Yankee Merlin Roars!
North American P-51 of 1939-45
USAAF units

AMDG Decals, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Eduard's 1/72 scale Lancaster Wheels is available online from Squadron.com

AMDG Decals is a relatively new Polish company whose website promises a range of decals in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32 and 1/24 scales.  Only six 1/48 sheets have been released so far – two P-47 and four P-51 sets – but if the quality of the P-51 decals is anything to go by then AMDG should have a bright future.

Entitled "Yankee Merlin Roars" parts 1-4, these sets collectively feature 7 P-51Bs, two P-51Cs, two P-51Ds and 1 F-6C.  All are USAAF aircraft that operated from the UK or France between 1944-45, apart from two 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron machines based in China in 1945.  The European examples, particularly, appear to have been selected to show the evolution of Merlin P-51 livery from the earliest camouflaged schemes to the final metal finishes, with some interesting variations in between.

Specific aircraft details are as follows.

Part 1

• P-51B-1-NA, 43-12152/"Killer", flown by Capt. Robert W. Stephens of the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, based at Lashenden, UK, May 1944.  Olive Drab over Neutral Gray with white theatre identification bands on horizontal flying surfaces; the white band on the vertical fin and rudder has been overpainted with Olive Drab.

• P-51B-5-NA, 43-6935/"Hurry Home Honey", flown by Capt. Richard Peterson of the 364th FS, 357th FG, based at Leiston, UK, June 1944.  Olive Drab over Neutral Gray with wrap-around invasion stripes on wings and fuselage.  White theatre ID bands on horizontal tail surfaces, with band on vertical tail surfaces again overpainted.  357th FG ID marking in red and yellow on forward engine cowls and spinner.

• P-51B-5-NA, 43-6461/"Hot Pants", flown by Lt. Wilson K. Baker of the 370th FS, 359th FG, based at East Wrentham, UK, August 1944.  Olive Drab over Neutral Gray with invasion stripes on lower wing and fuselage surfaces only; white theatre ID bands on upper wings and upper and lower horizontal tail surfaces (vertical tail band overpainted).  359th FG ID marking in green on spinner and forward cowls.

• P-51D-20-NA, 44-64148/"Dolly", flown by Col. William C. Clark of the 504th FS, 339th FG, based at Fowlmore, UK, in April 1945.  Overall natural metal with Olive Drab anti-glare panel on upper engine cowling.  Rudder is depicted as a medium grey colour but instructions concede other possibilities.

Part 2

• P-51B-10-NA, 43-7157/"Marjorie II", flown by Lt. Byron G. Houston of the 354th FS, 355th FG, based at Steeple Morden, UK, April 1944.  Olive Drab or RAF Dark Green over natural metal, with white theatre ID markings on spinner, forward engine cowls, and upper flying surfaces, with black stripes on corresponding lower surfaces; white stripe on vertical tail overpainted in Olive Drab, with natural metal trim tab.

• P-51B-1-NA, 43-12375/"Bonnie "B"", flown by Capt. Donald M. Beerbower of the 353rd FS, 354th FG, operating from Advanced Landing Ground A-2, Criqueville, France, June 1944.  Olive Drab over Neutral Gray with wrap-around invasion stripes on wings and fuselage; white theatre ID bands on upper and lower horizontal tail surfaces.  Its early production block notwithstanding, this P-51B was fitted with a fillet extension to its vertical tail.

• P-51BC-1-NA, 42-103002/"Jeesh Peesil Mommy", flown by Lt. Frank Gailer of the 363rd FS, 357th FG, based at Leiston, UK, in September 1944.  Olive Drab over Neutral Gray; invasion stripes on lower wings and fuselage only.  357th FG ID marking in red and yellow on forward engine cowls and spinner, and white theatre ID bands on upper wings and upper and lower horizontal tail surfaces.

• F-6C, 42-103604/"Barbara's Miss Revenge", flown by Maj. Edward O. McComas of the 118th TRS, 23rd FG, based at Chengkung, China in spring 1945.  Overall natural metal with Olive Drab anti-glare panel and black and yellow lightning bolt along both sides of fuselage and vertical tail.

Part 3

• P-51B-5-NA, 43-7157/"Sunny V", flown by LtCol. Everett W. Stewart, Executive Officer of the 355th FG, based at Steeple Morden, UK, in April 1944.  Camouflage is Olive Drab over Neutral Gray with white theatre ID markings on spinner, forward engine cowls and horizontal flying surfaces (white bands on vertical tail have been overpainted with Olive Drab).

• P-51B-10-NA, 42-106462/"U've Had It!", flown by Capt. John B. England of the 362nd FS, 357th FG, based at Leiston, UK in June 1944.  Olive Drab over natural metal with wrap-around invasion stripes on wings and fuselage; white theatre ID stripes on upper horizontal tail surfaces with black stripes on corresponding lower surfaces.  357th FG ID marking in red and yellow on forward engine cowls and spinner.

