This is a repaint for the generic/stock P-51D included in the Base and Full versions of the Reno Air Races expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The repaint depicts the restored P-51D Mustang USAAF Ser. No. 44-73877, registered as G-CMDK, owned and operated by Warbird Experiences LTD at Biggin Hill, UK. It is painted in the markings of famed 4th Fighter Group Commander Col. Don Blakeslee's personal aircraft, assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron, based at Debden, England, circa summer/fall 1944.
This repaint features an almost complete reworking of the original product textures, and includes all new cockpit, wheel well, landing gear and landing gear door textures, all custom to match the real aircraft with the correct colors and other details. Just about every effort has been made to make this an accurate depiction of the real aircraft, including:
- Silver-painted wings (accurate to both the restoration and to original factory production - per North American Aviation, all panel lines and rivets within the first 40% of the wing chord were covered in filler and sanded smooth, then painted)
- Stenciling & markings (prop to tail, wing tip to wing tip)
- Specific metal finish
- Imron Gray primer throughout (cockpit, wheel wells, landing gear doors)
- Numerous changes to colors, placards & labeling, and other details in the cockpit to closely match the real aircraft
- Paneled-over fuselage fuel cap (as on the real aircraft, the location where the fuselage cap once was is paneled-over, but is still painted red as the fuel cap would have been)
This aircraft was manufactured as P-51D-25-NA USAAF Ser. No. 44-73877 and delivered to the US Army Air Forces in the summer of 1945, too late to see combat assignment during World War Two. Like many late-production Mustangs, it was placed into storage at Kelly Field, where it remained until the outbreak of the Korean War. Pulled out of storage and overhauled, it was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force in January 1951, becoming RCAF Serial No. 9279. It operated with the RCAF for the next seven years when, with the introduction of jets, it was finally retired from service in April 1958. The aircraft was soon sold surplus and passed through a few civilian owners in both the US and Canada over the next twenty years, changing registration from N6320T to CF-PCZ and finally N167F. In 1980, the Mustang was acquired by Anders Saether of Norway, who contracted with Darrell Skurich (Vintage Aircraft) in Ft. Collins, Colorado, to fully-restore the airframe. The restoration was completed in 1985 as 357th Fighter Group ace Col. Bud Anderson's "Old Crow" (silver version). In 1986, Saether brought the Mustang to Norway as part of the Scandinavian Historic Flight, and it has been a regular in the European skies ever since. In 1989, it was one of seven Mustangs used for the filming of the movie "Memphis Belle", with 44-73877 painted in temporary movie markings as "Cisco", coded AJ-N. In 1999, the aircraft was briefly refinished as "Detroit Miss" of the 361st Fighter Group before being repainted again in 2001, this time as the olive drab/grey version of Col. Bud Anderson's "Old Crow". This was done in conjunction with a UK visit by Bud Anderson that same year, during which time Col. Anderson flew the aircraft solo in a photo flight over his old 357th FG airbase at Leiston, England. The Mustang continued to operate from Norway for the next decade until when it was sold in 2012 to Shaun Patrick in the UK. Brought to Shoreham, England, the Mustang was overhauled, re-registered as G-SHWN, and repainted into RAF No 112 Sqdn. markings as KH774, becoming widely-known as "Sharkmouth" with its fanged motif. It flew for several airshow seasons in those markings until 2020, when it was fully stripped to bare metal and repainted into the markings of P-51D-5-NA USAAF Serial No. 44-13779, the personal mount of famed 4th Fighter Group commander, Col. Don Blakeslee. In October 2021, now re-registered as G-CMDK, the Mustang was once again sold, this time to Warbird Experiences LTD, known publicly as "Fly a Spitfire", which operates warbird experience flights out of Biggin Hill Airport, near London. With a second seat installed behind the pilot, where during original military service there was once a fuselage tank and military radios, the company offers 30, 45, and 55 minute flights in the Mustang from Biggin Hill.
For his exploits and leadership, Col. Don Blakeslee was a pilot that most every other American fighter pilot serving in England in 1944 knew of. If you aren't familiar with his story, I encourage you to read this condensed biography on his service during World War Two: https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/donald-james-matthew-blakeslee
VERSION 1.4 (hopefully the last update required) - removes the mipmaps that some textures were mistakenly saved with in my previously-updated version of this repaint.
Perfect! Very Well done. Also because this one is operated by Norwegian Spitfire Foundation. Thank You!
1 years ago
MagT1920
Thanks - lovely job John ! I just need to master my take offs now !!
1 years ago
Thank you, Richard! In my case, it has been my landings that I need to improve (keeping it straight as the tail comes down). I've found on takeoffs, if I keep the tail down by holding the stick back until about 50-60 mph, it makes it easier to keep it going straight. During WWII, they actually instructed on conducting takeoffs in a 3-point/tail-low type attitude with the Mustang.
1 years ago
Bomber12th
FERG
Absolutely gorgeous John! Wow!
1 years ago
Thank you, Doug, I appreciate it!
1 years ago
Bomber12th
DeltaSierra
Thank you very much John for all these magnificent paints! I can only imagine how much work you put into these.
1 years ago
Thank you, Tim! Yeah, I try not to count the hours. It is so great to see you producing repaints now for MSFS, too! I've always looked up to/admired your skills and attention to detail, both with your texture work and screenshots.
1 years ago
Bomber12th
TimHH
Very well done. Especially since the original textures are so hard to repaint.
Thanks very much 😊
1 years ago
Thank you, Archer! Yeah, this model requires me to use modeling software in order to apply the layout of the markings, otherwise it would be way too tedious of a job to try and do so by guessing.
1 years ago
Bomber12th
Archer374