P51B Skins

[ICDP]

I may as well get this started.  If the mods want to sticky this then great as we can use this as an info thread on new skins for the P51B.

 

There is no official template yet, so I used the basic stock skin to create this P51B of the 23rd FS, China circa summer 1944. Bull Frog! was assigned to USAAF fighter ace Tex Hill.

 

https://btcloud.bt.com/web/app/share/invite/rlHwg0Uwy0

 

Link with hostorical photo and info.

https://waihobbies.wkhc.net/index.php/history/114-tex-hill-part-5-23rd-fighter-squadron

 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by ICDP

[Art-J]

I thought it would take weeks if not months before we get some custom CBI skins for the -B. Very glad to see the first ones popping up already. Thanks!

[CraigNT55]

Hi ICDP,

Thanks for sharing the awesome skin. How did you get the default skin to use as a base? I’ve always wondered if it was possible to get to the skins that come with the flight sim.

Thanks,

- Craig

[DBFlyguy]

Whenever the template is ready and painters start working on B/C skins, would someone mind doing "Kitten" ?  It was flown by Charles Mcgee of the 332nd FG (Tuskegee Airmen).  Charles Mcgee is currently has one of the highest combat totals for any US Air Force pilot with 409 combat missions spreading from WWII, Korea and Vietnam and he is still with us and is currently 102 YEARS OLD.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by DBFlyguy

[chris455]

I work in the aerospace  industry and had the honor of meeting the Colonel when he visited our company a couple of years ago. A great man and a great American. I will gladly fly "Kitten" when she is available.

Edited January 3, 2022 by chris455

[ICDP]

https://btcloud.bt.com/web/app/share/invite/k58HoxXKQM

 

[ICDP]

Both of my P51B skins have now been uploaded to HSD.

[Jaws2002]

Work in Progress P-51B of 325th FG "Checkertails" .

 

 

 

There's still a lot of work on it, I'll probably finish it only after the template is released,  but, if you have really low quality expectations, you can take it for a ride "AS IS". ?

 

Download Link:    https://www.mediafire.com/file/ii60mohs4w0frmd/p51b5_Sleepy_ann.7z/file

 

This aircraft had interesting history.

 

In August 1944, Romania capitulated and switched sides. Due to the Ploiesti oil campaign, 1100 US pilots and aircrews, that were shot down over Romania, were captured and kept as POW  by the Romanians. As soon as the armistice,  in fear of the US POW's being "captured" by the Soviets, or Germans, The POW's together with Romaina AF, worked out a scheme to rescue the Americans and return them to their lines. This was known as "Operation Gunn".

  https://festungploesti.wordpress.com/2019/08/29/75th-anniversary-of-operation-gunn/

 

On August 27th, Romanian ace, Capt Cantacuzino flew Lt Col Gunn, (the highest rank US POW in Romania), in a Romanian Me-109G, with Gunn in the radio compartment behind the pilot, all the way to Italy.  The two were able to reach Gunn’s B-24 base at San Giovanni Airfield, Italy safely after a two hour flight. 

 

This was Cantacuzino's plane:

 

 There are skins for this plane available.

 

After they landed in Italy, some Mustang pilot wanted to try Cantacuzino's BF-109. He flew it but damaged it during landing.

  The 15th AF quickly organized a rescue mission with specially prepared B17's. The Romanian Pilot received a P-51B and three more US mustangs as excort, to fly back to Romania to organize the relocation of the US POW's to an Airfield close to Ploiesti.

 

Everything went smoothly and on August 31st 38 B-17 landed in Romania and started evacuating the POW's.

 

 

 P-51B "Mustang", SNr.43-24795, Nr.71 "Sleepy Ann", of the 318th. Fighter Squadron, 325th, is the plane Cantacuzino flew back to Romania.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Jaws2002

[ICDP]

Looking very good Jaws.  One suggestion is to make the Sleepy Ann font more italicised.

