(Sorry for the super long post)
This is the introduction to my next aircraft WIP. It's a meaningful build for me... a memorial to my relative, Maj. Richard E. Steckel of the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron, who was shot down over N. Korea in 1952. Here's a picture of him:
He was flying an F-51 Mustang. One of the reasons I got back into this hobby last year was because I wanted to do a memorial build of his airplane. All the kits I’ve built in the last year were a great way to build my modeling “chops”, and now I have enough confidence to tackle this project. For this build I will be using the Tamiya 1/32 P-51D kit as a starting point.
I have only a limited amount of information about his F-51. I’ve been able to dig up two pictures of the plane (SN: 44-84945), one from before it went to Korea (in Oakland, CA - April 1949), and one from January of 1952, a few months before he was shot down.
Here’s the first pic, along with some info from the book where this comes from:
Text (paraphrased) and photo from the book, Mustang: Thoroughbred Stallion of the Air By Steve Pace.
Photo credit: William T. Larkins
This airplane (44-84945) began life as a P-51D-25-NT and once belonged to the 347th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Key Field in Mississippi.
It made a forced landing on October 20, 1945, was repaired and subsequently field modified to serve as a TF-51D-25-NT. It was modified again to RF-51D-25-NT and served with the 18th FBG, 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron, and was flown by Maj. Richard E. Steckel. Major Steckel and the airplane were lost in action on May 15, 1952 north of Pyongyang due to enemy fire.
Next is a picture of the plane from the book Mustangs Over Korea: The North American F-51 at War 1950-1953, by David R. McLaren. Picture taken in Jan. 1952, so they were flying out of K-46 airfield at that time.
The caption says the plane is being run-up by the crew chief, so that’s not Maj. Steckel in the cockpit. Note the canvas covers on the flying surfaces to protect them from the snow. Also note, the heavy weathering. It was modified to an RF-51D-25-NT sometime after this photo was taken.
Photo Credit (USAF)
Here is a color picture of another plane in the 67th FBS that shows the squadron color scheme.
Photo Credit (USAF)
I have a lot of other really good color reference pictures of 67th FBS planes, but I can’t share them with you. They were sent to me by a former mechanic with the 67th FBS, but with the stipulation that they not be posted to the internet.
This is a color layout document I put together in Photoshop of the 67th FBS squadron color scheme so I would have a handy reference at my bench.
Despite my research, I’ve only found limited info on Major Steckel’s final mission taken from various sources, and it can all be paraphrased down to this:
On May 15, 1952 while on a combat mission he made a run on a ground target north of Pyongyang, received fire from the ground and crashed. No egress noted.
No remains were ever recovered, so he is listed MIA/KIA.
The biggest challenge in this build will be converting the plane to look like an RF-51D-25-NT. All the pictures I've seen of the RF versions have that big round camera window in the side of the fuselage. No idea how to tackle that yet. If anyone has any ideas please share. 
Will probably get started on the build this week, after I finish up the Fw-190 A9 I'm doing for the Pride of the Luftwaffe Group Build.
Cheers, Mark