SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Invasion Stripes on a Pacific Mustang?

1512 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: Ypsilanti, MI
Invasion Stripes on a Pacific Mustang?
Posted by Brhino on Sunday, July 3, 2022 9:11 AM

I'm building Hasegawa's 1/72 P-51D Mustang.  Markings are provided for Lt. Jacques E. Young's "Jumpin' Jacques" from the 3rd Air Commando Group, which fought in the Pacific for all of its existance.  There's also a warbird that until recently bore the same markings as the original Jumpin' Jacques.  No surprise that decal makers like to operate with an aircraft that they have actual access to, or at least have a host of full color modern photographs.

The markings include the classic Black-and-White invasion stripes, which as far as I know were exclusively used for the Normandy Invasion and immediate aftermath.  But Jacques fought in the pacific and shouldn't have had them.  At first I assumed that the stripes were a creative liberty by whoever put together the paint scheme for the warbird, until I found this article:

https://www.flightjournal.com/south-pacific-warrior-rare-combat-mustang/

The article has photographs from the original aircraft in 1945, and clearly shows the invasion stripes, which it refers to as "Pacific Theater Stripes". I have never heard of Pacific aircraft carrying these stripes and can find no other references to them online, but we have photographic proof that at least one mustang did.

Does anyone have any more information about this? I'm curious to get to the bottom of it.

Who keeps stepping on wings?  Someone won't stay off the wings and now I have to apply all these tiny "NO STEP" decals.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, July 3, 2022 10:17 AM

The flight journal article explains it. Those are not D Day invasion stripes, not really even similar, but " Pacific Theater stripes". At these relative points in each theater, getting shot at from the ground by friendly forces would be the prime concern.

id like to know more about that scheme.

 

Bill

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, July 3, 2022 10:42 AM

The "Pacific Area" stripes were used as a theater recognition marking from the time of the Philippines campaign onward on single seat, single engine fighter types in the 5th Air Force. They were much wider than the "Invasion Stripes" worn for the Normandy landings, and the stripes were usually carried on the mid to outboard portion of the wings as opposed to the inner portions of the wings worn in Europe. Also some units re introduced the pre war AAF red & white rudder stripes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: Ypsilanti, MI
Posted by Brhino on Sunday, July 3, 2022 2:20 PM

Thanks everyone.  Great photo!  Interesting to me that there's at least two different varations in that photo alone... some of them have 3 black stripes which take up pretty much the entire length of the wing, and some of them only have two.

One other thing about the article... it claims Jumpin' Jacques has an omega on its tail.  That's clearly not an omega.  A Theta, maybe... but I'm not sure why the center bar would be wider than the circle.

Who keeps stepping on wings?  Someone won't stay off the wings and now I have to apply all these tiny "NO STEP" decals.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Northeast WA State
Posted by armornut on Sunday, July 3, 2022 11:11 PM

   Learned something from this... I watched Kong Skull Island, yea I know,  in the opening seens there was a P-51 with "invasion stripes" and a red tail. I thought it was artistic license  given the korny theme of the movie.

    But this thread showed me that atleast one writer did their homework. Thanks.

we're modelers it's what we do

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Posted by EdGrune on Monday, July 4, 2022 8:37 AM

Draw Decals offers decals for Jumpin' Jacques in your choice of scales. https://www.drawdecal.com/product/124-jumpin-jacques-p-51d-f-azmu/

Two versions with French or UK civil registrations

This version has but two black/one white bars painted chordwise vs the photo showing many more.   Also blue wingtips

 

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: Ypsilanti, MI
Posted by Brhino on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 8:29 PM

Came out pretty well, I think.  Probably the most time I've spent on decals compared to assembly and painting.

Who keeps stepping on wings?  Someone won't stay off the wings and now I have to apply all these tiny "NO STEP" decals.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 11:00 PM

Well done!

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.