique one to do! These days the abbreviation for the state of Washington is of course 'WA', though the Mustangs of the Washington ANG had the letters 'WN', as you have shown. I love the squadron emblem on the side!

[AussieMan]

Well I have just added to my extensive Warbirdsim Air Force. Needed very little convincing. All it needed was the correct numbers in my bank account. I have also requested the paint kit so hopefully I will have something to contribute to this wonderful aircraft. The only thing I would like to see is a photo-recon version with the triangular cut out in the fuselage behind the radio compartment.

[Mach3DS]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8575711087_05c4a6a0aa_h.jpg

[AussieMan]

Well I have installed these fine aircraft and did a quick walk around then took off for a quick flight. The one thing I have noticed that when you move the prop lever or use the F1 - F4 keys there is no animation on the propeller. On previous models the prop moved from a feathered position to a normal position. Is this deliberate of is it a Windows 8 thing?

[skyhawka4m]

Thank you John,

http://imageshack.us/a/img855/2940/24747181.jpg




Well........this saved me some work

[skyhawka4m]

Zsolt....take note of the color difference on the yellows on the nose and the stripe. Also....placement of the KY on the side of the fuselage, not eht eblack pin stripe looks to go through it or at least is broken by the Y of the KY. Also...the alrge ANG-803 on top and bottom of the wings. The black stripe border is also a bit thicker than shown.


83320

[ZsoltB]

Zsolt....take note of the color difference on the yellows on the nose and the stripe. Also....placement of the KY on the side of the fuselage, not eht eblack pin stripe looks to go through it or at least is broken by the Y of the KY. Also...the alrge ANG-803 on top and bottom of the wings. The black stripe border is also a bit thicker than shown.


83320

Yes,
But..This is the point when you do not have enough background description
A faded old photograph, a sticker sheet, etc....
Without them, it's hard to do the exact paint
I hope you understand

[skyhawka4m]

you did a great job....please don't get me wrong. Can't wait to have it on my Mustang.

[Bomber_12th]

Well I have installed these fine aircraft and did a quick walk around then took off for a quick flight. The one thing I have noticed that when you move the prop lever or use the F1 - F4 keys there is no animation on the propeller. On previous models the prop moved from a feathered position to a normal position. Is this deliberate of is it a Windows 8 thing?

Hi Pat,

No, there's no problem on your end. The rotating prop blades is how I had it at one time, as I noticed everyone else doing it and thought it would be the right thing to do (prop blades tied to the prop control lever animation). In the case of the Mustang (and other similar aircraft), the prop isn't directly mechanically linked to the prop/RPM control, and also requires hydraulic pressure (i.e. the engine must be running) in order for the prop blades to rotate/change angle. Because of this, I forget when exactly I made the change, but I removed the prop blade animation as a result, as you wouldn't see the prop blades change angle when the engine is off.

[AussieMan]

Thanks for the reply John. By the way, I know this is off topic but where are you up to with the P-39.

[JensOle]

John,

Another question, which font have you used on the placard for the type info?
Last texture to make before it is finished...

[Bomber_12th]

John,

Another question, which font have you used on the placard for the type info?
Last texture to make before it is finished...

For filling out the cockpit placards (the three along the sides of the cockpit, below the canopy rails) I use the font 'TW Cen MT', set at a size of 11 (and that is for all of them). This is a very close match to the look of the original stamps. On the metal placards (dark gray metal exposed areas) the data should have a beveled look, being hard-stamped into the metal, where as with the phenolic placards (those with white painted sections) they were just stamped with black ink on the surface.

For the radio call plate (instrument panel), I drew up all of the numbers myself so that they would be correct, and you can find those attached if you'd also like to use them.

[Bomber_12th]

Thanks for the reply John. By the way, I know this is off topic but where are you up to with the P-39.

Pat, that is now the main focus again. The current task has been detailing the wheel wells and continuing to work on the external textures. I'll likely start having updates again on that project around late April.

[noddy]

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7897/79312780.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/4/79312780.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[Bomber_12th]

Here's another Chinhae, Korea based example.

I've got 2-3 more repaints I want to finish, and then I'll upload all of them that I have put together.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8577933279_05bd49dd7e_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8579036684_6d2217fb87_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8577933049_19b05d2fe9_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8577932951_d077dbb0cb_h.jpg

[Mach3DS]

John, those images are incredible! I love these repaints. You've done a superb job!

[skyhawka4m]

As usual John....awesome work!!!

[AussieMan]

Pat, that is now the main focus again. The current task has been detailing the wheel wells and continuing to work on the external textures. I'll likely start having updates again on that project around late April.Great news John. Looking forward to the updates.

[ZsoltB]

Yeah!
Great!

[noddy]

John,

stunning images. Love to know what settings you for the sim?

[robcap]

Great news John. Looking forward to the updates.
Working on the P39 again, that IS great news, and a must buy after I got this fabulous package.
Fantastic! and sorry for not ****, because advanced animations did the trick on the throttle cable.

Cheers, off to fly her again ;-)

R.

[DaveQ]

Here's another Chinhae, Korea based example.

I've got 2-3 more repaints I want to finish, and then I'll upload all of them that I have put together.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8577933279_05bd49dd7e_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8579036684_6d2217fb87_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8237/8577933049_19b05d2fe9_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8577932951_d077dbb0cb_h.jpg

Fantastic work John. One I can take out the paint shop!

