Ham Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Greetings, I'm finishing up a Tamiya P-51D in markings of the 506th Fighter Group, 462nd Fighter Squadron, Iwo Jima, summer 1945. These Mustangs carried special navigation aids called Uncle Dog and Brother Agate. See photo link below. I can see that two antennas replace the one that normally goes on the top of the fuselage. I need some better close up views of the antenna on the underside on the lower leading edge of the wing. Anyone have any ideas of this antenna arrangement? Clicky Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rpeck Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Here is a link that might help.? http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpB...ghlight=antenna Good luck. Rick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Here is a link that might help.?http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpB...ghlight=antenna Good luck. Rick Cool link, lots of good detail shots of Iwo-based P-51's. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Rezabek Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 If you haven't already found it, here is a good website on the Iwo Jima based units http://www.7thfighter.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tourist Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 The antenna seen below is the "regular" Mustang antenna you would usually see on the spine behind the cockpit. When the ARA-8 dual antennas were installed in it's place it was moved just in front of the wheel wells at the center of the aircraft. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Great info guys! Thanks for the info and the links. I've always wondered about all those antennas and such. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theseeker Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Fascinating information! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted October 11, 2009 Author Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Thanks guys! Great info. For my Iwo P-51D, I used two standard spine type antennas for the Uncle Dog array. In some of the photos of the Uncle Dog antennas, they appear to be natural wood finish. In others they appear doped or painted aluminum color. Guess I'll need to scrounge another antenna for the one that goes on the centerline by the wheel wells. This is the bird I'm doing. The Shawnee Princess. Not a very good photo I'm afraid but the only one I have found that shows the entire aircraft. Clicky :( Edited October 11, 2009 by Ham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Finished my Iwo Jima Mustang. I think the references on the old Microscale sheet were incorrect. They (and Squadron-Signal's Aces of the Southwest Pacific) say this aircraft was assigned to Major R.W. "Todd" Moore, but he was not in the 462nd Fighter Squadron (yellow tails), 506th Fighter Group. Anyway, it's a nice looking Mustang from a little known unit that flew very hazardous missions in single engine fighters. This is the Tamiya kit built OOB except for the "Uncle Dog" antennas on the spine and moving the radio antenna to lower fuselage forward of inboard gear doors. Three different shades of Alclad but I'm not sure it's noticable on a model this size. When I was most of the way through with my model I got the Osprey Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War. No photos of "Shawnee Princess" but lots of good information. I believe that Captain Ed Seale was the pilot of The Shawnee Princess and that she was lost on a later mission. I still have a couple of things to fix that I found after I got better reference photos. Here's the model and a couple more photos of 462nd FS Mustangs on Iwo. Edited November 20, 2009 by Ham Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TF51GREGWISE Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 great info guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rpeck Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Forgot I posted on this . Ham nice looking P-51D,good job. You are correct that it was Captain Ed Seale plane.See web sight below. Here is another sight on the 506 FG just in case no one seen it yet. http://www.506thfightergroup.org/index1.asp Rick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted June 30, 2010 Author Share Posted June 30, 2010 I have completed another Iwo Mustang. This one is from the 46th FS, 21st FG. I found a very nice starboard view photo of it. Most of these Iwo Mustangs had names on both sides. Sometimes they matched, sometimes they didn't. Many of them were assigned two pilots. One pilot named the port side, one named the starboard side. I'm not sure if this Mustang had different names, so it got "Tiny Gay Baba" on both sides. A photo of the original aircraft. Note that it does not have the two "Uncle Dog" antennas on the aft fuselage. This photo was probably taken before they were fitted to all aircraft. And the decal sheet I used. Instructions on the sheet are incorrect and call for yellow bands with black borders but those are not the colors for the 46th FS. Blue bands with black borders are correct for this aircraft. Clicky Oh, and yes I did get some adult-rated links when I googled "Tiny Gay Baba" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richter111 Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Interesting photos, thank you for posting Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rpeck Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Another nice looking model Ham. Lol,I always get a xrated sight when I google something. Fighter Group, can't see how that would get a xrated web page. Oh ,group ,ok never mind. B) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hi Ham Nice job on the Baba! I'm not sure I can remember where we got yellow for those markings (remember, that was pre-internet), but you're absolutely correct that they're blue. Having done the artwork for that sheet (in 1992 IIRC - one of the very first ones I ever did on the computer!), I can tell you that most of that squadron had the same artwork on both sides. I can also tell you that *every* reference then available called this airplane "Tiny Gay Babe", which, if you look at the photo, it clearly isn't. Just goes to show you you can see exactly what you want to see in a photo! I don't know that I've ever seen anybody build that particular airplane from that sheet before. So 18 years later, here it is! Congrats B) J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted June 30, 2010 Author Share Posted June 30, 2010 Jennings, I am just happy to have an Iwo Mustangs sheet in gentleman's scale. I humbly beg you to give us more Iwo Mustangs in 1/72. Who owns all the Aeromaster rights now? Is it Squadron? Would they release some of the 1/48 Iwo stuff in 1/72? I want more. How about "Nip Knocker?" Try googling that one and see what you get. