357th FG Profile
1st Lt. Louis Fecher’s P-51B “Li’l Kitten”
Summer 1944
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. “Li’l Kitten” in red with white highlighting rendered on lower strip panel.
C. Data stencil not over painted- measure kit decal and mask off rectangular area to paint natural aluminum for stencil background.
D. Name placard for pilot & crew rests above data stencil. Pilot, Crew Chief, and Armorer titles and names provided, the title “Asst Cr Chief” was listed beneath crew chief, but no name was entered.
E. Retrofitted vertical fin extension. From aft fuselage bulkhead to level of lower edge of rudder trim tab.
F. Tail Number- yellow “329” on fin, black “038” on yellow rudder.
G. Reduced invasion stripes come up to lower edge of star & bar insignia. Sides of radiator ventilation flap were natural metal. Note absence of a third white stripe.
H. White recognition stripes were of standard widths on vertical & horizontal stabilizers for 1944 ETO Mustangs.
Upper & Lower View Notes:
H. Same as item “H”, above.
G. Same as item “G”, above.
I. Width of checker reduced on underside in order to fit evenly on the narrow surfaces of the chin scoop area. J, K, L. Red, Green, Yellow navigation lights- circular and flush with wing panel.
M. Formation Lights- Red (Port) and Green (Starboard)
Overall Modeling Tips:
*This aircraft wore dark olive green over USAAC medium gray. Paint on the flat camouflage colors first- then mask off a rectangle for the project number background and paint in natural aluminum color. Most metal colors will be marred or removed by masking materials so it’s often better to leave them for last.
*No mirror or antenna wires were installed on this aircraft, canopy framing left natural aluminum. Some decal references indicate that a triangular area at the bottom of the rudder was left camouflage green, but the entire rudder was indeed yellow.
*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. When the time for decals arrives, 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 48-487