DaveQ

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img824/4364/87339305.jpg

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img255/7504/97525667.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

I love that repaint of FF-736, Zsolt! Here are some photos of some other Mustangs that were within the same Group (though unfortunately these photos were only taken after accidents had happened - I have more, from this same set, of South African Air Force Mustangs, if anyone is interested).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqVqEE8WZ9U-wIBPIgbuOWVw60_3_zpsa7043a49.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqNgsE7BNqcR7BPIg751qdg60_3_zps40eb8e17.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqJiE8nVcWCBPIg2L3WIQ60_3_zpsd2a65e13.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqFlsE8FszzOC9BPD5fUnVmw60_3_zps893fb1cf.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqFl8E8VlSE4cTBPIgh64VQ60_3_zpsc617a081.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqFgsE7l57fw0BPIf-8IQw60_3_zps16c6de06.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/KGrHqZo4E8VYGGIm5BPGPCSoH7Q60_3_zps8d6b66e2.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

I'm glad to hear of the interest in the repaint of 'FF-888', as the 39th FS Mustangs have always been amongst my favorites. There are quite a few color photos from the Squadron online, some of which can be seen here: http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/colour-shots-of-f-51s-in-korea-1950/

Looking at those again, I'll darken the blue a bit on my depiction of FF-888.

Regarding my settings, I use a 1920x1080 display, and filtering is on 'Trilinear', with the Nvidia 'AA_MODE_METHOD_SUPERVCAA_64X_4v12' setting for antialiasing. I use default FSX shaders (i.e., nothing changed there (no addon controlling that)), though I use REX sky and clouds (the daytime sky textures being set at 'Exact'). When cropping screenshots, I always try to keep them in their native resolution to try and preserve as much crispness/clarity as possible, so even though there is cropping, the screenshots aren't resized. Also, to ensure the darkest shadows and shading in the sim, I never take screenshots with visibility less than unlimited, and never have the clouds set at full overcast (which are both items which will start to make the shading and shadows fade).

[Bomber_12th]

I thought I would shed some light on this aircraft, as at least at one time, very little was known about it.

Following his service time with No. 133 Eagle Squadron and joining the 4th FG flying P-47 Thunderbolts in 1943, Don Gentile received a P-51B in February 1944, and by early April was the leading ace of the 8th AF. Unfortunately, while performing for the press and movie cameras, who had gathered to document his achievements on April 13, he got too low on one of his passes and ended up digging the aircraft into the ground. As a result of this, Don Blakeslee (the loved, and very respected leader of the 4th FG) grounded him, and he was sent back to the U.S. (but as I recall, his tour had already come to an end anyway, and he was already slated to go back home). In the U.S. he was put to work helping to promote the selling of war bonds and also served as a test pilot. In the summer of 1945, he was 'given' a very late model P-51D-30-NA (the second to the last off the Inglewood production line), to fly to some various events/air shows, as part of a war bond tour. This P-51D (for which I have copied in "Mustang Tales") was painted up sort of in 'Hollywood markings' that resembled, but were not true to, his P-51B that he had flown with the 4th FG.

One of the events that Maj. Gentile flew this aircraft and displayed this aircraft at, was the massive "Army Air Forces Fair", held at Wright Field from 13-21 October 1945. Over one million people, from 26 different countries, were reported to have attended - this after 500,000 people had attended in just the original first two days of the event (resulting in the event being extended for a week). This Fair was held to showcase the aircraft that took part in WWII, featuring many leading Allied aircraft at the time, and numerous captured Axis aircraft. Amongst the highlights you would have seen were formations and air show passes by Maj. Gentile flying a P-51 painted as "Shangri-La", Maj. Dick Bong flying a P-38 painted as "Marge", and Lt. Steve Pisanos flying a Bell P-59 jet.

Here is an except from just one of many news papers that covered the event, courtesy of Martin Kyburz (Swiss Mustangs), which also includes mention of the fatal XP-55 Ascender crash that occurred at the show:

"The event was a day-long open house and War Loan rally. According to newspaper reports, 100,000 or more people attended the Sunday event. They watched a C-46 Commando snag a glider and yank it into tow, and they were the first civilians to get a peek inside the B-29 Superfortress. Heavy bombers flew overhead, including the massive, one-of-a-kind Douglas XB-19. Legendary war aces Maj. Richard "Dick" Bong and Capt. Dominic "Don" Gentile flew fighter demonstrations — Bong in a P-38 Lightning and Gentile in a P-51 Mustang. Lt. Steve Pisanos flew a P-59 Airacomet, the Army's futuristic, jet-powered fighter.

At 4 p.m., several fighter pilots lined up for a flyby. According to an eyewitness account by Capt. John Ducas, squeezed into the back of Bong's P-38, five fighters were to fly over the field in single-file formation, led by Capt. William C. Glasgow, 28, of Niagara Falls, NY. Glasgow was a combat veteran who had been shot down over Germany, taken prisoner and escaped. He held the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, and an Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters. He was flying the XP-55

"After completing the pass across the field, we were to make a slow roll and then continue the direction of flight," Ducas wrote in an account published by the papers. Glasgow made his roll, and then the plane "seemed to wobble to the right and left, almost completing a second roll." Bong began his pass, then suddenly turned away. Bong gestured toward the ground; Dugan looked down and saw "a mass of red flames and then a second later the inferno was engulfed by black smoke." According to other witnesses, Glasgow's plane "swooped close to the ground and tore off 150 feet of fence" near Airway Road. The plane "burst into flames and began falling apart."

Here is some video that was shot at the event: http://www.ovguide.com/video/1945-the-air-fair-at-wright-field-ohio-1-of-2-922ca39ce10036bafd11cc3fe029b369

One of the things that got me interested in this aircraft, was that early last year, a couple of great color photos came to light of this aircraft, where as beforehand only one or two different, black & white, photos were known to exist. These showed details of the aircraft that couldn't be seen before, such as a red/white/red band around the rear fuselage, very similar to the red/yellow/red band that was applied (in this same location) on Mustangs operating in occupied Germany. Still no photos showing the tail, but Martin Kyburz of "Swiss Mustangs" stated the following at the P-51 Special Interest Group forums, which would support the theory of this aircraft being 44-75025 (as I have depicted it):

"44-75025 was attached to the Flight Test Division at Patterson Field, OH (where Gentile's workplace was after his return from the ETO) from 1945 through 1950. The a/c subsequently was sent to the K.W.Z. during Fall 1950 and served with the 67th TRG 45th TRS (one of the regular F-51D's serving alongside their RF-51D's) until eventually transferred to the ROKAF on 27th September 1952, where it was lost in a flying accident on 18th September 1953."

