Terry McGrady

The Kittyhawk has been positively identified as ET574 flown by Flt Sgt Dennis Copping Cheers Terry McGrady

Sorry I missed your pm Bunce don;t come on here very often Feel free to email me teejaymac@sky.com of you want any other info Cheers Terry

HI , Actually the A/C you are going to build is in fact a Kittyhawk IA- one of the later models similar to the P40K-1 Basically an E engine in a K Airframe . Serial Number was EV 421 The Squadron is 2 SAAF , not 5 ( Squadron Code GL) Decal sheet is incorrect on that point . A/C you intend Modelling is that of the Squadron C/O at the time Major D.B Hauptfleish . So a rather co-incidental case of codes matching his intitials . Kittyhawk III were not on 2 SAAF Strength until June 43 by the end of July 1943 the Squadron had converted to Spitfires HTH Cheers Te

One plus point is that there appears to be an option for lowered flaps which is something I've only seen on the Academy P51D in 72nd Cheers Terry McGtady

Its a pity about the starter set for GA*S being a P51D , as this Airframe was a P51K KH774 Still I think I've got the Old Airfix Mustang in which there is an Aeroproducts prop if memory serves Cheers Terry McGrady

Tourist is correct They were gas Detection patches Also found on A36s Terry McGrady

Why would Curtis try and match the upper surfaces to RAF colours and not the undersurfaces ? Sky grey was a term used by Bell for the same Dupont colour paint stock number as used by Curtis

The A/C were not fitted with Radios , Wing guns or gunsights which would be fitted to the RAF Tomahawks when they arrived at MUs before allocation to a Squadron.

Hi John , Info I have was that The US was pressing the UK to order 300 Curtis Hawks 87 and spares on 23/12/40 ' for delivery in May , June and July 41, which was done The Telegram states that the US wanted to allocate a 100 Curtiss Hawk 87 to Chinese from the British Orders , and also provide Greece with 60 A/C as well from the same. You can imagine the forore lol The French P40 were already in the UK . All the AVG A/C were from the British Contract so how a reverse throttle indicating a French built A/C was included in the Total is a mystery or possibly just mis-information passed do

It wasn't a Sky type S as on RAF Hurricanes etc but the Dupont equivalent . Oh they were indeed from British Orders paid for by HMG , and there were a number of Telegrams back and forth as the UK Government was furious that 100 A/C it had paid for were to be taken off them and used by the Chinese Airforce . Osprey Books although good primers are I 've found very little more than that. I just treat them as a starting point and then go do my own research As for painting it depended much on the mix , weeather etc as to how the end product looked . One thing for sure however they were

The AVG Ac were taken in small batches from RAF production so why would they not be built or indeed be painted to British Specs ? AK527 went to the RAF A528 and 9 to the AVG AK530- 534 to the RAF . So are you saying that Curtiss would have painted the A/C a seperate colour on the undersurfaces ? I don't think so Sky Grey was NOT an RAF colour , but rather a Naval one . Terry McGrady

Dupont Colour-s Dark Green , Dark Earth, and Sky - not quite the RAF Sky , but NOT Light Grey. Cheers Terry McGrady

P51D-5NT serials 44-11153-11352 , First RAF deliveries commenced 44-11168 These and subsequent A/C ALL had Fin-Fillets as delivered . So there is no doubt the one you are seeking info on had as well. Dallas continued building P51C, after Inglewood had commenced building D models , the fin fillet appearing on later C model production, and as a retro fit to earlier models. So by the time D models were produced at Dallas the fin- fillet would have been on production A/C Cheers Terry McGrady

There were two sizes of wheels as has been stated 27inch and 30 inch The 27inch wheels were used on the P40N-5 onwards, according to a Curtiss Reps letter to the RAAF. The 30inch wheels were used on all models up to the N-5 . However in RAf service it was found that the light alloy wheels were prone to cracking owing to the higher weights which the RAF operated at ( up to 2000ilb bomb loads ) The solution was to use steel wheels from earlier models to solve the problem. The wheel well opening remained at 30 inches on all models. Terry McGrady

Hi David , Beat me to it :) Regards Terry McGrady

Any Mustang III with Serials FB125 onwards were P51C- The majority of RAF Mustang MKIII were in fact P51C models Those delivered direct to Italy were Generally left in US Camouflage of OD/ SeaGrey/ Light Grey before repaints Those B delivered to the UK ie FX***, FZ*** and FB*** up to and including FB124 . Well some were initially finished in US Equivalent Paints of OD/ DE / Sky whilst others were finished in OD/Sea Grey /LGrey. There were 35 delivered in the UK from USAAF stocks consisting of 34 P51B and 1 P51C . These were initially finished in either OD/NG or Uncamouflaged . Al

No such thing as a "B" wing on Spitfire MKIX.The Cannon port stub could be removed . In fact the cannon could be in the outer bay and the stub on the inner giving the impression of an "E " wing Cheers Terry McGrady

Nothing. I wouldn't buy a Tamiya Spitfire either. I can't justify to myself spending £100 on a Plastic Kit. I'll just stick with 48th scale, although I notice some prices for most scales are starting to get high. Not such a cheap hobby any longer unless you can find bargains. Cheers Terry McGrady

Don't know of any in 32nd for Russian Airacobras, but Tallyho do a set in 32nd for a Russian Tomahawk and another set for P40Es This may be adapted I daresay . Cam Decals also do 2 sheets with Russians Red Stars , one white borders . one with Yyellow HTH Cheers Terry McGrady

By Looking at Photo's basically . For example I've had a P51K-1 /Kittyhawk IVA on the go for a while . It is KH716 of 3 RAAF in Italy Late 1944 . Block tread tyres and un- shrouded exhausts .So try to find a good photo and remember that the photo shows that A/C at a particular moment in time Cheers Terry McGrady

So far as I'm concerned you are spot on

So far as I'm aware the terms were unofficial- might have been used on squadrons , as were other terms ie the use of the name Warhawk or Goshawk for Merlin engined Kittyhawk MKII by 260 Squadron

No such thing as a "B Wing " MKIX they were all "C WIng " Actually there was no Spitfire IXB .Its just a term that for some reason has slipped in over the years. Cheers Terry McGrady