51st FG "D" Mustang

[amariani]

Did they ever flew the D/K Mustang in combat? I'm having a difficult time finding a picture/drawing/painting of a 51st FG bubble-top Mustang.

[wulfhound45]

Yes. They were equipped with the P-51D in early(?) 1945 and used them to cover the eastern end of the route over the 'Hump' until the war's end

[amariani]

Yes. They were equipped with the P-51D in early(?) 1945 and used them to cover the eastern end of the route over the 'Hump' until the war's end

Any pictures?

[wulfhound45]

Any pictures?

I found a profile of Lt. Col. G.T. Eagleston's Mustang:

Haven't seen any photographs yet

[+Wrench]

never seen any US aircraft in CBI that used letter codes ... that was strictly ETO and MTO (and MTO stopped in late 44)

[amariani]

I found a profile of Lt. Col. G.T. Eagleston's Mustang:

Haven't seen any photographs yet

That one is from 353rd FS, 354th FG (ETO), I'm looking for the 51st FG China-Burma-India or something like this (totaly speculative for now):

[+streakeagle]

Colonel Robert Hall ,25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, 14th Air Force, Kunming, China 1945

Try this: http://www.ipmscanada.com/ipms/Member%20Models/Lutz/Lutz_Page/P-51.html

 

An actual photo of the same aircraft:

Edited April 5, 2014 by streakeagle

[amariani]

Colonel Robert Hall ,25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, 14th Air Force, Kunming, China 1945[/size]

Try this: http://www.ipmscanada.com/ipms/Member%20Models/Lutz/Lutz_Page/P-51.html

 

An actual photo of the same aircraft:

I've seeing a lot of pictures of this plane being identified as belonging to the 1st ACG 5th FS©, as can be evidenced by the five fuse stripes.

[+streakeagle]

I concur per this image, but why are there so many references to the contrary?

[+streakeagle]

It seems the pilot name may be correct despite the incorrect identification with the 51st FG:

Commander of the 1st Air Commando Group: http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/106876/brigadier-general-robert-w-hall.aspx

[Wilches]

I´m pretty much interested on this subject. Despite the late posting, there goes the only photos I know so far. Is there some more to share?

[Wilches]

Extract from Facebook 

"BAOSHAN MUSTANG: (14TH AIR FORCE)

Captain Clell McKenny of the 51st Fighter Group's 25th Fighter Squadron "The Assam Dragons," is seen at the tail of his North American P-51D Mustang "Lil Stuff II" at Baoshan in western Yunnan Province. The 25th Fighter Squadron was the last American fighter squadron to fly the Curtiss P-40 in combat in China. With the arrival of the Mustang, the squadron gave up its unique, large fanged, dragon's mouth markings that were applied to the nose of their P-40's, and instead painted the tails of their P-51's with a
black checker board pattern and twin back-slanting stripes around the fuselage. When asked why the color black, Clell answered that black was the only color that was available in enough quantity to paint all of the Squadrons's aircraft. This probably explains why the tailplanes of 23rd Fighter Group's 75th Fighter Squadron were painted solid black.

Clell McKenny is a Founding Board Member of the SAAHF."

[Wilches]