A couple of P-51D's restored and flying today (one based in the U.S. and another in Mexico) are painted in these markings, though none of them have the red/white/red band around the rear fuselage (being a rather recent detail now known about the original), and on those, they each just carry the serial number of the actual restored aircraft.

The only item that I purposely strayed from the original, is that when the aircraft was displayed it had caps over the guns (like the historic Navy P-51D included), and would have of course not had any ammunition loaded. In order to allow the model to support repaints of many other aircraft, I chose to leave those caps off and keep the ammunition in-place. On the bottom of the wings, though, you can see the doped fabric patches covering the shell-ejector chute openings, to keep dirt and grime from entering the gun bays, and that is just something controlled via the textures and has no 'permanence'.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8580517940_8ce9fae7d7_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8085/8579419087_831ea9960a_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8580518034_dd3f0c229f_b.jpg

[Bone]

The 'Little Friends" FF-902 paint carried over quite nicely. I prefer the hard helmet and black VC with this paint, instead of the old WW II style. http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/BonesFlightBag/FF-902a.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

I'm glad you tried that out, Steve! I was just thinking a couple of days ago that since I still have all of the paint layers for that one, that I should redo it with the new paintkit and re-release it with instructions for getting it setup with the most correct model/textures in "Mustang Tales".

Also, after a little trouble I've gotten a response sent to your PM. Hopefully you should be receiving an e-mail soon, today.

[Bomber_12th]

Here are some more screens I took last night, of a little SAAF action. No.2 Squadron's motto was "Su Suh Phors'sque", which is Afrikaans for "Upwards and Onwards".

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8246/8579654211_6ae143bd76_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8579654115_983fb8c616_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8509/8579654015_9050d44c5a_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8579653949_2e5f4eb295_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8368/8579653893_9ac4410b7e_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8580753672_fbf48d44db_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8510/8580753622_e550db6f14_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8505/8580753546_3b079f772b_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8580753434_7a3399b8af_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8093/8580753382_758f5d419b_h.jpg

[Bone]

I'm glad you tried that out, Steve! I was just thinking a couple of days ago that since I still have all of the paint layers for that one, that I should redo it with the new paintkit and re-release it with instructions for getting it setup with the most correct model/textures in "Mustang Tales".

Also, after a little trouble I've gotten a response sent to your PM. Hopefully you should be receiving an e-mail soon, today.
Well, that would be great if you wanted to tweek the FF-902 textures, although it looks really good as it is. However, if you wanted to do a few with some of the other aircraft numbers, I would use them.
I hope that other thing wasn't too much trouble. Posting here has gotten a little more troublesome since the 'enter' key for new paragraps and spaces doesn't work anymore.
http://i993.photobucket.com/albums/af51/BonesFlightBag/292176_4102607648248_1374685457_3605338_398096901_ n.jpg

[ZsoltB]

Great shots!!!

:medals:

[skyhawka4m]

Bone....I've converted 902 over to use the 110 gallon fuel tank model. Does this interest you? I fixed the textures to include the alpha and markings need for the fuel tank.


83423

[skyhawka4m]

Also set up with the 75 gallon tanks.....

83424

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img855/6056/34869674.jpg

[skyhawka4m]

Zsolt....will you be uploading your repaints soon??

[skyhawka4m]

some inspiration???

83442

[Bone]

Bone....I've converted 902 over to use the 110 gallon fuel tank model. Does this interest you? I fixed the textures to include the alpha and markings need for the fuel tank.


Yeah, Skyhawk, that's great. Thanks for thinking of me. ;)

[Mach3DS]

Bone....I've converted 902 over to use the 110 gallon fuel tank model. Does this interest you? I fixed the textures to include the alpha and markings need for the fuel tank.


83423

Also very interested in these two variants! thank you!!

[skyhawka4m]

Ok...let me find out if John will mind if I package up the textures, each one is a little different so it will be a two plane package if he's ok with it.

[Bomber_12th]

John, thanks for the hard work to get it applied onto those models! If it is all right with you, however, I'd just assume finishing the work I've done thus-far to update that scheme with the new paintkit (more detail, and accuracy) and I'll be sure to include a couple of different installation possibilities depending on what load-out you want. (With the screens you posted, in the first one there is a problem with the prop textures (using the square tip prop textures rather than the cuffed) and a problem with the drop tank textures (its using the 110 gallon drop tank textures on the 165 gallon tanks), and in the second one the 75-gallon tanks are missing the placards on the tanks).

I'll shoot for Monday or Tuesday to upload all of the repaints I will have completed by then (should be six in all).

Although it won't be done before then, I do want to do FF-822, as you have posted the image of above, John. That aircraft served within the same Squadron as FF-197 (included in Mustang Tales), with the same tri-colors but in a different scheme, both operating in Iceland.

[Bomber_12th]

Zsolt, the Indonesian Mustang looks excellent! I can cross that one off my list. ; )

I have a profile of that aircraft (and a few photos) that shows the glare shield and background of the face on the nose as being black, rather than blue (same with the checkers on the rudder).

[skyhawka4m]

Roger that John....no problem at all.

[Bomber_12th]

With the correct to the RNZAF-use P-51D-30-NT included, I've been planning to do a few more RNZAF schemes in addition to the one that is included. Here's the first additional example, which served with No.1 (Auckland) Squadron. The aircraft is depicted as it was in the early-mid 50's (where as the example included in "Mustang Tales" is a No.1 Squadron example from 1945). Still a bit of WIP with a few items to refine, but I had some fun flying it around New Zealand this evening, testing it out. Note that the P-51D-30-NT's had a late-Dallas canopy, which was a bit different to those that had come earlier (with a more pronounced aft profile).

