357th FG Profile
Lt Myron Becraft
1st Lt. Myron A . Becraft’s P-51D Mustang “Moose”
Spring 1945
Modeler Tips:
Side View Notes:
A. Rear red band on propeller boss extends onto spinner to leading edge of blades when in neutral pitch. Determine width of yellow band by dividing remainder of spinner evenly.
B. Moose-head nose art in black and white.
C. “Moose” in red w/black trim, rests within lower strip panel.
D. Kill marks, 7 black swastikas on white circle, bordered in red. 4 in top row, three beneath. Last one in top row centered beneath windscreen-canopy joint.
E. Mirror and fairing. Clear perspex quarter dome with oval mirror placed inside apex. Not standard equipment, can be made from scratch using Squadron Brand “Heat & Smash” Canopy Film. I used sandpaper to even up the shape of the front corner of an extra Spitfire Mk V “clipped wingtip” from my surplus parts as a smash mold. Refer to photo of P-51D on Modeler’s Guide front page.
F. Tail Number- black “463” on fin, “221” on rudder.
G. Note horizontal bar beneath the “S”, denoting that there was already an aircraft in the squadron with fuselage codes ” G4 S”
Upper & Lower View Notes:
H. Width of checkers reduced on underside in order to fit evenly on the narrow surfaces of the chin scoop area. I, J, K. Red, Green, Yellow navigation lights- circular and flush with wing panel.
L. Formation Lights- Red (Port) and Green (Starboard)
M. Windscreen frames and glare shield are flat black. Glare shield tapers away from upper cowl seam toward center of aircraft from forward bulkhead to propeller boss.
Overall Modeling Tips:
*Paint on the flat colored glare shield first- then mask it off and paint the remainder of the aircraft in natural aluminum color. Most metal colors will be marred or removed by masking materials and should therefore be applied last. Note that this aircraft did not wear any recognition stripes, after the New Year 45 most Mustangs in the ETO adopted a cleaner appearance by omitting theatre markings.
*There were no antenna wires installed on this aircraft. Note placement of pilot’s name on canopy rail.
*After building several 357th A/C over the past 30 years, I recommend painting the nose area forward of the exhaust cutout yellow when the flat features are painted. Then when decal time comes, carefully cut away the yellow squares from the checkerboard decal and apply the remaining strip of red checkers to the nose. This method significantly reduces the potential for bubbles, and wrinkles plus it makes exact alignment of the decal easier.
*Prior to assembly, wash clear plastic parts with a mild glass cleaner and gently wipe dry. Then use a Q-Tip to evenly spread clear liquid floor wax (Future Brand seems to get the best results) on both inside & outside. Protect from dust and let dry for at least 2 hours. The wax fills in microscopic flaws and creates an even gloss that is clearer & shines brighter than the original plastic underneath.
SuperScale Decal Sheet 48-671 and Sky Models Sheet Sky48-023
