P-51D Detroit Miss gun panels.

[hooter]

Hi guys,

I'm building the Hasegawa 1/48 P-51D as the well known " Detroit Miss " flown by Lt. Urban Drew, and have a question regarding the colour of the wing leading edge gun access panels. I have the Aeromaster decal sheet and they advise that the panels should be red or black ?

Looking at photos of the actual airplane the panels are a dark colour, so they could be either. I've seen photos of completed models with red panels, along with the wingtips, but given the sort of wear they would have had it seems odd that the would be painted red ?

I would be most grateful for any info or thoughts regarding this query.

[The Keeper]

The one photo I looked at with the gun port surrounds looks red. Compare the tonality with the bomb background of "Detroit Miss." They usually patched over the gun ports with red tape after servicing to keep insects and debris out of the barrels.

hth

 

[Prop Duster]

8 hours ago, The Keeper said:

The one photo I looked at with the gun port surrounds looks red. Compare the tonality with the bomb background of "Detroit Miss." They usually patched over the gun ports with red tape after servicing to keep insects and debris out of the barrels.

hth

 

Also to authentiate the guns were fired. I beleive that a red covering  of paper? cloth? was usually used FWIR

[skyhawk524]

I have also seen variations to the colors of the canopy, wingtips, tail tip, and horizontal tips. Some decals sheets call for all red, some say all blue, and some show a mixture of the two. I have yet to find more than one photo of the airplane to verify much at all.

 

I would like to do an Eduard in the markings since I built or started Monogram after Monogram as a kid, and never used the kit decals. 

[hooter]

3 hours ago, skyhawk524 said:

I have also seen variations to the colors of the canopy, wingtips, tail tip, and horizontal tips. Some decals sheets call for all red, some say all blue, and some show a mixture of the two. I have yet to find more than one photo of the airplane to verify much at all.

 

I would like to do an Eduard in the markings since I built or started Monogram after Monogram as a kid, and never used the kit decals. 

There does seem to be some variations on what the colour scheme was on this airplane. I have the Osprey publication " Mustang Aces Of the Eighth AF", which is supposed to be well researched and it mentions the red colours for the canopy and wing tips,  (but there's no colour on the gun panel on the profile ) I guess it's up to the individual as to what colour they're meant to be.

Edited January 30, 2023 by hooter
spelling

[hooter]

Thanks for all your help, guys. Unless someone comes up with a period colour photo we're not really going to know for sure, but t did'nt know that they used patched over the gun ports. It does make sense , as the RAF used them on their Hurricanes and Spitfires. Once again, thanks for your help 

[Slartibartfast]

MIGHT have used red tape.  As the inboard barrel shrouds protruded from the leading edge, covering would be difficult.  I don’t recall any Mustang D’s with covering.  A’s and B/C’s guns did not protrude so they could have been covered.

[The Keeper]

10 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

inboard barrel shrouds protruded from the leading edge

Good point. A decade ago when you searched 'images' you could come up with dozens of photos. Now most of what we get are game shots and artwork depicting the aircraft at different points in time; some without the red surround. As Hooter pointed out, the Spitfires and Hurricanes certainly used red patches over the ports (as well as repairing bullet holes!) but we don't see them much on P-47's or P-51's and certainly not on Navy A/C. Begs the question: was that tape or doped fabric? Came in handy for keeping birds from nesting! There's a book on Urban (Ben) Drew:

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Ben-Drew-Katzenjammer-Ace-Powell-Urban/19446164671/bd

which I don't have handy, that should have more photos. The tonality of the surround matches the bomb and the 'base' of canopy but doesn't match the black theatre ID band on the inboard wing.

hth

 

[barkin mad]

On 1/31/2023 at 11:58 AM, The Keeper said:

As Hooter pointed out, the Spitfires and Hurricanes certainly used red patches over the ports (as well as repairing bullet holes!) but we don't see them much on P-47's or P-51's and certainly not on Navy A/C. Begs the question: was that tape or doped fabric?

 

It was doped fabric & you can have it in pretty much any colour you like. Yes, most of the Spits & Hurricanes were dull red, but I have seen them in Blue and in the relevant camo colours.