This one took quite a bit longer to get this far than I had originally thought when I started it, as it required a number of attempts to get the silver-painted finish looking the way I wanted in the sim, and then the bare metal stainless around the exhaust as well (which I'm not sure yet if I'm completely satisfied with it).

Edit: I found another photo of this aircraft which clearly shows the wing roundels and fuselage fuel cap stencils as being different to the way I have them, so I will be going back and correcting those before the repaint is released. The photo clearly shows that the wing roundels weren't the larger 48" type as a couple of decal sheets noted and as I have depicted, and were instead the same 36" size as the fuselage.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8584730388_538f271c6d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8584730388/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8583629783_dbd28b1ea9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583629783/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8583629463_74953783d3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583629463/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8583629193_dd9dfd9bff_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583629193/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8583629033_2053754727_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583629033/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8584729328_b2970198ef_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8584729328/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8583628775_7bbf43b1e9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583628775/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8584729046_1e703439ac_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8584729046/)

[Mach3DS]

Geraldine meets up with an old(new) friend.... :)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8583689143_8c052d3f03_h.jpg

[MudMarine]

As usual, awesome work B12! I'd love to add this collection to my warbirdsim stangs....but I just can't afford $45 USD right now. Hopefully someday soon I'll be flying that Navy bird with the tail hook!!:jump:

[dvj]

With the correct to the RNZAF-use P-51D-30-NT included, I've been planning to do a few more RNZAF schemes in addition to the one that is included. Here's the first additional example, which served with No.1 (Auckland) Squadron. The aircraft is depicted as it was in the early-mid 50's (where as the example included in "Mustang Tales" is a No.1 Squadron example from 1945). Still a bit of WIP with a few items to refine, but I had some fun flying it around New Zealand this evening, testing it out. Note that the P-51D-30-NT's had a late-Dallas canopy, which was a bit different to those that had come earlier (with a more pronounced aft profile).

This one took quite a bit longer to get this far than I had originally thought when I started it, as it required a number of attempts to get the silver-painted finish looking the way I wanted in the sim, and then the bare metal stainless around the exhaust as well (which I'm not sure yet if I'm completely satisfied with it).

Edit: I found another photo of this aircraft which clearly shows the wing roundels and fuselage fuel cap stencils as being different to the way I have them, so I will be going back and correcting those before the repaint is released. The photo clearly shows that the wing roundels weren't the larger 48" type as a couple of decal sheets noted and as I have depicted, and were instead the same 36" size as the fuselage.





http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8583629463_74953783d3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583629463/)





http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8584729328_b2970198ef_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8584729328/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8583628775_7bbf43b1e9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8583628775/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8584729046_1e703439ac_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8584729046/)

Superb lighting in these screen shots.

[skyhawka4m]

83472

83473

83474

[mrogers]

John, the RNZAF Mustang looks superb, the Dallas canopy looks spot on!
It is believed that NZ2413 was the only one with cuffed props, all the other RNZAF Mustangs had the uncuffed props.

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you, Mark! I noticed that about the prop on NZ2413 in at least one photo, though in this photo it shows it having been fitted with the 'square-tip' non-cuffed type as well (at least at one time). This photo appears to have been taken quite late (perhaps 1955?), when the aircraft were prepped for long-term storage maybe. You can see tape around the seams of the rudder, over the holes in the fuselage (flare port and mooring point), and over the light on the wingtip. I ended up changing quite a few items to better match the details in the photo shown here, including brightening the blue in the markings and making the numbers larger, though the more I look at it the more items I can see that I can improve on and will do so before trying to get this one and the others released tomorrow.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8590842766_bf6581d38f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8590842766/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8371/8591305248_0fd1b680c0_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8591305248/)

[delta_lima]

Ok - so I'm going to get this out now: I have never been a P-51 nut. Nothing against the bird - it did its part in WWII, pioneered laminar wing design, oustanding performance, etc. I get that - maybe it's just "Mustang fatigue" - it's been modelled to death in scale models, every second scale RC model seems to be a Mustang - don't know - its just what I feel.

That said, I am in absolute awe of the WBS product quality - the VCs in particular, seem to have a "RealAirSimulations Spitfire" feel to them. But it wasn't until this latest pack, with the coverage given to the navalized concept - that has me wondering. Then there's that DaveQ guy, who had to do a RN FAA Korean War paint (you bugger, you!! :cool:) knowing full well how much I'm craving a Seafire FR.47 .... my resolve is slipping ...

So, my real question boils down to FPS performance - I've seen a couple of reviews of the earlier packs stating that FPS performance was suprisingly light, for all the detail. I have an antique-aged Dell Optiplex E220 @ 240Ghs machine with 3.00 GB of RAM, running Win XP, and an NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT. With my Bojote tweaks, and most sliders at/near their highest levels (except for AI), I get regular 30 FPS on stock FS aircraft. With other addons, at a default or well-designed addon field (that itself causes no extra FPS hit) , I get around the following reductions in FPS from the following sample addons:

RAS Spitfire = 0
Flying Stations Wyvern = - 2
Flying Stations Sea Fury = -5
Flying Stations Buccaneer S.1 = -8 to -10
Razbam T-2 Buckeye = -10+

Maybe that helps convey what I'm working with - so can anyone comment on the FPS issue?

Many thanks - regardless of how I decide - WBS and John have much for which to be very proud to a subject that is not only modelled with the highest degree of fidelity - but clearly with the passion that can only come from a labour of love -a very well deserved kudos :salute:.

cheers,

DL

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you Delta Lima for your very thoughtful post, and I'm especially humbled by your comments!

For anyone who has "Mustang Tales" it would be great to hear what your experience has been perfomance wise and what your computer specs are. We've always wanted to make sure that our aircraft would perform very well on most systems, though we have pushed this a bit with this final P-51D/F-51D set.

