P-51 Malcolm hood question

[SHAEF1944]

My understanding is the Malcolm hood on AAF Mustangs was done as a 2nd level modification, to be done as kits and operational downtime allowed, at both depot and squadron levels. I am trying to confirm by official orders, tech. orders, etc, that this is true.
Does anybody have, or know where I can find, any official documents on the when and where this mod. was to be done ?
Lots of general info on the Malcolm hood out there, not much detail like this I can find, and you know us nuts, always looking for official specifics.

[Malcolm Hood]

Wish I could help. (Insert "feeling totally inadequate" emoticon)

[Triplane102]

The Current authority on the Malcolm hood would be Pacific Fighters in Idaho , http://www.pecificfighters.net , or thru Facebook. Warbird Digest latest issue has a story on them. http://Www.warbirddigest.com .John Muszala just restored P-51B "Berlin Express", with a Malcolm hood. Good Luck

[Lon Moer]

The Current authority on the Malcolm hood would be Pacific Fighters in Idaho , http://www.pacificfighters.net , or thru Facebook. Warbird Digest latest issue has a story on them. http://Www.warbirddigest.com .John Muszala just restored P-51B "Berlin Express", with a Malcolm hood. Good Luck

[JohnB]

The OP's comment about lack of details from the depots is correct.
There are still a lot of WWII USAAF details (on AF-level maintenance, logistics, training, etc.) that aren't widely known and given the age of vets, and lack or kept records, may be lost to history.
We know a great deal about the aircraft, combat units and combat histories (i.e. the "sexy" topics), but a lot of details remain to be covered.

Any budding 8th/15th AF historians out there?

BTW: I've learned a great deal from Martin W. Bowman's books where he seemingly interviewed vets to tell their more personal stories...ranging from food to sex to rec time.
I enjoyed "Wild Blue Yonder, Glory Days of the US Eighth Air Force in England" (2003) and "We're here to win the War for You"..( (2009).

If you want to get beyond the aircraft and aces and learn about the less-known aspects of the 8 AF and its men, these are good places to start.

[GregP]

We are talking about this in another forum and it turns out to be LOT of work. The original canopy opens sideways and the Malcolm Hood slides fore and aft, so you have to remove the canopy mechanism aft of the windscreen and install a completely different system in its place.

Also, the Malcolm Hood affects the flight handling of the aircraft. The unmodified P-51's fly better than the Malcolm Hood units.

[b29flteng]

My dad was a crew chief on P-51Bs and stated they modified their Mustangs with the Malcolm Hood on the flight line in about a day.

[JohnTerrell]

According to Michael Vorrasi (Mustang researcher extraordinaire) it took about 135 man hours for the modification work to be completed. The earliest P-51B/C conversions were begun around early spring of '44, as far as I've found (based on dated photographs). The Malcolm hood kit (designed by NAA engineers working in England, and manufactured by Malcolm in England), included a crank with chain drive, runners, a push-button external release, an emergency release mechanism w/handle, chain guard panels, some integral structural parts, and a new VHF wire antenna, since the AN-104 antenna had to be removed as it would prevent the travel of the Malcolm hood. There were also some different versions of weather seals fabricated and mounted along the rear edge of the windscreen to cover the lip of the Malcolm hood when closed.