• P-51B-15-NA, 42-106638/"Impatient Virgin", flown by Lt. Victor E. Bocquin of the 367th FS, 361st FG, based at Bottisham, UK in September 1944.  Olive Drab upper flying surfaces and anti-glare panel, with invasion stripes on lower wings and fuselage.  361st FG ID marking in yellow on spinner and forward engine cowls.

• P-51C-1-NA, 42-103233, pilot unknown, 118th TRS, 23rd FG, based at Chengkung, China, spring 1945.  Overall natural metal with Olive Drab anti-glare panel, black and red shark-mouth on lower engine cowls and black and yellow lightning bolt along both sides of fuselage.

Part 4

• P-51B-10-NA, 42-106447/"Shoo Shoo Baby", flown by Lt. John Howell of the 364th FS, 357th FG, based at Leiston, UK in March 1944.  Camouflage is Olive Drab over natural metal, with white theatre ID bands and upper horizontal flying surfaces and black bands on corresponding lower surfaces; 357th FG ID marking in red and yellow on forward engine cowls and spinner.

• P-51B-5-NA, 43-6425/"Margie Maru", flown by Capt. Jack T. Bradley of the 353rd FS, 354th FG, operating from Advanced Landing Ground A-2, Criqueville, France, June 1944.  Olive drab over Neutral Gray with wrap-around invasion stripes on wings and fuselage.  White theatre ID markings on spinner, forward engine cowls and vertical tail have been overpainted with fresh Olive Drab, but remain on upper and lower horizontal flying surfaces.

• P-51B-15-NA, 42-106875/"Queen Lear", flown by Capt. William J. Shackelford of the 375th FS, 361st FG, based at Bottisham, UK in August 1944.  Overall natural metal with wrap-around invasion stripes, but with stripes on upper wings and fuselage overpainted with Olive Drab.  361st FG ID marking in yellow on spinner and engine cowls, with darker chin intake (as seen in black and white period photos) represented as red.  Black theatre ID bands on horizontal tail surfaces.

• P-51D-20-NA, 44-15499/"Punkie II", flown by Lt. Vernon R. Blizzard of the 504th FS, 339th FG, based at Fowlmere, UK in April 1945.  Overall natural metal with Olive Drab anti-glare panel on upper engine cowling.  339th FG ID marking on spinner and forward cowls in red and white; rudder is an unidentified grey colour.

All of these schemes are detailed in AMDG's instruction sheets, about which the company website says:

Do not expect us to pump up the instruction sheets into book-sized monstrosities with photorealistic plane profiles....[Rather] we will provide instructions clear and simple enough to give you just the information you need about the decal's subject and how to use it...."

This is a somewhat modest statement as the instructions accompanying the four P-51 sets are amongst the most comprehensive I have seen.  These are printed on A4 paper and include the following information about each aircraft:

• A list of relevant details (production block, serial number, unit, pilot, location and date) and identifying features (exhausts, tyres, antenna, rear-view mirror etc).

• Full-colour port profile and dorsal and ventral views (and supplementary scrap drawings if required) backed up by a detailed written description of the aircraft.  There are a few typographic errors in this text, and some of the English used is a bit clunky, but nothing that can't be understood with a quick second read.

• Reference details for the photo/s on which the profile is based.

• A brief history of the aircraft and the pilot/s who flew it.

• Detailed painting instructions using US Federal Standard colours as a guide.

• Comprehensive decal placement instructions.  It will pay to study these before starting because the placement icons used by AMDG are slightly confusing at first glance, but make sense once you familiarise yourself with them.

The decals have also been produced to a high standard.  They are marked as 'made in Poland' and appear to have been printed by AMDG.  I examined all four sheets and found no out of register or otherwise misprinted decals.  Decals for most of the aircraft names, unit emblems and other artwork are provided in several styles, eg printed as a single decal, or as two separate decals for the modeller to bring together. 

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Thumbnail panels:

Enough national insignia are included for a modeller to complete all four aircraft on each sheet.  No stencil data is provided other than propeller manufacturers' logos and airframe data blocks.

Finally, a point of which some other decal manufacturers should take note – the plastic sleeves which hold the decals and instructions are large enough for these sheets to be easily inserted and removed without bending, folding and cursing!

I highly recommend AMDG's "Yankee Merlin Roars" releases to anyone looking for some 1/48 P-51 inspiration. 

The four sets all feature interesting, well-researched subjects from which it will be hard to select just one or two.  Fortunately AMDG's inclusion of 16 national insignia in each sheet means you don't have to pick favourites but can, if you wish, build every available option without having to look further for more insignia. 

I'm looking forward to seeing some of these decals on built-up models, and also to further releases from AMDG.

Thanks to AMDG for the review sample

Review Text Copyright © 2015 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 9 March, 2015
Last updated 9 March, 2015

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