Post WW2 RF-51D Mustang photos

Unfortunately, that poster last visited on 6th January 2010, so I don’t know if he will respond.

My father has many stories about the Polka Dot Squadron

Hello. Don’t know how I can help, specifically, but my Pop flew with the 45th TRS (Polka Dots) at Kimpo (K14) between November ’51 and February 1952. He flew 80 missions before given the option of going home. From that period he has a few color slides of some of the aircraft and fellow pilots. I have no other written documentation. He never spoke about his Ops but I did learn the story behind the inception of the Polka Dots. He started it. He made a scarf from polka dot material. To complement the scarf he traced circles on his helmet using his liquor rations bottle caps as guides. He painted the area around the circles the same color blue as the scarf. The look quickly caught on and was adopted as the squadron colors. Any questions? I’ll try to answer as best I can.

Joe

Joe, I think our parents must have served together. Lt. Paul Riggs was at Kimpo the winter of ’51-’52; he served with Lt. Col. Hudson, Hector Senecal, others. Let me know how to contact you – we can swap stories!

Interesting, thanks James, I wonder why the problem occured post-war?

and didn’t realise the tailwheel could be seperately selected from the main gear.

IIRC, a discussion on WIX, there were retraction problems postwar, so a simple fix was worked out to fix it down. The tailwheel couldn’t be ‘selected’ separately from the main gear – it was just fixed in this period.

As usual info on RF-51s is swamped by endless P-51 info. Rather like too much static on the radio. Reliable accurately researched data on the photo-recon type postwar appears rare.

As Ausflyboy’s pointed out, the RAAF operated an Australian built photo reconnaissance Mustang version postwar. Although undertaking an equivalent role to the RF-51 the RAAF example was a completely independent design modification, the PR. Mk.22.

Regards,

Sweb, I’ve sent you a PM.

Will read and respond.

Joe

F-51’s from the 123 Fighter Group that trained at Atterbury Army Air Field during the summer of 1948.

http://www.atterburybakalarairmuseum.org/c-46’s_and_more.htm

Any reason why these Mustangs are flying with the tailwheels down? Seems very unusual
and didn’t realise the tailwheel could be seperately selected from the main gear.

Good thread Lindoug

Sweb, I’ve sent you a PM.

I’m searching for photos of the post war RF-51D Mustangs for some research I’m doing. Can anyone help?
Also I’m trying to identify which air forces flew the recce Mustang apart from the USAF?

Hello. Don’t know how I can help, specifically, but my Pop flew with the 45th TRS (Polka Dots) at Kimpo (K14) between November ’51 and February 1952. He flew 80 missions before given the option of going home. From that period he has a few color slides of some of the aircraft and fellow pilots. I have no other written documentation. He never spoke about his Ops but I did learn the story behind the inception of the Polka Dots. He started it. He made a scarf from polka dot material. To complement the scarf he traced circles on his helmet using his liquor rations bottle caps as guides. He painted the area around the circles the same color blue as the scarf. The look quickly caught on and was adopted as the squadron colors. Any questions? I’ll try to answer as best I can.

Joe

The Aussies had a version of the RF-51 🙂 had a different camera port on the side though!

Cheers,
Chris

Gents, I will pop my bits on a separate thread – I think lindoug will find it less frustrating that way!

Adrian

C’mon guys. There must be someone out there with knowledge and photos of the RF-51D, known also as the F-6.
Photo is of an RF-51 based at Taegu with the 45th TRS in 1951.

Adrian if I understand you question to me !

Adrian :

If I understand your question to me..with regard to the type of matting the Folwmere Mustangs are parked on ? At first I thought it might be the material we called ” Marston Matts”… named after a small town in the state of North Carolina near Ft Bragg. Like steel planking… you still find them around here all the time. Guess after the war the US military sold them to the civilian market. The stuff is found all over the world ..where US forces fought !
But on closer look..its does not look like the matts I have seen before ! Might be and English product used by the 339th FG during the war !

Thanks !
BlueNoser352!

here is an explination of the Marston Matt !

http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/M/a/Marston_Mat.htm

Bluenoser,

I hope lindoug will forgive me the interruption by a (very sad!) tangent, but do you know what the tracking the aircraft are standing on is? It doesn’t look like PSP or Sommerfeld, and I’m curious as to whether or not it’s bar-and-rod.

Adrian

Dan,
Thanks for your input.
Have you got any info on the RF-51s used by the ANG wing at Shaw in the late ’40s, ’50s. eg 155th TRS, 118th TRW. The 118th converted to RF-80s and went to Europe as the 66th TRW in 1953.
I’ll sort out some RF-51 photos shortly.

Tar Heel 339th FG during WW II !

Thought I would add a few more from some shots Col Starnes gave me on his P-51 in England during the war ! Two nice shots of ” Tar Heel” on the ground..with one showing Capt Starnes covering his bird on the flight line. Here a French officer I beleive awards the good Captian with a medal from the French Govt for his exploits with the 339th ! Darn good stuff in my book ! I have been to the former field that the 339th flew from and the local folks in the village were so kind to me… saw the Old Checkers Pub there were the pilots visited for a little liquid refreshemnt between missions in the village as well…great people in the Fowlmere !!! BlueNoser352 offers a salute to the fine folks who reside there and thanks for taking care of this Yank on his visit !

BlueNoser352!

Another fine Tar Heel P-51 Mustang Ace !

Got to always when speaking of the P-51 Mustang on this fine forum…. an honor to know this fine man personally. Here is then Capt James R Starnes P-51 ace ” Tar Heel” at Fowlmere…home of the 339th FG 8th USAAF. Colonel Starnes went on to fly F-4’s in Vietnam and retired a Colonel in the USAF ! Great looking color shot from WW II !

BlueNoser352!

Dan good call on the book !

Dan:

Good recall on the book ..just could not remember this title this am as I was trying to recall it. I have seen some old color film shot in the 1950’s at the WVA airbase..believe someone had it at a Eighth AF reunion. Nice mention of Ed Heller being in the group… for sure a ledgen with the 352nd durnig his day at Bodney ! Hope all is well in your world Dan !

Thanks for the correct information here !

BlueNoser352!

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels ..your 2009 National Champs..That good looking Carolina Blue reminds me of another fighting Tar
Heels from the 352nd… Maj George E Preddy Jr.

While not in color.. I think ( which at times has been dangerous for me) these are some P-51’s from the 352nd ..now with the WVa Air National Guard.

My understanding is the WVa ANG birds got blue noses due to Ed Heller being in the unit. They didn’t get 51s until 1948 so they weren’t hand me down 352nd birds.

That at least according to Jack Smith’s book on “The Coonskin-Boys-Men and Mustangs of the 167th Fighter Squadron, West Virginia Air National Guard”

Your welcome lindoug !

Glad to help and anything to help the cause on the subject of The P-51… good luck on the research. You live in a beautiful part of the world in France.
I know that back in the summer of 1944……….. those beauties did a job on the retreating Germans as they tried to escape the pincers of Patton’s Third Army !

Good Luck on your research !
BlueNoser352!

University of North Carolina your 2009 National Champs !
Go Heels !

Thanks very much for the input and the heads up for some useful sites. I am concentrating particularly on the recce RF-51. I have some sources for Korea; but need some input on the period 1946 to 1950 and after Korea.