Old Crow 44-14450 B6-S Capt. Clarence E Jnr. “Bud” Anderson 363rd Fighter Squadron 357th Fighter Group
Miss Helen 44-72216 HO-M Capt. Raymond H Littge 487th Fighter Squadron 352nd Fighter Group
Contrary Mary 44-14251 WZ-I Lt.Col. Roy B Caviness 84th Fighter Squadron 78th Fighter Group
Lou IV 44-13410 E2-C Lt.Col. Thomas J J Jnr. Christian 375th Fighter Squadron (Group HQ) The 361st Fighter Group
I’m currently finishing off a set of four profiles, originally created by Pete West, before he emigrated to New Zealand. I’m trying to figure out which type of drop tank each aircraft was fitted with. Old Crow is finished in green and not bare metal. Four weeks after commissioning Pete, he contacted me to say he was leaving for NZ. I received the images in the post. Only recently – nearly six years later – I come across the CD, thought lost. Anyway, I have decided to complete his work, by creating a series of 10in x 15in prints, digitally printed onto photographic paper (Jessops).
Problem is, I’m trying to figure out if the drop tanks are the same on all four aircraft. Can anyone assist? I will post copies on this message within a day or two. I’m hoping that all four a/c were fitted with the 75 gallon peardrop tank, as this was easy to replicate, less so the paper cigar.
Best Wishes
Phil Rhodes
By: contrailjj - 30th December 2007 at 16:56
oops, I was a little mis-guided there – It wasn’t Pete West’s work i was thinking of – it was Mike Keep
By: Phillip Rhodes - 30th December 2007 at 15:09
Nice work Phil.
I can’t consciously remember ever seeing any of Pete’s colour work – it was his B/W (Letratone?) profiles in SAM that inspired and motivated my profile work.
James
Pete West has his work regulary reproduced in Flypast. Not sure when or where the originals of these profiles were published, but Pete did a grand job adding a few touches to increase the detail level, so they could be reproduced at a larger scale (13in, instead of the usual 7in or 8in in lenght).
Still working on the problem with the drop tanks. Oops, forgot to download my graphic onto my memory stick (no internet access at home).
By: contrailjj - 29th December 2007 at 16:42
Nice work Phil.
I can’t consciously remember ever seeing any of Pete’s colour work – it was his B/W (Letratone?) profiles in SAM that inspired and motivated my profile work.
James
By: Phillip Rhodes - 29th December 2007 at 16:10
The images attached were created by Pete West, who soon after starting work moved to NZ. My concern is obviously the drop tanks, which I created myself. Oh, I forgot to engage the layer on Contrary Mary, hence the lack of tail markings.
The captions for each aircraft will read thus:
P-51D Mustang s/n 44-14450 B6-S Old Crow flown by Capt. Clarence E “Bud” Anderson Jnr.
363rd Fighter Squadron / 357th Fighter Group
P-51D Mustang s/n 44-72216 HO-M Miss Helen flown by Capt. Raymond H Littge
487th Fighter Squadron / 352nd Fighter Group
P-51D Mustang s/n 44-14251 WZ-I Contrary Mary flown by Lt.Col. Roy B Caviness
84th Fighter Squadron / 78th Fighter Group
P-51D Mustang s/n 44-13410 E2-C Lou IV flown by Lt.Col. Thomas J J Jnr. Christian
375th Fighter Squadron – The 361st Fighter Group
Finding a date for each aircraft would also be helpful.
Also, am I right in saying that the aircraft were based:
Old Crow Leiston
Miss Helen Bodney
Lou IV Bottisham
Contrary Mary Duxford
Trying to figure out the actual dates. The profiles had already been used in a publication, and Pete added additional detail and weathering.
Project almost completed. I just don’t want to make any major mistakes, like using the wrong drop tanks or information on the legend.
Oh, her’s something spooky. A few years ago I visited Cosford, where I photographed the Belfast being repainted. On the return trip home, I bought a copy of Flypast in W H Smith. Inside was a photograph of the same Belfast being repainted. Yesterday I returned to Cosford, where I photographed the Britannia being refurbished. On my return trip home, I bought a copy of Flypast at Derby railway station, and guess what: inside was a photograph of the very same Britannia being refurbished.
HAPPY NEW EVERY ONE
By: T-21 - 28th December 2007 at 22:36
From late 44 most P-51’s carried the cigar tanks for extended strafing runs over Eastern and Southern Germany plus they were in plentiful supply.
By: antoni - 28th December 2007 at 11:48
44-14450 was Anderson’s second Old Crow. Originally Olive Drab/Neutral Gray when it was photographed in Dec 1944 it had been stripped to bare metal and the rudder painted red. In the photo it has 110 gal paper drop tanks painted grey.
By: CSheppardholedi - 27th December 2007 at 17:02
Lou IV seen with Teardrop tanks
By: CSheppardholedi - 27th December 2007 at 16:59
It looks like “Old Crow” had the cigar shaped tanks…..still looking for the others
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December 27, 2007 at 3:53 pm