Warbird Information Exchange

Questions:

- I can't remember if the FF-512 also has the last "three" of this mustang's Serial#?, I believe this has been covered here before. Anyone know the history of this Mustang?

- Why two different type drop tanks. One fuel? one napalm? if so, wouldn't that cause a weight imbalance? Thinking into it too much?

Photo states: "Pusan Perimeter, June-August 1950"

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Zero Surprise!!...

With Green clamshell doors.........

Possibly 44-74512 (35th FIW, 40th FIS) hit by AAA and crash-landed 2 mi S of Chunchon, Korea Mar 11, 1951.
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_5.html

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45-47=-2

The buzz code on the fuselage features the last three digits of the serial number. As the aircraft has the tell tale signs of being a P-51D-30-NA, it is most certainly 44-74512. As Mike has mentioned, the aircraft served with the 40th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the 35th Fighter Interceptor Wing, and was shot down near Chunchon, Korea, on March 11, 1951.

The green clam shell doors is a post-WWII detail, that would never be seen earlier than about 1950. It is one of the clear indications that the Mustang in this photo was one of the many F-51's that underwent overhaul around the start of the Korean War. During those overhauls, in which the aircraft were disassembled and completely gone through, often times areas of the interior, such as the wheel wells and gun bays, were painted over in a uniform coating of green zinc chromate (something they never got from original factory production). In the photo Mark has shared, you can even see green zinc chromate "overspray" on the fuselage along the top edge of the wing-fuselage fillets. You can also see that the armor plate has been painted green zinc chromate, which originally, from the factory, was always black.

The yellow tank is a Napalm tank, and it does seem a bit unusual to see it paired with a regular 110-gal drop tank on the opposite wing (extra range required? extra fuel on the fire?).

The tell-tale is the igniters attached to the fill port and the rear of the tank. Weight-wise I'd think both tanks would be very similar as napalm's main component WAS gasoline. I'm wondering if the 110 gal tank was a consequence of it having flown in from a more distant base in Japan. Equally given the location and situation in Korea at that moment the fuel situation inside the Pusan Perimeter may have been "iffy" so bringing your own might have been a smart move.