Oh, and Dave, I downloaded your repaints for the Seahorse model as soon as I saw them posted and I'm anxiously looking forward to loading them up as soon as I can!

[mrogers]

John, you have done an excellent job! You're right, the blue was much lighter.
It is believed that NZ2413 had the cuffed prop for most of its life, before being replaced with the square tip blades late in its life.
One of the RNZAF Mustangs, NZ2423, remains extant in a private collection stored in a barn up the road from my place. It is sitting on its original treaded wheels (tyre treads were small squares) sans wings just outboard of the undercarriage and without its prop but with the Packard Merlin still in place. I understand that both the wings and prop are in storage as well. The canopy is clear and pristine, like new, however the cockpit was gutted of most things I'm told. It last flew in 1957. Onè thing I noticed, is that the tail wheel has sunk deep into the wheel well with just one third of it visible beneath the doors. I wonder if the hydraulics had weakened over time causing the pronounced dip. The fuselage was devoid of roundels but with the serial numbers in place. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were off and in storage as well. In its last several years of life it was used as a target tug with an attachment on one hard point for towing a drogue. I have a colour photo of NZ2423 sitting on the tarmac showing the attachment on the hard point and although the wing covers part of the fuselage underneath the canopy, the photo is looking directly to where the roundel should be and I think it would be safe to say that the roundels had been removed from the fuselage at some stage. The bare metal is quite shiny and clean.
Although I don't fly often in FSX, this looks like a must have!

[DaveQ]

One of the fascinations of working on this project has been the immense amount of research which John and others have done on the Mustang to bring out the incredible amount of detail in both the models and textures, allowing each individual aircraft to come back to life exactly as they once were. But research is never over and Mark and others continue to let us improve the detail again and again. But really sorry; here's a spanner - I have never seen an RAF-based roundel where the blue has a green tint! I use R29 G41 B78 (Dull Roundel Blue) from the Simmers Paintshop UK colour swatch set. It matches most closely the photos I've taken of mainly post-war roundels, admittedly in museums. But the blue is quite flat with no visible trace of a tint and about 60% saturated. And I stress, this is only my best interpretation!! Later, in the 1950's when camouflage was re-instated, both the blue and red became quite a bit lighter.


Delta_Lima - Sorry, couldn't resist it! There's also a Canuke in the paint shop for HMCS Magnificent!:salute: Try the Mustang with Lazarus'/Collin Glendinning's HMS Ocean and find out just what excellent pilots those FR47 guys were!!! Fyi I don't get a FPS hit on my rig which also is going a bit grey...!

DaveQ

[AussieMan]

Thank you Delta Lima for your very thoughtful post, and I'm especially humbled by your comments!

For anyone who has "Mustang Tales" it would be great to hear what your experience has been perfomance wise and what your computer specs are. We've always wanted to make sure that our aircraft would perform very well on most systems, though we have pushed this a bit with this final P-51D/F-51D set.

Oh, and Dave, I downloaded your repaints for the Seahorse model as soon as I saw them posted and I'm anxiously looking forward to loading them up as soon as I can!

John I have installed the repaints for the Seahorse model and have found a small fault with the Nowra repaint. The aircraft has the dark blue fuselage texture but the wings and undercarriage are black. When I checked the folder there is no wings dds file only a Photoshop .bmp file. I have sent Dave an email regarding this and am awaiting a reply.

[DaveQ]

John I have installed the repaints for the Seahorse model and have found a small fault with the Nowra repaint. The aircraft has the dark blue fuselage texture but the wings and undercarriage are black. When I checked the folder there is no wings dds file only a Photoshop .bmp file. I have sent Dave an email regarding this and am awaiting a reply.

Thanks for the heads up Aussieman!!

Sorry folks - dragged the wrong file when making up the parcel!! Will post the file straight away.

DaveQ

[Bomber_12th]

One of the fascinations of working on this project has been the immense amount of research which John and others have done on the Mustang to bring out the incredible amount of detail in both the models and textures, allowing each individual aircraft to come back to life exactly as they once were. But research is never over and Mark and others continue to let us improve the detail again and again. But really sorry; here's a spanner - I have never seen an RAF-based roundel where the blue has a green tint! I use R29 G41 B78 (Dull Roundel Blue) from the Simmers Paintshop UK colour swatch set. It matches most closely the photos I've taken of mainly post-war roundels, admittedly in museums. But the blue is quite flat with no visible trace of a tint and about 60% saturated. And I stress, this is only my best interpretation!! Later, in the 1950's when camouflage was re-instated, both the blue and red became quite a bit lighter.

Thanks, Dave! It means I need to re-calibrate my monitor (it having reset recently), as the blue doesn't appear to have any green in it on my work monitor (actually a Samsung TV), but looking at it on my phone I can see what you are saying (the red is also a bit off when viewed from on another display).

You know, I was curious about the blue. I saw this and the decal sheet used: http://50.116.98.128/~kmodel/index.php/forum/68-rnzaf-75th-anniversary/25564-nz2413-p-51d-mustang-1-32-academy?start=10 And judging by how light the blue is in the B&W photo I posted above, I believed that.

However, I remembered I had a color photo of this aircraft as well, in the book by MMP, and it clearly shows the standard roundel-blue being used (including the checkers), and that it should look more like this: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Modelling&action=display&thread=11914&page=1

(Note too that in the first model, the size of the roundels on the wings is not correct, where as it is in the second model).

[dvj]

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5269/seahorsez.jpg

[CWOJackson]

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5269/seahorsez.jpg

I always liked that paint scheme; it looks nice on the Mustang.

[dvj]

These models make great desktop wallpaper

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9185/p51xx.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Wow, DVJ, both screenshots are spectacular! Both beautiful and powerful. I finally got the chance to fly the 'Sea Horse/Sea Mustang' repaints this evening, and I'm incredibly impressed, DaveQ, though I'm not at all surprised! They fit the lines of the Mustang so well, and you've done them so well that you can easily get the feeling that they actually existed.