[Jaws2002]

Yep. you are right. But i was too lazy and just browsed through the font i had installed and used what i had. Lazy bum. i know. I'll fix it after the template is released.

[Rjel]

17 hours ago, Jaws2002 said:

P-51B "Mustang", SNr.43-24795, Nr.71 "Sleepy Ann", of the 318th. Fighter Squadron, 325th, is the plane Cantacuzino flew back to Romania.

 

 

I've been an admirer of the Romanian AF going back to the original IL-2. I've got a few books on the subject and just enough knowledge of their exploits to be dangerous as the saying goes. I have long wondered what became of this P-51B once Cpt. av. Cantacuzino flew it home? I once read it was "gifted" to him by the USAAF. Do you know its final disposition?

[Jaws2002]

I think one of the POW Mustang pilots flew it back to Italy, few days later. I think there was a thread on https://www.worldwar2.ro/ forum about this plane.

[Mysticpuma]

I was lucky enough to speak with 325th FG Pilot Tom Batey who flew with the 319th FS and he also flew #71 but under the nose art "Shirley Jean". Small world

Edited January 10, 2022 by Mysticpuma

[Jaws2002]

Updated the skin a bit. I couldn't find a  font closer to the photo so I made it from scratch. Some of the small parts on the tail got proper color, the painted area is matched better in the alpha. 

The skin has the exact same name so just replace the earlier version.

 

download link:    https://www.mediafire.com/file/ii60mohs4w0frmd/p51b5_Sleepy_ann.7z/file

 

[Jaws2002]

One more Checkertail.

P-51B of the Ace Barrie Davis, of the 325th FG. 

Two versions, One with a more sexy outlined number.

Download Link:  https://www.mediafire.com/file/9ae9ri4yuf59fq3/P51B5.7z/file

 

He was flying this aircraft when he was bounced by the Romanian ace Ion Dobran. He managed to fly the plane to a base in Ukraine.

Few years ago, they met again. 

 

 

I don't have a photo of his P-51B, just his P-51D, so I made the nose art red, like on his P-51D.

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Jaws2002

[Mysticpuma]

On 1/12/2022 at 2:07 AM, Jaws2002 said:

One more Checkertail.

P-51B of the Ace Barrie Davis, of the 325th FG. 

Two versions, One with a more sexy outlined number.

Download Link:  https://www.mediafire.com/file/9ae9ri4yuf59fq3/P51B5.7z/file

 

He was flying this aircraft when he was bounced by the Romanian ace Ion Dobran. He managed to fly the plane to a base in Ukraine.

Few years ago, they met again. 

 

 

I don't have a photo of his P-51B, just his P-51D, so I made the nose art red, like on his P-51D.

 

 

 

 

Love it, thanks for sharing, very much appreciated.

Jaws, did you ever see the documentary of the meeting of Dobran and Davis? Here is a link in case you didn't. 50-minutes long and covers Barrie and Ion talking about the battle and finally meeting years later. I created the battle footage using IL2:1946

 

http://kogainon.com/k/knights-of-the-sky-air-war-over-romania/

Edited January 15, 2022 by Mysticpuma

[Jaws2002]

Yeah. I've seen that documentary some time ago. Awesome.

[CUJO_1970]

I had a client years ago that was shot down over Romania in a B-24.

 

He said when the Romanians captured him they were like "why you bombing us, we got no beef with you" lol.

[Jaws2002]

11 minutes ago, CUJO_1970 said:

I had a client years ago that was shot down over Romania in a B-24.

 

He said when the Romanians captured him they were like "why you bombing us, we got no beef with you" lol.

 

 Now looking back at the last  century, I think they do that out of habit. ?

Edited January 16, 2022 by Jaws2002

[esk_pedja]

Hey Jaws,

 

Any chance of something "early olive green" ?

 

Thanks in advance !

