Air National Guard Mustangs

Iliad Design, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

Iliad's 1/72 scale Pre-War Spitfire decals are available online from Squadron.com

 
Whilst the North American P-51 Mustang is better remembered for its sterling wartime record it did soldier on post World War Two in the service of the United States Army Air Forces (the United States Air Force post 1947) and with the Air National Guard (ANG).

For those not familiar with it the ANG is the air force militia component of each U.S. state’s National Guard and it is under the jurisdiction of the State’s Governor or his/her equivalent through the office of the State Adjutant General.  Should a situation arise and the ANG is needed to participate in other than defence of the state it can be “federalized” by order of the President of the United States.  Should this occur the ANG units become an active part of the United States Air Force.

This sheet provides markings for five P-51Ds in all representing five different ANG organizations:

• Serial Number 44-72952 of the 154th Fighter Squadron Arkansas National Guard.  The machine is in overall natural metal finish with an olive drab anti-glare panel (as are all of the options on the sheet).  The markings represent the machine flown by the unit’s first post-war Commanding Officer Major H.H. Kirby and it wears his wartime scorecard on the canopy rail along with Arkansas National Guard (ARK NG) titles on the fuselage and NG952 markings (the ‘last three” of the machine’s serial number) on the top left and bottom right of the outer wings.  Other markings include a bright unit marking on the fuselage where the national insignia is normally worn, its serial number on the vertical stabiliser/rudder, and national insignia on the upper left and lower right wings.

• Serial number 44-73205 of the 110th Fighter Squadron Missouri National Guard from late 1946 or early 1947.  The machine is marked in the same manner of the previous option with a white spinner.  It also wears a numeral 3 on either side of its nose (plane in squadron number?) and its fuselage national insignia is supplanted by a black disc.

• Serial number 44-73564 of the 175th Fighter Squadron South Dakota National Guard.  The markings depict it from the summer of 1947.  It too is in overall natural metal finish with an olive drab anti-glare panel but it differs from the other options in that it has a red spinner and a red tip to its vertical stabiliser.  Its National Guard markings are in the same fashion as the others on the sheet with a large unit insignia on the fuselage in place of the national insignia.

• Serial number 45-11349 of the 113th Fighter Squadron, Indiana National Guard circa 1949.  Its markings are basically the same as the others on the sheet with the exception of large unit insignia on either side of the fuselage below the windscreen, and a B4 “plane in squadron” marking on the nose.

• Serial number 44-63746 of the 188th Fighter Squadron New Mexico National Guard circa 1947.  More of the same with this option with distinctive markings being the Zuni Indian Zia sun emblem on the fuselage in place of the national insignia.

The placement guide is an A-4 sized page with colour left hand side profile views of each option on the front and plan views of the topsides on the back.

The decals themselves are very thin and in perfect register.  They are well printed indeed with the detail in the unit markings sharp and clear.   Three sets of national insignia (12) are included but you are on your own when it comes to stencil data.

The placement guide and the decals themselves come packed in a clear plastic zip-loc bag.

This is a great release from Iliad Design and it will appeal to fans of both the P-51 and of ANG aircraft.

This sheet and the new Airfix P-51 are perfectly suited!

This is a great release from Iliad Design and it will appeal to fans of both the P-51 and of ANG aircraft.

This sheet and the new Airfix P-51 are perfectly suited!

Thanks to Iliad Design for this sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2013 by Rodger Kelly
This Page Created on 3 December, 2013
Last updated 3 December, 2013

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