Color on 5" rockets for P-51D (WWII)

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

I am new to this forum and I need some advice from the experienced molders like you.

I am building an Airfix 1/24 P-51D Mustang with “BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL” marking or my friend but I have doubt on the color guide the instruction provides. It recommends to paint the rockets body silver with oilve drab warhead. I saw some modelers paint the rockets body white and the warhead either red or light gull grey.

Does anyone know the proper color for these rockets or even have color photos on those carried by a WWII P-51D (Not Korean War)? I will appreciate any suggestion and advise. Thank you in advance!

P.S. Should I drill hold at the rare-end of the rockets?

wing1928

http://www.ww2guide.com/5inlarge.jpg

2

It’s been a few years so I don’t know where I found the colors for my rockets on my Korean F-51 but I painted mine with olive drab warhead with silver tip, gray rocket body with the fins silver. There are a series of small holes drilled in the back of the rocket, I think 10 with one in the middle. I’m at work and will be here for another 5 days so I can’t check out my model. Oh, I forgot it’s at the local City Museum on display for Aviation Week. I think it may have been in the Squadron Signal’s P-51 in Color series book.

3

looks like silver rockets with OD Tips…
not a great pics but check this out, almost to the bottom of the page
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/MEGGS_mustang.html

4

There were three basic warheads used on the 5" rockets. The high explosive had OD warheads. The Armor piercing had an OD warhead with a steel armored cap on the tip. Incendiary has an OD warhead with a red tip and a yellow stripe behind the red tip. All rocket bodies were natural metal.

5

The 4.5 inch HVAR’s in WW II with the white-with-red “warheads” and fins were either dummies or inert practice rounds. This from “WW II US Army Fighter Modeling Masterclass” by Jerry Scotts and Brett Green (Osprey, 2003).
Something that drives me up the wall is when I see a beautifully modeled WW II Navy plane with one of those bogus red-and-white torpedoes in the bay. Monogram put that fallacy in our heads when we were kids and we just can’t get it out for some reason. Same with the rockets.
TOM

6

Thank you guys for your valuable inputs. I have to get on my project in this weekend. I will try to post some photos after the project beinging completed. Thanks again!

wing1928