[Danziger]

Have you guys updated since the textures were updated in the hotfix?

[Jaws2002]

On 1/16/2022 at 4:47 AM, Danziger said:

Have you guys updated since the textures were updated in the hotfix?

 

nope. I was kinda hoping the official template is released soon, so I can just move everything on that, and i don't have to chase small changes.

On 1/16/2022 at 4:20 AM, esk_pedja said:

Hey Jaws,

 

Any chance of something "early olive green" ?

 

Thanks in advance !

 

I didn't plan to.

I just like the Checkertails and wanted to do a few of their skins.

 

I'm still working on one checkertail, the "Chinese Laundry", and that may be it for me. 

This one still needs quite a bit of work, as you can see. That fully checkered tail is not fun at all.

 

EDIT:  here's the download link:    https://www.mediafire.com/file/474r1ubmdx2a9ue/Chinese_laundry.7z/file

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Jaws2002

[DBFlyguy]

On 1/2/2022 at 9:42 PM, DBFlyguy said:

Whenever the template is ready and painters start working on B/C skins, would someone mind doing "Kitten" ?  It was flown by Charles Mcgee of the 332nd FG (Tuskegee Airmen).  Charles Mcgee is currently has one of the highest combat totals for any US Air Force pilot with 409 combat missions spreading from WWII, Korea and Vietnam and he is still with us and is currently 102 YEARS OLD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just found out Brig. Gen. Charles Mcgee passed away in his sleep last night at the age of 102.  This man lived a life very well lived! Salute to you sir, rest in peace ?

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by DBFlyguy

[BMA_FlyingShark]

Thanks for posting this, Flyguy.

 

Salute General McGee.

Condolences to family and friends.

 

~S~

[esk_pedja]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:06 PM, ICDP said:

The first post, Bull Frog, repainted into new version...

Looking forward to some more olive-green early skins  ?

[Beebop]

On 1/16/2022 at 11:39 AM, DBFlyguy said:

 

Just found out Brig. Gen. Charles Mcgee passed away in his sleep last night at the age of 102.  This man lived a life very well lived! Salute to you sir, rest in peace ?

 

 

 

 

Devs, can we have some pilots of color as a tribute to these amazing pilots?

[Danziger]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:06 PM, ICDP said:

I may as well get this started.  If the mods want to sticky this then great as we can use this as an info thread on new skins for the P51B.

 

There is no official template yet, so I used the basic stock skin to create this P51B of the 23rd FS, China circa summer 1944. Bull Frog! was assigned to USAAF fighter ace Tex Hill.

 

https://btcloud.bt.com/web/app/share/invite/rlHwg0Uwy0

 

Link with hostorical photo and info.

https://waihobbies.wkhc.net/index.php/history/114-tex-hill-part-5-23rd-fighter-squadron

 

 

Do you have any tentative ETA for the template?

[Mysticpuma]

Official template is out

[Tempus]

Have anyone any tip for removing the exhaust covers like in some default skins? Thanks for advance.

 

 

[Fritz_Fagioli]

Some Salem Representative Ralph Hofer love please!   What a fantastic character of WW II.  I've been fascinated with his story since discovering him in a Osprey Mustang Aces book, that had to be 20 + years ago.  Geez they should make a movie of it!   Anyone else a huge Kidd fan here?  I'll be buying Bodenplatte if someone does a high quality skin of it! lol

[KOHTYP]

Hello everyone.

Here is the download link.

 

[Beebop]

N I C E!

Thanks!

[Danziger]

3 hours ago, KOHTYP said:

Hello everyone.

Here is the download link.

 

You beat me to it! I had this one on my list to start when I come back from holiday. It looks great! Good work ?

 

 

[Diggun]

Kind of apologies for cross posting, but thought this might be of interest in this thread. 

