Tag: North American P-51D Mustang

Photo(s) of the Week; 627 “Funny Face”; 462nd Fighter Squadron; 506th Fighter Group

On By acarothersvlrmIn Photo(s) of the WeekLeave a comment

Funny Face was a 462nd Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group P-51D NA-20 Mustang (44-72623) assigned to 1st Lieutenant John “Jack” G. Rice.

627 “Funny Face” on Iwo Jima (506th Fighter Group Association via Dr. John Benbow)

A few things to note from the above picture. First, is that the black paint on the back sides of the propeller blades below the cuffs are showing wear from being on Iwo Jima. The sand and black volcanic grit were tough on paint. This wear was more pronounced on the back sides of the propeller blades than the front sides. Second, please note that the openings to the engine compartment are covered. The air intake on the lower cowl is covered, and there are small “boots” covering the exhaust stacks. The carburetor intake below the spinner and gun openings on the wings were also covered. These measures were taken to prevent the sand and black volcanic grit from entering the engine compartment and gun bays where it could fowl the engine and machine guns. In addition, the factory installed canvas covers in the wheel wells were retained for the same reason.

1st Lieutenant Jack Rice in the cockpit of 627 “Funny Face” (506th Fighter Group Association via Dr. John Benbow)

As the photo above suggests, there might have been another pilot assigned to fly 627 “Funny Face”, but I am unaware of any photos or squadron/group records to indicate who that pilot was. All of the photos I have in my collection of 627 “Funny Face” do not show any pilot names on the lower canopy framing.

1st Lieutenant Rice was a replacement pilot and not assigned to the 506th Fighter Group when it was formed in October of 1944 at Lakeland Army Air Force base in Florida. He was initially assigned to 53rd Fighter Group at Fort Meyers, Florida, where he underwent replacement training in anticipation of going oversees. 1st Lt. Rice would join the 506th FG by January of 1945 as he appears in a photo of 462nd FS officers taken at that time at Lakeland.

1st Lieutenant Rice was not credited with any aerial or ground victories during his time with the 506th FG. By the time the 506th FG arrived on Iwo Jima in May of 1945, the opportunities to engage their Japanese counterparts in the air had dwindled considerably.

Jack Rice would devote 32 years of his life to the United States Army Air Corps/Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He would also serve in the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Nam War as a Civil and Electrical Engineer. Lt. Colonel Rice passed away on July 19, 2015 at the age of 93.

I had the honor and pleasure to interview Jack Rice at the 506th Fighter Group Reunion in Chino, California in 2013. A very kind, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic individual, he sat for more than an hour with me answering all of my questions. Definitely part of the Greatest Generation.

There are no aftermarket decals for 627 “Funny Face” in any scale.

Thank You Veterans!

On By acarothersvlrmIn History, Intro/Miscellaneous1 Comment

Today, November 11th, is the federal holiday in the United States to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

78th Fighter Squadron pilots pose for a picture with one of their Curtiss P-40K Warhawks while stationed on Midway Island in 1943 (Mark Stevens/7th Fighter Command Association)

Veterans Day coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are commemorated in other countries, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of 11th month of 1918, when the armistice with Germany went into effect.

Ground crew and pilots assigned to 640 “The Shawnee Princess/Empire Commuter” pose for a picture in front of their 462nd Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang. From left of right: Cpl. Sheetz (armorer), Cpl. Riley (radioman), 1st Lt. Seale (pilot), Capt. Zagorsky (pilot), and Sgt. Jackson (crew chief) (506th Fighter Group Association)

Originally known as Armistice Day in the United States, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 at the urging of the major organizations representing veterans in the United States.

Crew members of “Thumper” pose for a picture in front of their Boeing B-29 Superfortress on Tinian Island in 1945 (870th Bomb Squadron, 497th Bomb Group, 73rd Bombardment Wing)

Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day which is observed in May of each year. Veterans Day commemorates the service of all those who served in the United States Armed Forces, while Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in military service to our country.

457th Fighter Squadron pilots pose for a picture along side 642 “Fighting Lady” (506th Fighter Group Association)

Thank you to all veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Your service and sacrifices to protect and preserve the freedoms we continue to enjoy are greatly appreciated!