[Bomber_12th]

I think finally this one might be just about done:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8594355178_5cc32762e9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594355178/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8593254857_56a108f024_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8593254857/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8593254761_35aceaf2a4_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8593254761/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8367/8594354888_2563fd0a70_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594354888/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8594354726_8ca48e4bbf_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594354726/)

[skyhawka4m]

I can't wait till we get these repaints that you and Zsolt are doing......what happened to the NDAK paint?

[delta_lima]

Thanks for the replies and updated shots John, and DaveQ.

Best,

DL

[skyhawka4m]

John...have you seen this photo before?

83638

[skyhawka4m]

smoe more ideas for the painters out there......

83639

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img59/1524/10944469.jpg

[jim]

Zsoltquack, How do we get your repaints?

[ZsoltB]

Zsoltquack, How do we get your repaints?I do not understand

[DaveQ]

I do not understand

Where can we download these lovely repaints you are doing??

DaveQ

[DaveQ]

Two versions of the Sea Mustang in Canadian colours. Assuming a small batch (say 20) to equip one squadron (803) on HMCS Magnificent from about 1950 the first paint shows the aircraft as delivered with an Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky scheme with an early RCN roundel, the second towards the end of its service around 1955 in the later pattern. Both are schemes applied to the RCN's Sea Furies (note to self - put these on the FS Sea Fury, idiot!:kilroy:). The serial follows on from the final RCAF Mustang (9600).

83660

83662


DaveQ

[DaveQ]

smoe more ideas for the painters out there......

Any ideas on colours Skyhawk?? And what's the badge on 44-72983?

DaveQ

[Bomber_12th]

Dave, if you mean 44-72986, it has the same badge/emblem as seen here (Wyoming ANG): http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/mayor-benjamin-g-nelson-and-national-guard-pilots-1948/

I'm thinking that the circle around the emblem is red, and then the sky of course blue with white mountains and black cowboy/horse. This is the Wyoming ANG patch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wyoming_Air_National_Guard_-_Emblem.png

And John, I have seen that photo of the Minnesota ANG example with the longer 165-gallon tanks. I'll put something together for the "FF-197" model, using the existing Minnesota ANG Mustang textures, which will allow it to have the long tanks (in one of the photos I have of the Minnesota ANG Mustang that I depicted for 'Mustang Tales', it is shown fitted with those largest of external tanks, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to recreate the 'presentation' tanks which it had in another photo I have of it (the only photo I actually own of a Mustang from that time period)).

[delta_lima]

Two versions of the Sea Mustang in Canadian colours. Assuming a small batch (say 20) to equip one squadron (803) on HMCS Magnificent from about 1950 the first paint shows the aircraft as delivered with an Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky scheme with an early RCN roundel, the second towards the end of its service around 1955 in the later pattern. Both are schemes applied to the RCN's Sea Furies (note to self - put these on the FS Sea Fury, idiot!:kilroy:). The serial follows on from the final RCAF Mustang (9600).


DaveQ

Now that's just cruel ... absolutely not fair .... :jump:

Indeed, as an aside, I would welcome anything you do for the FS Sea Fury. Even the standard mid-50s scheme without Korean War theatre stripes would be nice on that model!

Back to the Sea Mustang - did the wings fold? Does the WBS model's fold? I'm guessing not, since the real 44-14017 appears to have been an otherwise standard NA spec plane prior to the addition of arrestor gear and other naval gear ... but am curious.

I understand there is a USS Shangri-la included in the package. Any good shots of it?

cheers,

[skyhawka4m]

doing some looking at the Wyoming ANG site I would guess that the colors of that badge are a blue sky....white mountain with a red border and black horse. I would say the checkers on the tail are black. Now....just guessing here but the spinner looks to be painted and looking at the pics on john's link it looks to be the ame color as he sky color in the badge. Also, if you look at aircraft #22 it looks like the entire tail is painted, and there is also a PF number on the underside of the wing.

[Bomber_12th]

Having too much fun, Dave, and your RCN repaints look fantastic too!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8594585339_e9a13d26c9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594585339/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594585339/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8595684430_9072613602_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684430/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684430/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8595684312_b6b67e1c57_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684312/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684312/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8594584951_b182461158_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594584951/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8594584951/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8595684066_f7104e26e7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684066/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_5 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595684066/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8595683896_ae5d46e317_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595683896/)
Warbirdsim_Sea_Mustang_6 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8595683896/) by johnny_t500 (http://www.flickr.com/people/34363610@N08/), on Flickr

[Bomber_12th]

Now that's just cruel ... absolutely not fair .... :jump:

Indeed, as an aside, I would welcome anything you do for the FS Sea Fury. Even the standard mid-50s scheme without Korean War theatre stripes would be nice on that model!

Back to the Sea Mustang - did the wings fold? Does the WBS model's fold? I'm guessing not, since the real 44-14017 appears to have been an otherwise standard NA spec plane prior to the addition of arrestor gear and other naval gear ... but am curious.

I understand there is a USS Shangri-la included in the package. Any good shots of it?

cheers,

DL,

Although Dave wished for the wings to have a wing fold as well, it wasn't worked in. The 'Seahorse' model is very similar to 44-14017, but unlike that original aircraft being a P-51D-5-NA, the 'Seahorse' is based off of a P-51D-30-NA (mid 1945 production scenario), so it has the late props, radios, cockpit setup, rocket stubs, etc. Also, unlike the historic Navy example, the 'Seahorse' comes loaded with amminition in the gun bays, gun sight, and the option to load bombs and rockets. The base of the rudder is also a little different. Early on in the testing of the real Navy modified P-51D-5-NA, they took a big chunk out of the base of the rudder when they likely had a longer tail hook fitted earlier on in that project. The tailhook ended up becoming shorter so that notch wasn't needed (but remained). On the 'Seahorse', I didn't include that biggest of 'notches' in the base of the rudder, but it still retains the smaller one where the holback bar is located (used for the catapult).

