I’m going to extensively photograph the P-51B/C Old Crow at EAA this year. I know restored warbirds aren’t 100% accurate and one thing I’ve noticed (besides the wheel well question going around) is that the canopy framing is either aluminum or OD. I see examples of both on the internet. does anyone know the real answer?
If it’s been restored to flyable condition, who cares about the details?? Not me! Great to see the few old warbirds still up in the air!
I want to make a somewhat accurate model of it. I personally like the aluminum frame but sometimes its about accuracy over personal favorite.
If you are going to model the replica/restoration then you could go either way because photos exist in both states depending on when the photos were taken.
If I recall correctly, I seem to recall reading somewhere that the sliding portion of the “Malcolm” canopy was actually frameless, yet photos exist of the canopy having a frame or reinforcement on the front and rear mating surfaces (perhaps a modern retrofit?). The fixed portions, ie windscreen and fixed rear windows were framed, however.
The inside of the canopy framing on the B/C would be the same color as the interior (interior green). On the D the framing would be black (this is painted from the factory, not taking into account repainting later on, field changes, etc) IF you mean the outer framing on the “malcolm” hood, then it is unpainted plexiglass on the original. The frames took on an silverish look in pictures because of the plexiglass stripes glued to the edges as a reinforcement. (again, this is factory finish, it may have been repainted if the rest of the airframe was painted after a repair, etc)
Bronto, this pic is, of course the replica/restoration, but it appears to show a metal strip around the front of the hood.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miskypig/3792716206/lightbox/
This one’s inconclusive - could be metal or paint
Both of those are of the restoration. The aircraft does not use an original hood, it is a reproduction. The originals had a metal frame along the bottom rails, but not along the front edge.
Here is an excerpt from Air Ministry (DAT) CS/11800 which is a report from the original trails with the Malcolm hood:
“The basic hood is a frameless affair with the front and back rims left unpolished”
here is a photo showing the unframed front edge, also the roller track that the canopy was attached to (which none of the kits or details sets out there include)
Yep, which goes back to the OP’s post about wanting to do a “somewhat accurate” model. It depends on what he wants to model - the restoration at a particular point in time or a representation of the actual aircaft, which should have a frameless hood, but which may have had the frames painted in as per your earlier post.
Essentially, anything goes unless one has a photo of the said aircraft at an exact time and date showing a particular configuration. [:)]
The Malcolm hood was frameless, front and rear. This was deliberate, to insure that if it hit the vertical tail when jettisoned, it would crack in half cleanly. The thick bead front and rear that many people mistake for a metal edge is just a thick bead of frosted Plexiglas. In many photos, you can see that light behind the bead passes through it. Not metal. The only metal is the bottom framework for the runners that attach to the external rails. Some Groups, the 357th notably, added a wind deflector, consisting of a metal strip, around the windshield arc, which rode over the canopy bead when it slid closed. The restoration for Jack Roush (Old Crow) shows Merle Olmstead’s influence here, as that wind deflector strip was added. They also added a thin metal frame to the front and rear arcs that are not what original Malcolms had. It maybe is they want to add a rubber weather strip to seal the rain out better, but it is not wartime standard, even for 357th A/C.
Cool thanks guys!