Re:Red Tail P51D Duchess Arlene

Now this is a compilation of 3 pictures.

On the left: is the original Petty artwork for the Memphis Belle

Middle: is the photo of Duchess Alene showing a clear similarity with right leg down.

Right: is my scribble.

What I don’t know: does her leg continue onto the wing fillet or end at the panel join?

At the moment my thoughts are the latter.

Seems like the gal is kneeling. Might be worth doing a bit more digging.

Dan

Can see where you’re coming from, however, I think artists become entrenched with other artists views. I did at the beginning, but now only believe photographic evidence. (and Mark V!)

On this post I’ve put the old style artwork of our gal kneeling and maybe the answer in the photo along side. At first glance in the pic she appears to be kneeling, this is due to the upper wing surface cutting her leg off at the bum. I enhanced the photo slighty and you can make out the right leg angled down but abruptly cut off.

Don’t believe it’s a repeat of the Belle art Spitfireman. Seems like the gal is kneeling. Might be worth doing a bit more digging. Looks great though 🙂

Baz, the wire antenna was factory fitted to work with a ‘Detrola’ receiver. This unit was mounted on the cockpit floor and was designed to pick up transmissions from US control towers (obviously only when in the US!). Once shipped to a foreign theatre the unit was pretty much useless and usually removed along with the wire antenna. The active radio antenna was the one inside the mast.

Steve

Your post was the very reason I put my scribbles on this forum!
There are a lot of artists that routinely make this mistake:eek:

Eddie says you work on a ex-Red Tail P51?

Thanks again

Baz

(updated sideview)

Thanks Jayce

Great reading, nice pictures, would never have found it(!)
Don’t start me on another Duchess:D

cheers

Baz

Glad I could help (a little tiny bit).

Great artwork, by the way. 😎

Do you know why it was removed?

Baz

Baz, the wire antenna was factory fitted to work with a ‘Detrola’ receiver. This unit was mounted on the cockpit floor and was designed to pick up transmissions from US control towers (obviously only when in the US!). Once shipped to a foreign theatre the unit was pretty much useless and usually removed along with the wire antenna. The active radio antenna was the one inside the mast.

Given that Steve is involved with an ex-Red Tail P51D I’d guess it applies in this case.

Lovely artwork 🙂 – just a small point, the aerial wire was normally removed in the ETO.

Thanks Steve

Didn’t know that, have to say the P51 is not one of my strong points. My learning curve is quite steep with this one. How about Italy with the wire?
Do you know why it was removed?

Baz

Barry, there’s a great close-up photo of Palmer standing in front of the second Duchess (surprisingly a C) in a Tuskegee article on the Alabama Heritage website. Let me see if I can find it….

Here we go. It a PDF.

Black Wings of Tuskegee

Thanks Jayce

Great reading, nice pictures, would never have found it(!)
Don’t start me on another Duchess:D

cheers

Baz

Lovely artwork 🙂 – just a small point, the aerial wire was normally removed in the ETO.

Tuskegee, not Tuskeegee. Which I point out only because it’s such a frequent error. We had a bunch of signs made recently for our Tuskegee Airmen chapter’s annual golf tournament, and they all were presented to us misspelled by the signmaker…

Sorry about that, being as I had the book right in front of me while I was typing that I really should have done better!

Barry, there’s a great close-up photo of Palmer standing in front of the second Duchess (surprisingly a C) in a Tuskegee article on the Alabama Heritage website. Let me see if I can find it….

Here we go. It a PDF.

Black Wings of Tuskegee

Bit of guess work here…..

this is as close as we’re going to get, unless more information comes forth.

Baz

Another photo just come to light sort of shows the Font on the nose but the ‘A’ appears to have a curve in it I’ve not seen before…..

Also the artwork under the cockpit appears to be a copy off B17 ‘Memphis Belle’ (with different underwear:eek:) maybe done by the same artist?

That’s a great illustration! 🙂

Not photographic evidence, but the illustration on p.76 of Osprey’s “332nd Fighter Group: The Tuskeegee Airmen” shows the yellow recognition band going over the landing gear doors.

Thanks AdlerTag.

Trying to get away from other artists illustrations as some are making errors by copying other artists.

Some illustrations show this band over the doors and others do not.

A photo sent to show me that they do, apparently don’t!

I wouldn’t mind seeing a clearer view of this and the rest of this aeroplane if anyone has one

cheers

Baz

Stepwilk–

Surely they were Miss-Pelt, not merely misspelt…

(sorry, couldn’t resist, that was one of the cleverest names to grace a ’51…)

S.

Tuskegee, not Tuskeegee. Which I point out only because it’s such a frequent error. We had a bunch of signs made recently for our Tuskegee Airmen chapter’s annual golf tournament, and they all were presented to us misspelled by the signmaker…

That’s a great illustration! 🙂

Not photographic evidence, but the illustration on p.76 of Osprey’s “332nd Fighter Group: The Tuskegee Airmen” shows the yellow recognition band going over the landing gear doors.