Starfighter Jock Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 (edited) Looking for a photo source for the fuselage formation lights mounted in the P-51 Mustang. Attached link of Kit Carson's P-51K Nooky Booky IV is claimed to have been fitted with the fuselage formation lights but I am not seeing them, can anyone shed some light, no pun intended, on the subject? Thanks, Kirk https://www.cebudanderson.com/357profilenookybookyiv.htm Edited March 25, 2019 by Starfighter Jock typo correction BiggTim and D.B. Andrus 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radub Posted March 25, 2019 Share Posted March 25, 2019 The text is s wrong when it states "formation lights, green starboard, red port." Those are not "formation lights", they are just the standard "navigation" or "position" lights present on all aircraft (and vessels too). Radu BiggTim, Starfighter Jock and CANicoll 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 Thanks for the info and just to clarify, what I am looking at in this photo is not formation lights? Out2gtcha and BiggTim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 8 minutes ago, Starfighter Jock said: Thanks for the info and just to clarify, what I am looking at in this photo is not formation lights? Correct. The three formation lights on a P-51 should be on the underside of the Starboard wing (not sure about the order or colors here though) : Starfighter Jock and BiggTim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 Just now, Out2gtcha said: Got it, thanks! Just now, Out2gtcha said: Correct. The three formation lights on a P-51 should be on the underside of the Starboard wing (not sure about the order or colors here though) : Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 1 minute ago, Jennings Heilig said: I misspoke- not all P-51Ds had them. That’s what those are in the second photo Aha, I have a couple of different reference sources referring to blue formation lights being installed in the fuselage of some P-51D and K's, Carson's Nooky Booky IV is one of them but in the photos I have of that A/C from late 1944 into early 1945 I am not seeing them on the fuselage so may have been installed later in 45, if at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggernut Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 25 minutes ago, Out2gtcha said: Correct. The three formation lights on a P-51 should be on the underside of the Starboard wing (not sure about the order or colors here though) : I don't think these are formation lights. I believe they are identification lights. I cannot remember how they were used but my failing memory seems to think they were used in different combinations to ID either friend from foe and/or airfield ID to keep AAA gunners from shooting at them. Formation lights would be blue/purple. Of course, none of this I can corroborate at the moment; it's just my memory which I don't trust 100% any longer. Starfighter Jock and Out2gtcha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 1 minute ago, Juggernut said: I don't think these are formation lights. I believe they are identification lights. I cannot remember how they were used but my failing memory seems to think they were used in different combinations to ID either friend from foe and/or airfield ID to keep AAA gunners from shooting at them. Formation lights would be blue/purple. Of course, none of this I can corroborate at the moment; it's just my memory which I don't trust 100% any longer. I too have seen most of these in blue and red as well, which is why I questioned the order and color of the lights, as they are not usually clear red and amber like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggernut Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Yes, the lights should be red, Amber, and green. Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggTim Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Starfighter Jock said: Thanks for the info and just to clarify, what I am looking at in this photo is not formation lights? I got lost somewhere along the way....I get the red/green nav lights on the wingtips, and the red/green/amber lights under the wingtip, but WTH are these? Edited March 27, 2019 by BiggTim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggernut Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 (edited) How about this photo: The lights are formation lights and are orange in color. There is another one on the aft fuselage area and two on the opposite side in the same location. According to my reference, these lights were installed on very few P-51's. Interesting to see that in another photo of this aircraft (and others in the 357th), the aft fuselage light is located dead-center in the fuselage star whereas in the above 4th FG photo (previous post), it's toward the rear of the national insignia. I looked for a TO for the installation but could not find one so it must have been a theatre or depot installation that was apparently an option as not all P-51D's seem to have had them. I have not found much on these lights but to be honest, I haven't looked really hard yet either. I do know I was not able to find them in the P-51D & K Illustrated Parts Catalog. If you look at the lower photo of Nooky Booky IV, you will see the forward fuselage light installed whereas the upper photo does not have it installed yet. https://www.cebudanderson.com/357profilenookybookyiv.htm REFERENCE: Kinzey, Bert.1997. P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale, Volume 51, Part 2, P-51D through F-82H. Squadron/Signal Publications. Carrollton, TX (pp. 2, 33) Edited March 27, 2019 by Juggernut BiggTim and Starfighter Jock 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John1 Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 4 hours ago, Juggernut said: How about this photo: What a pretty (IMO) Mustang. Is it overall OD? Almost looks like some grey is added. Anyone have details on this aircraft? For that matter, anyone know if there are aftermarket decals for her? Starfighter Jock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggernut Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 She's painted in RAF stock paints and was photographed on the Continent in 1945 I believe. Someone here made a model of her not too long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 (edited) 16 hours ago, John1 said: What a pretty (IMO) Mustang. Is it overall OD? Almost looks like some grey is added. Anyone have details on this aircraft? For that matter, anyone know if there are aftermarket decals for her? There has been much controversy over the years on whether or not these 357th Mustangs were painted with US stocks of OD Green or RAF paint stocks, and if the undersides were painted in neutral grey or left in natural aluminum. For myself, I just use interpretation of what my eye sees for colors anyway, I never try and match specific paint color chips. Here is the link to a build here on the forum that features this Mustang. Edited March 28, 2019 by Starfighter Jock added text Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Jock Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 EagleCals also has several 1/32 decal sheets that feature different over painted 357th Mustangs too. http://www.eagle-editions.com/aircraft-decals-for-the-modeler/32/p-51-mustangs Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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