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eric B. Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Hi, And the decal sheet I used. Instructions on the sheet are incorrect and call for yellow bands with black borders but those are not the colors for the 46th FS. Blue bands with black borders are correct for this aircraft.Clicky Hi Ham, wonderful build and thank you for the photo. I am just by chance building the very same aircraft from the same sheet. Sheet has probably been in my pile more than fifteen years. I was thinking more "Lady Marion" on the same sheet until 2 days ago when I found a photo of "Tiny Gay Babe" in one of my books (an uncomplete extract of the same photo you posted there). Blue bands were painted just yesterday evening. As a side note if I am not wrong my sheet instruction ask for a correct blue not yellow (A look a t your clicky seems to indicate blue as well). Hi HamNice job on the Baba! I'm not sure I can remember where we got yellow for those markings (remember, that was pre-internet), but you're absolutely correct that they're blue. Having done the artwork for that sheet (in 1992 IIRC - one of the very first ones I ever did on the computer!), I can tell you that most of that squadron had the same artwork on both sides. I can also tell you that *every* reference then available called this airplane "Tiny Gay Babe", which, if you look at the photo, it clearly isn't. Just goes to show you you can see exactly what you want to see in a photo! I don't know that I've ever seen anybody build that particular airplane from that sheet before. So 18 years later, here it is! Congrats <_< Big big thanks for designing this sheet. I actually have two and one is now awaiting to be cut. I think you got the correct blue on my instruction sheet and I hope I'll be able to show a second "Tiny Gay Baba" in the coming weeks. Don't know but I was just under the impression on some versions of the photo (less visible here) that there might be a very thin black stripe underlaying the olive drab anti glare panel? Might as well be just a printing issue. Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeC Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 (edited) Just found this thread, because guess what, I'm about to start painting "Tiny Gay Baba" in 1:48 scale. I have the 1:48 version of that sheet (48-012) which does show TGB's bands as yellow. However, I notice that on the 1:72 sheet, the trim for "Li'l Butch" is blue and black, whereas on the bigger sheet it's yellow and black - I believe the latter is correct. BTW, I made "Lady Marion" from that sheet some years ago. Front and centre on this shot from the Farnborough model show 2006. Edited April 26, 2011 by MikeC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted September 5, 2010 Author Share Posted September 5, 2010 Greetings MikeC, I dug out both the 1/72 and 1/48 verions of this sheet, but they are identical as far as colors go on my copies. Perhaps they were updated over time? Good luck with your "Tiny Gay Baba" build. They are very nice looking markings. I only wish Aeromaster had reproduced all the other Iwo Jima sheets in 1/72 scale. Maybe we will get some Iwo Mustangs in 1/32 since the rumor mill says a new P-51D is in the works from Tamiya. :D Your "Lady Marion" looks great. Nice job! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeC Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Thanks Ham. I'm not sure when I bought the sheet - it was some years ago, pre-2003 when I started cataloguing the stash in earnest because I was worried about losing track and "double-buying". as you say, it may have been updated over time, I'm just glad to have found out the relevant info. Carl Molesworth's "Very Long Range Mustang Units ..." (Osprey "Elite Units" series) has been a great help too - thoroughly recommended if you can still get hold of it. I'm a bit of a Mustang fan, all the models in-shot on the table are mine, except the dazzle-painted P-47 poking it's wing in on the left. I have a natural bias towards the 8th, but occasionally venture into other AFs, and I must do at least one Iwo Jima example. Cheers, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 When I did "Tiny Gay Baba" and "Lil Butch" for AMD in the early 1990s, there was very little information, and what there was was conflicting on colors. The later printings of the sheets are, I believe, correct. The stripes and chevrons on Lil Butch are most definitely yellow and black, that I know. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MikeC Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 When I did "Tiny Gay Baba" and "Lil Butch" for AMD in the early 1990s, there was very little information, and what there was was conflicting on colors. The later printings of the sheets are, I believe, correct. The stripes and chevrons on Lil Butch are most definitely yellow and black, that I know.J Molesworth (mentioned in my post above) also confirms that Lil Butch's stripes were yellow and black. I didn't realise it was your work on the sheet Jennings - my respect sir. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ham Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share Posted September 7, 2010 Jennings is a very talented guy. I wish he was available to do some 1/32 Pacific theater decals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eric B. Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 (edited) Hi As I said previously in this post, I was starting "Tiny Gay Baba" from the Hasegawa 1/72nd scale model and AeroMaster as designed by Jennings Nearly completed today. Allow me to share photographs on this Iwo Jima Mustangs tread. Cheers Eric B. Edited September 14, 2010 by Eric B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boman Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 **** hot Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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