P51 III RAF colors ?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi Everyone !

I am working on P51 III (315 RAF Polish sqdn) and have a problem with colors.

I’ve got one source saying that since those planes were made in the US, they came to Britain already painted in colors “US Equivalent” instead of RAF colors.

According to RAF colors those should be:

Dark Green

Ocean Grey

Medium Sea Gray

North American supposed to use :

Olive Drab

Sea Grey

Sky Grey accordingly.

What was the real thing ? Does Anyone know ??

Greg

2

Yes, P51s were painted in the USA in ANA equivalent colours. Olive Drab 42 ANA 613, Sea Grey ANA 603 and Light Grey ANA 602. Olive Drab and Light Grey were a good match for the British colours but Sea Grey was matched to Extra Dark Sea Grey not Ocean Grey. The British were not happy with the Sea Grey and so many Mustangs were repainted on delivery with Ocean Grey. This can be seen in photos as they have much higher contrast between the grey and green. It is not possible to tell from photos if the Green and Light Grey were also overpainted but there is some evidence on some aircraft that the green was painted over as well.

Which particular 315 Mustang have you in mind?

3

Thanks for such details.

I am trying to build Horbaczewski’s plane FB387 (PK-G) using Tamiya 1/48 model.

Greg

4

There is no try, there is do or do not. [Quote} Yoda.

5

Thanks for words of wisdom :). Thats right - I wish I make a good model of Horbaczewski’s plane, but since it is my first model after a loooong time, learning new tricks, getting a lot of hints from others (like you :slight_smile: ) and hoping that I can make a plane I can be praud of. This is why I said: I am trying :slight_smile:

Greg

6

Unfortunately, Tamiya have made a complete dog’s breakfast of the markings for Horbaczewskis’s FB387. There should be a white band around the nose and across the wings and tail planes. The white bomb mission markings were yellow. The squadron badge and chessboards were on both sides of the fuselage. Under the chessboards was the legend ‘POLAND’ in white and they were painted, as on nearly every 315 squadron Mustang, with the white squares in the top left and bottom right corners. The gap between the fuselage roundel and the Sky band was so narrow that the letter G overlapped nearly all the yellow of the roundel and overlapped the Sky band slightly. There was a small black letter G painted under the nose just behind prop. Do not paint the framing on the Malcolm Hood as it was not painted on the original. FB387’s exhausts were not fitted with shrouds, use parts 22 and 23. Techmod Sheet 48002 has a correct set of decals for FB387.