When we were working on the Navy P-51D 44-14017, we first approached Michael Davies about including his USS Leyte with the product, since it was the closest available model to that of the USS Shangri-La. As it turns out, Michael already had a proper model for the Shangri-La, never released, and provided it to us to use with the product. It doesn't have the detail in the textures that you might expect, as Michael was never able to get his carrier models to that point, but the model is very detailed, accurate, and the 'dazzle' paint scheme is correct to the Shangri-La for November 1944 (matches to photos from the trials), with the correct colors themselves (including 'deck stain blue').

Here are a selection of screenshots I have with the carrier:


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8595780334_7c19c30281_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8595780210_30721fd32a_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8594679679_5a021ec75b_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8594679575_20ea4c8840_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8522/8594679525_85d099fdea_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8594679421_b76fce10a3_h.jpg

[delta_lima]

Thanks John - very thorough answer. Yes, from those shots, I completely see the differences in the rudder bottom profile.

I totally would have been stoked if the wings had folded - though if it was on account of historical accuracy, I completely get the rationale, in light of the "hi-fi" element of the WBS product brand.

Similarly, I was hoping the Shangri-la was sporting post-war colours - but again, I get the precise point in time for which the models were made. Part of my buy decision was around the degree to which I could make use of the included carrier for Korean War era flying - Mr Davies' beta USS Leyte didn't have lighting, so I'm assuming the Shangri-la is a bit more "complete" - it certainly looks even more detailed than the Leyte beta, and that was already a great level of work.

A few more days to contemplate - but I think my biq questions were answered - again, many kind thanks, and I hope it sells well!

DL

[Bomber_12th]

The inspiration for creating the "FJ-1D Seahorse", came after having been doing research for the historic example that actually existed, and then finding this thread about some of the fun that was being had with IL-2 and a modded P-51D with tail hook: http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=7210.0

Dave also approached me with the same idea, that it might be best to include a later 'what if' version than the historic example, which would also be armed, and would be a better basis for 'what if' paint schemes.

[noddy]

Guys,

Will you please stop doing those superb skins for this little beauty, as my poor hard drive can't take the strain!!! :icon_lol:

[DaveQ]

Dave, if you mean 44-72986, it has the same badge/emblem as seen here (Wyoming ANG): http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/mayor-benjamin-g-nelson-and-national-guard-pilots-1948/

I'm thinking that the circle around the emblem is red, and then the sky of course blue with white mountains and black cowboy/horse. This is the Wyoming ANG patch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wyoming_Air_National_Guard_-_Emblem.png



Thanks John, I'm on it!

DaveQ

PS I'll publish the Canadian ones as soon as I can, and thanks for the kind comments everyone.

[DaveQ]

Guys,

Will you please stop doing those superb skins for this little beauty, as my poor hard drive can't take the strain!!! :icon_lol:

NO!!!:icon_lol:

[DaveWG]

Just got the package, should have waited until payday but I couldn't resist any longer :icon_lol:

Lovely work John, well done. :salute:

[skyhawka4m]

Looking foward to all these paints guys. I may take a stab at an easy one tommorow....NJ ANG, and PA ANG.

[skyhawka4m]

Can't get enough screenshots......

83698

[skyhawka4m]

83699

[skyhawka4m]

83700

[DaveQ]

The two Canadian Navy paints have been put up here and at Flightsim.com. Hope you like them:salute:!

DaveQ

[Mach3DS]

Thanks Dave!! Has John released his paints yet? I'm guessing not?

[skyhawka4m]

The two Canadian Navy paints have been put up here and at Flightsim.com. Hope you like them:salute:!

DaveQ

Dave...did you ever post your NDAK paint? I am really looking forward to all the ANG paints people are working on.

[Bomber_12th]

Just got the package, should have waited until payday but I couldn't resist any longer :icon_lol:

Lovely work John, well done. :salute:

Thank you, Dave, it means a lot to Albert and I!

[Bomber_12th]

John, the 'NDAK' repaint is being made by Jens-Ole, and the last time I chatted with him earlier this week, he was away from home for part of this week and would have to finish the repaint upon his return.

By the way, superb screenshots, John! And Rick, and I loved the screenshot with "Geraldine" and "Cripes" flying together!

For my repaints, I'm putting the finishing touches on a repaint of the restored "The Brat III", and once completed I'll be uploading it along with the repaint of FF-888, the in-service Guatemalan AF textures, the SDAK ANG example, NZ2413, and PF-742. I have others, but these will be the first six that I'll post, and I'll try again to get those packaged together and uploaded tonight.

[ZsoltB]

I am unable to share my workAbout 1 week ago does not appear in SOH websiteOnly I log in via zendproxyUnfortunately, I do not know what happened!I did not get the help so far.....I expect that the SOH blocked IP address Zsolt

[skyhawka4m]

Zsolt.....possibly post at flightsim.com?

[Bomber_12th]

Zsolt, if you wish, you could also use a file sharing/transfer site like "We Transfer" to upload the repaint and then share the link to the page to download it when complete. When filling in the details of the upload, you would just enter your own e-mail address for the person that it is sent to, and when completed, you'll be provided the link to the page where you will be able to download the file and would just share that link. https://www.wetransfer.com/

[Mach3DS]

Thank you John! No hurry, just didn't want to miss them! ;) yes, I particularly like the screen of them flying together as it brings me full circle with my first WBS aircraft. Major Preddys bird still sees quite a bit of flying time from me. :)

[Bomber_12th]

The restored P-51D "Glamorous Gal" has been quite a popular aircraft for a number of years, but since 2011 it has been locked away, not worked on nor flown, following a landing accident that caused some heavy damage. I knew that the aircraft had been sold, but I just recently found out more details about who it was sold to and its future. The aircraft was sold to a Mr. Carl Patrick, and he has sent the aircraft to Midwest Aero Restorations (the company that restored "Cripes A' Mighty", "Daddy's Girl", "Red Dog", "Live Bait", "Happy Jack's Go Buggy", and others). The damage is being repaired and the engine compartment is being restored. The aircraft will be refinished in authentic/accurate 78th FG markings as "Frances Dell", which was piloted by Lt. Clark W. Clemons of the 84th FS of the 78th FG, which was based at Duxford. When completed, the aircraft will be based in Colorado. Knowing Midwest Aero, it will look stunning again when completed.

