And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
That P51is a B or C model with the Malcom hood, which was developed by the R Malcom & Company for the RAF when they received their Mustang IIIs. It was a big improvement over the original canopy and both the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Forces adopted it for many of their P-51Bs and Cs. North American developed the tear-drop canopy for the P-51D, but apparently many pilots thought the Malcom Hood was superior in visibility, (and the lighter B/C models superior in performance, altho lesser in firepower).
There were only 57 pilots in the USAAF who scored 10 or more kills in P-51s, but none of them have a name matching the one painted on the side of that cockpit.
354th fighter squadron 355th fighter group. Some pilots put victories in other theatres or services on their aircraft. Also later in the war 8th AF gave credit for strafing “kills”. Looks like a P51b.
Just came across this video you might enjoy. He talks a great deal about his experiences flying P-47s.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGy2KTe9WmU
Has the English style cockpit similar to the Spitfire, but yet he’s claiming 10 German kills with USAAF insignia….??
ReplyDeleteP-51A an early variant.
DeleteOr P-51B
Deletemalcolm hood
DeleteB or C with Malcolm hood
DeleteThat P51is a B or C model with the Malcom hood, which was developed by the R Malcom & Company for the RAF when they received their Mustang IIIs. It was a big improvement over the original canopy and both the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Forces adopted it for many of their P-51Bs and Cs. North American developed the tear-drop canopy for the P-51D, but apparently many pilots thought the Malcom Hood was superior in visibility, (and the lighter B/C models superior in performance, altho lesser in firepower).
ReplyDeleteReal plane.
ReplyDeleteBut apparently, a fake ace.
There were only 57 pilots in the USAAF who scored 10 or more kills in P-51s, but none of them have a name matching the one painted on the side of that cockpit.
https://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/aces/aces_list
I've read a pilot didn't necessarily fly the same plane mission to mission.
DeleteMaybe that pilot earned his kills in other aircraft types?
DeleteWhat are the #1 and #3 kill emblems? Italia?
Delete354th fighter squadron 355th fighter group.
ReplyDeleteSome pilots put victories in other theatres or services on their aircraft.
Also later in the war 8th AF gave credit for strafing “kills”.
Looks like a P51b.