Photo(s) of the Week; Navigating Very Long Range Missions

On By acarothersvlrmIn Photo(s) of the WeekLeave a comment

The official captions to the two photos below are: “North American P-51 Mustangs [sic] fighters escort Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Iwo Jima.” In actuality, the B-29s in these photos were serving as navigational aircraft in escorting the P-51s from Iwo Jima to Japan and back.

A B-29 navigational aircraft escorts 45th FS 15th FG P-51D Mustangs on a VLR mission (USAAF/National Archives via Fold3)

The 1,500 mile round trip flights over a vast expanse of ocean with minimal landmarks made navigating in a single engine fighter an extremely difficult task. Only a few fighter pilots with sufficient experience would feel confident to take on that task. To take that burden off of the VLR fighter pilots, six B-29 navigation planes in three pairs led the Mustangs on each mission. Upon reaching a designated point off the Japanese coast, the B-29s would circle while the Mustangs would venture inland either escorting the main bomber stream or striking their intended targets.

A B-29 navigational aircraft escorts 45th FS 15th FG P-51D Mustangs on a VLR mission (USAAF/National Archives via Fold3)

When the Mustangs began to retreat to the designated rendezvous point, the first pair of B-29s would wait until about half of the fighters had arrived, then set course for Iwo Jima. The other two pairs of bombers departed the coast at approximately ten minute intervals to allow latecomers to join up with them for the long flight back to Iwo Jima. The last pair of B-29s to depart transmitted the Morse Code letters for U and D on the Uncle Dog radio frequency so late departing Mustangs could hone in on those bombers until they were close enough to Iwo Jima to hone in on the signals sent from Brother Agate.

This system worked extremely well and gave VLR Mustang pilots the confidence that they would return safely to Iwo Jima even if they got separated from their squadron or group.

References: The Mustangs of Iwo, Barrett Tillman, Air & Space Forces Magazine, April 1, 2013.

Kit News; Eduard Announces the Future Release of 1/72nd Limited Edition P-51D Mustang “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwo Jima” Kit

On By acarothersvlrmIn Kit/Product NewsLeave a comment

In their special Eday 2024 edition of Info Eduard e-magazine, Eduard announced the future release of a limited edition “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwo Jima” boxing of their excellent 1/72nd North American P-51D Mustang kit. The kit will be released in the second quarter of 2025, and will most likely contain the same decal options as their 1/48th limited edition “Very Long Range: Tales of Iwo Jima” boxing.

Eduard

Nice to see Eduard providing those who model in 1/72nd scale with 12 different decal options covering all three Iwo Jima VLR Mustang groups. Consistent with their other limited edition boxings, it is anticipated that Eduard will include a photo etch cockpit detail set, Brassin 3D printed parts (seats, exhaust stacks, wheels, etc . . .), and a lapel pin. If you are reading this Eduard, it would be nice if the lapel pin has the 7th Air Force logo on it.

In other exciting news, Eduard is getting back into the 1/32nd scale market and has announced the future release of a 1/32nd North American P-51B Mustang. Nice to see Eduard announce the future release of a quality 1/32nd P-51B. While the Trumpeter 1/32nd P-51B kit is a decent kit, it has a large number of inaccuracies.

Eduard

Kudos to Eduard on both accounts!

Photo(s) of the Week: Formation Photo Op

On By acarothersvlrmIn Photo(s) of the Week4 Comments

The three photos in this post were taken by United States Army Air Force photographer, Loomis Dean, while aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Whether these pictures were taken during an VLR mission to the Japanese Home Islands, or during a staged photo shoot is not known.

USAAF/Loomis Dean/National Archives via Fold3

All three photos were taken on the same flight, and what is interesting is that the P-51D Mustangs have no identifying squadron markings, and if there are any plane numbers, you cannot see them due to them being blocked by the wings. In addition, it appears that the twin Uncle Dog antennae have not been installed because the normal antenna has not been moved to the bottom of the fuselage in front of the wheel wells. The twin Uncle Dog antennae were installed in the field on Iwo Jima, and did not become factory installed until Block 30s.

USAAF/Loomis Dean/National Archives via Fold3

These Mustangs are replacements planes that have arrived on Iwo Jima and no squadron markings have been applied yet or field modifications made.

USAAF/Loomis Dean/National Archives via Fold3

All of this considered, these photos are most likely the result of a staged photo op.