There is also another new P-51D restoration that is currently being finished up at Midwest Aero, which should be flying this Spring/Summer. It was going to be painted as "Passion Wagon", but the aircraft recently changed hands, and the new owner (John Vesely) is eyeing other options for the paint scheme.

Here are a couple of rather recent photos of the aircraft at Midwest Aero (photos by James Church):

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/384273_510833272270707_2114561264_n_zpsbb57f631.jp g

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/735113_510833322270702_388608874_n_zps3ac8ad35.jpg

[Mach3DS]

Outstanding! :D

[Bomber_12th]

I'm starting to get the repaints packaged together now, but here is a preview of "The Brat III".

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8599018874_088cac9951_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8599018786_1abc0e8e3c_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8597917719_e47344f961_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8597917673_a95d873785_h.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8597917547_971ccf3fd4_h.jpg

[DaveWG]

Ohh, shiny! That's a work of art John.:applause:

83714
83715

[skyhawka4m]

an early WIP.....

83752

[ZsoltB]

I'm here again!!!! :jump:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ouJ_WyS9v8

[peter12213]

I'm starting to get the repaints packaged together now, but here is a preview of "The Brat III".


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8226/8597917547_971ccf3fd4_h.jpg

What in gods creation! That is so realalistic, computer Tech cannot keep up with John Terrell! I'm 100% investing in Warbirdsim stocks lol! :salute:

[Bomber_12th]

This evening I was able to get these uploaded to the SOH library. There will be more, when I can get some more time.

Although it is important to read the 'Readme' files for each repaint (so you know exactly which folders to use), it is especially critical with the "FF-888" and "SDAK ANG" repaints, as they require some additional textures from a couple of different texture folders (not the same for each).

"The Brat III" repaint, being applied to the "Geraldine" model, comes with new interior textures, that are more standard.

Also, although I forgot about mentioning it in the readme files, the same item regarding the envmap texture (as mentioned at the beginning of the manual) applies to these textures, especially "The Brat III". As you look at the aircraft below, each has a different over-all finish, with highly-polished metal, clean metal, rough/dull metal, and silver paint.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8598640175_0d623ba0c8_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8598640175/)

I only just noticed when posting this image of "PF-742" that it needs a slight update, and I'll do that as soon as I can.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8599739860_8a3cb5a3ec_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8599739860/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8599739790_0266b3e35c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8599739790/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8599739730_c08f93dddb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8599739730/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8098/8598639871_866080fa16_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8598639871/)

[Bomber_12th]

an early WIP.....

John, it looks awesome! That must have been a target-tug as well. Definitely looking forward to it!

And thanks Dave and Peter for the compliments!

[skyhawka4m]

I think this is what I'm going to go with. I went with a little more International orange because like you said John I think his was also a target tug. Any suggestions? The actual plane had a ADF antenna on the spine and had the spine antenna placed on the belly similar to the VLR model.


83757

[Bone]

All of the repaints are looking good. Would it be possible to make a clean ultra shiney one like 'the brat', but without any of the military insignia, lettering, or numbers, ect? I love this model and the various military paints, but after all, I'm a civilian pilot, and a lot of times just like to fly a clean and non-descript bird. If you can, then THANKS!


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8599018874_088cac9951_h.jpg

[skyhawka4m]

83758

[skyhawka4m]

Bone....I have a clean "painted silver" plane that is clean of all military type markings but has all stencils. Interested? If you want I can apply a small N number of your choice.


83766

[JensOle]

83758

Sweet! Looking forward to fly it!

My North Dakota Mustang is also moving closer to release.

[ZsoltB]

http://imageshack.us/a/img707/7101/39468149.jpg

[Bone]

Well, Actually, I'd like to have both shiney and dull. Thanks Zsolt and Skyhawk !! Oh, and Skyhawk, it's not neccesary to put a "N' number on it.




http://imageshack.us/a/img707/7101/39468149.jpg


Bone....I have a clean "painted silver" plane that is clean of all military type markings but has all stencils. Interested? If you want I can apply a small N number of your choice.


83766

[Mach3DS]

Clean looks, great. Zsolt, are you going to add the glare reduction paint to the top of the nose?

[ZsoltB]

Clean looks, great. Zsolt, are you going to add the glare reduction paint to the top of the nose?

Yes, could be, but it is not bad....:icon_lol:
It resembles a bit experimental bird

[Bomber_12th]

Another shiny one:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8533/8601113125_1e466b96e7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8601113125/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8602212958_600d63d660_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8602212958/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8266/8601112947_99ed7cd52b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8601112947/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8602213144_29b6d57c0b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8602213144/)


And a couple more of "The Brat":

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8602236220_6481fdacc9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8602236220/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8602236108_01c0ab99d2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8602236108/)

[skyhawka4m]

John were you doing the one with the red tail also?

[Bomber_12th]

Hey John, would that be the 192nd FS example (similar to FF-197) that you've posted the photo of? If so, it is in the plans, unless you or someone else might like to tackle it.

[ZsoltB]

John,

I'm looking forward to the shiny schemes...

Very nice!

Zsolt

[ZsoltB]

Here my repaints thumbnail: http://www.putlocker.com/file/97357C980CCFBF64