 

Here is an RAF PRU blue Mustang III. A speculative skin - as far as I'm aware, only 514 Squadron RAF used Mustang III's in the Photo Recon role - between June 44 - July 45. I can't find a photo of a PRU Blue '51, and, indeed, it seems to me that they would most likely have been used in a low altitude, tactical photography role - so would probably have kept the standard Temperate Day Fighter scheme for added sneakiness.

 

However, my idle googling did bring up some rather fetching scale models of the Mustang III in this scheme, and I thought she looked so damn cool in it that I thought I would knock one up for use in game.  Available for all to download and use from HSD, under the name 'PRU Blue Mustang III'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Diggun

[Rjel]

15 hours ago, Fritz_Fagioli said:

Some Salem Representative Ralph Hofer love please!   What a fantastic character of WW II.  I've been fascinated with his story since discovering him in a Osprey Mustang Aces book, that had to be 20 + years ago.  Geez they should make a movie of it!   Anyone else a huge Kidd fan here?  I'll be buying Bodenplatte if someone does a high quality skin of it! lol

It's a default skin already. Well done too.

[Sheriff88]

23 hours ago, Fritz_Fagioli said:

Some Salem Representative Ralph Hofer love please!   What a fantastic character of WW II.  I've been fascinated with his story since discovering him in a Osprey Mustang Aces book, that had to be 20 + years ago.  Geez they should make a movie of it!   Anyone else a huge Kidd fan here?  I'll be buying Bodenplatte if someone does a high quality skin of it! lol

Salem Rep. is included as on of the official skins.

 

[Fritz_Fagioli]

8 hours ago, Rjel said:

It's a default skin already. Well done too.

 

19 minutes ago, Sheriff88 said:

Salem Rep. is included as on of the official skins.

 

 

Well I'm glad they finally listened to me about my ideas!  Now they need to get to work on putting my head on a pilot please! ?  Well I'm off to spend more money on IL2!  PS So the B is only in the Normandy pack?

Edited January 21, 2022 by Fritz_Fagioli

[Props]

14 hours ago, Sheriff88 said:

Salem Rep. is included as on of the official skins.

 

I am also a big fan of Kidd Hofer, though he probably wasn't the best wingman you could depend on what with his penchant of taking off on his own to do battle with the Hun. The official skin in the sim needs correction though as his nickname "Kidd" is missing from the wheelcover, portside if I'm not mistaken, and of course to do it justice you should fly it with the Malcolm hood as he got a hold of one early on while flying this plane.

[Mysticpuma]

On 1/16/2022 at 6:25 PM, Jaws2002 said:

 

nope. I was kinda hoping the official template is released soon, so I can just move everything on that, and i don't have to chase small changes.

 

I didn't plan to.

I just like the Checkertails and wanted to do a few of their skins.

 

I'm still working on one checkertail, the "Chinese Laundry", and that may be it for me. 

This one still needs quite a bit of work, as you can see. That fully checkered tail is not fun at all.

 

EDIT:  here's the download link:    https://www.mediafire.com/file/474r1ubmdx2a9ue/Chinese_laundry.7z/file

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Jaws, did the official template help figure out the full checkertail?

[Jaws2002]

Yes it did, in a way. The templates come with those nice green lines that help you find the edges/joint lines of the textures. so it's much easier to lineup things.

I got it done few days ago, the skin was posted in it's own thread, in this forum.  But the lower joint between vertical and horizontal tails is not very precise, with the texture going on both horizontal and vertical part of the joint. That makes lining up those damn checkers a pain. So I left that part full yellow, just like on the actual plane. 

 

The joint on the top leading edge of the tail came a bit messy, because all those textures meeting in one point. Don't li8ke that part too much, but ....I'm a "forever  n00b in Photoshop" , so. As good as i can get it.

 

 

The original aircraft had the leading edge extension, to improve lateral stability, so it looks better with full tail. The version we have in game looks a bit more odd with full checkerred tail, because of that skinny area.

Edited January 22, 2022 by Jaws2002