P-51D Mustangs
To War with the Yoxford Boys Pt.2

Eagle Cals Decals, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Eagle Cals #102 - To War with the Yoxford Boys are available online from Squadron.com

EC48-102 is the second of the three-part release of decal sheets from Eagle Editions Ltd which arose from the research for their book “To War with the Yoxford Boys written by Merle Olmsted and Colonel Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson, USAF (Retired) who a member of the 357th Fighter Group during World War Two.

EC48-102 provides you with markings for three more 357th Fighter Group birds, two from the 363rd Fighter Squadron and one from the 364th Fighter Squadron.

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Thumbnail panels:

Details of the individual options offered are as follows:

• ‘Ole Flak Joe’ P-51D-10-NA, 44-14532, B6-O flown by Lieutenant William Fricker of the 363rd Fighter Squadron.  The notes accompanying the placement guide advise that it is likely that the machine’s upper surfaces have been painted with Royal Air Force paints, “dark green” on it’s upper surface and “grey”(likely “medium sea grey”) on its undersides though the United States Army Air Force colours of olive drab and neutral grey respectively are also a possibility.  As advised in the review for their first sheet (ECD-101) the colours worn by the 357th’s P-51s have long been debated with opinions divided between US Army Air Force olive drab and neutral grey, and RAF “dark green” and “grey” with still others arguing that the undersides could have even remained in the natural metal finish that they were delivered in.  She wears the standard yellow and red chequerboard and stripe group markings to her nose and spinner respectively as well as a red rudder to distinguish her as a 363rd Fighter Squadron bird.  She also wears a set of white theatre identification bands that were applied to distinguish the P-51 from the Me-109 around her wings and horizontal stabilisers (you will have to paint them on yourself as they are not provided in decal form.

• P-51D-15-NA, 44-1542 B6 F flown by Major Donald Bochkay of the 363rd Fighter Squadron.  This option is in overall natural metal finish with an olive drab anti-glare panel on her nose as well as the standard red and yellow group markings and a red rudder worn by the aircraft of the 363rd Fighter Squadron.  A well documented aircraft, it wears a substantial scoreboard as well as Bochkay’s distinctive winged ace of clubs individual marking on the port side of the nose.

• “Frenesi” P-51D-5-NA, 44-13318, coded C5 N which was flown by Major Tommy Hayes Jr of the 364th Fighter Squadron.  This machine too is in the debated camouflage finish and the same comments apply to the paints used for her as the first option.  She also wears a set of white P-51 theatre recognition markings and the remnants of black and white ‘D’ Day recognition markings on the undersides of her wings and rear fuselage both of which you will haveto paint on yourself.  Note that this option does not have the fin fillet that was added to later manufactured P-51Ds.  The lack of this strake may influence your choice of kit should you go with this option.  The Hasegawa kit has been engineered with enough plastic in place so that you can simply cut, file and sand away the strake whilst the Tamiya one will take a little more work.  A further option available is a complete resin rear fuselage sans the strake from Ultracast.

The placement guide is the same as the other two sheets in the trilogy.  It is A-3 in size and folded in four so that when you open it up you have full A-4 sized illustrations.  A left hand side full colour profile (artwork is by Tom Tullis) is provided for each option with the markings keyed by letter to those on the decal sheet.  Smaller plan views are provided for upper and lower surfaces.  The stencil data placement guide is a line drawing and it too is full A-4 sized.  Notes for each option are also provided and these include a brief history of each machine’s pilot.

The placement guide appears to have been printed using a good quality laser printer rather than the normal printing press.  A good thing too as this process displays the exquisite detail of Tom Tulli’s original artwork.

The decals themselves are top class.  Everything is in perfect register and there is an absolute minimum of carrier film around each of the designs which is what you want if you are applying them over a natural metal finish.  The scoreboard markings for Don Bochkay’s machine and “Frenesi” are provided as two-part decals as is the name for “Old Flak Joe”.  Aset of yellow and red chequerboard group markings are provided in a two-part format for each option as well as individual data blocks which display the appropriate serial number.  A single set of national insignia is provided as well as a single comprehensive set of stencil data (note that the notes for the last option point out that it did not wear any stencil data apart from the data block.

The decal sheet and placement guide come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

The same comments apply for this sheet as the other two - a top quality well researched and well produced decal set that will appeal to 8th Air Force enthusiasts as well as fans of the P-51.

Recommended.

EagleCals decals are available from Eagle Editions Website
or Hobby Retailers including Squadron.com
 

Preview Text Copyright © 2008 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 12 February, 2008
Last updated 12 February, 2008

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