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Those 1945 photos of "Jolie Helene" are only an example of what an authentic Mustang should look like if the aircraft you are restoring is a P-51D-5-NT, and the goal for the restoration is to portray the aircraft at that particular time - post VE-Day, and having seen combat for at least 6-8 months. If, for instance, you're restoring a P-51D-20-NA, and you want it to be an authentic P-51D-20-NA, then there are numerous details as seen in the period photos of the P-51D-5-NT that wouldn't be correct on the P-51D-20-NA you're restoring, because of differences in sub-contractors between Inglewood and Dallas, differences in production blocks, differences in post-production/in-field modifications, etc. Furthermore, what if the goal of the restoration isn't to portray the aircraft as it looked after 6-8 months in combat, but rather only 1-month in, or just a few days after arriving with the Squadron, or the way it looked when it rolled out of the factory - or, rather, depicting a P-51D-5-NT in October 1944, or depicting a P-51D-5-NT in May 1945 - in each case, in order to be authentic, the results will be different, yet each would/should be considered authentic if the results match the specific time in which you have decided to bring the aircraft back to.
Take for instance the restoration of "Sierra Sue II" (what I consider not only the most authentic Mustang flying in the world today, but the most authentic warbird flying in the world). The goal for the restoration was to depict the aircraft at a very specific time in its life - mid-April 1945. Everything done on the restoration led to bringing the aircraft back to this specific time. (Some restorers love to do this on an aircraft that didn't even see service in WWII, but doing so by depicting a wartime aircraft, so it is even more special that this is the very airframe that was there, in Belgium and Germany, in April 1945). At this particular time in its life, it had just arrived with the 402nd FS, having only just begun flying combat missions, and had only just received its unit markings and personal nose art during the first two weeks of April 1945. With "Sierra Sue II", it was run through the restoration process as if it were being run right back through the North American Aviation factory all over again, to all and only all of the early P-51D-20-NA production block specifications for which it originated, using the NAA factory schematics for the organization and time-line of the production (restoration) of sub-assemblies and major assemblies, with sub-components and sub-assemblies only coming together into major assemblies in the order that they were at the factory. Just as it was at the factory, many parts and ribs were dipped in primer rather than sprayed - in the restoration, this process was copied, so that all of those parts had streaks/runs in the primer finishes just as they had from the factory. In most all other modern restorations I have seen, modern paints/primers are always used (with their perfect, flawless finish) that are colored to look like the period stuff - in the restoration of "Sierra Sue II", they used the original chromate zinc, down to the chemical make-up, just as was provided to the NAA Inglewood factory by their specific sub-contractor (with three different distinct hues/colors). The cockpit, as just one example, wasn't sprayed interior green until at the point in the restoration where the fuselage assembly had reached the stage at which time the cockpit was painted at the factory - resulting in authentic ghosting behind areas where, because of this, the paint couldn't reach, as well as authentic paint over-spray in other areas. Using the original primers/paints, with the original finish they provide, as well as doing all of the primer/paint applications and assembly of all of the parts all in the same order as done at the factory, there are scratches, scuff marks, and paint/primer imperfections all throughout the restored aircraft - just as it was when factory 'new'. All of the stencils across the aircraft that were applied at the factory with ink stamps, were applied that way in the restoration - requiring all of those numerous stamps to be re-manufactured - the results being that every stencil has some imperfections to it, because they were applied with stamps, just as they were originally. From afar, I often see/hear people saying that the restored "Sierra Sue II" is pretty, or that it is beautiful, but when you look at it up-close, it is not an immaculate aircraft, as they weren't, even when new.
The restoration of "Sierra Sue II" really was a true restoration as well, and not a recreation, as about 90% of the internal structure of the aircraft is original to the aircraft, and a good number of the skins are original too - with a lot of elbow grease going into making them look new again/as they looked from the factory. Across the aircraft, each skin is either shiny or dull (mill finish) based on the way each of those skins would have looked when the aircraft came out of the NAA factory - no polish. The skins themselves all have the Alcoa or Reynolds Aluminum watermarks, on one side - at the factory, generally the side with the watermarks was always made to face inward, but as seen in original period photographs of Mustangs leaving the factory, that wasn't always the case, especially on panels that were copies of the same panels on either side of the aircraft - being cut the same, but then facing on opposite sides. These watermarks, exposed on the outside surfaces of the aircraft, would wear away over time, or they would be cleaned/rubbed off if such attention was made - this is the case with the restored "Sierra Sue II", where on outer surfaces of the skins where the watermarks are present, they are for the most part now barely visible, where as they were still all quite fresh, on those panels, when the restoration was originally completed.
Throughout the aircraft, it only has all period-correct hardware (nuts, bolts, rivets, screws, fittings), some of which had to be specially manufactured new as it was otherwise unobtainable. All of the original factory worker inspection stamps and grease pencil marks are there (either preserved or reproduced as found), all of the wiring is fabric-covered to '40s spec, and the cockpit is absolutely stock with no modern modifications (everything specific to the early P-51D-20-NA production block). The aircraft has a working N-9 gunsight, a working SCR-522 VHF radio, a working 16-mm gun camera, functioning armament systems (non-firing guns of course) and fuselage tank. The aircraft is even complete with accessories - such as a flare pistol stored in the flare pistol pouch, and a drop message bag stored in the drop message bag slot, just as would be found in the aircraft when new.
Obviously, all of that only takes the aircraft up until the time that it was still new at the factory in late Nov. 1944. Taking the aircraft past that point, up until mid-April 1945 required more work. Between when the aircraft was completed at the factory and till when the aircraft finally began flying missions with the 402nd FS, there were a few Technical Orders issued for the aircraft (for the production block of Mustangs it came from), between January and March 1945. To bring the aircraft right up to the way it looked in mid-April 1945, these T.O.'s were followed in the restoration - perhaps the biggest/most noticeable is a modification that was required for the ammunition bay doors, as the earlier doors, for which it has, were separating from the aircraft in high-speed dives. Like the other details I mentioned above, "Sierra Sue II" was the first restoration to incorporate/reincorporate this T.O. (the only other Mustang flying today with this detail, that I'm aware of, is another combat-vet, "Miss Helen", which has had the modification all this time back to the spring of 1945 when it would have originally received the T.O. mod as well). In period photos of the aircraft from this time, it can also be seen to have been fitted in the field with a P-38 mirror, so this was done in the restoration. Unlike some other Mustangs, post-factory modified with a K-14 gunsight and APS-13 tail warning radar set (as seen in the photos of the Mustang Mark posted), at least in mid-April 1945, photos show that "Sierra Sue II" still had its factory-installed N-9 gunsight and did not have the APS-13 tail warning radar, so that is how the aircraft remains configured in the restoration. Other details place the aircraft at this time in its life, rather than fully factory new, like the missing Detrola beacon receiver and antenna wire, as these items were removed from the aircraft once in Theatre. Of course the finishing touch is the nose art - hand painted, using enamel paints, just like what was done originally. Also, as per the original order/timeline in which the nose art was applied, the lightning bolts were painted on last, after the lady and writing had already been painted.
And that is all just a brief summary of the restoration - I could easily double it. From the exterior of the aircraft, I dare you to find any modern item other than the tiny transponder antenna (certainly no modern VHF antenna), and from the interior, with the exception of two small comm heads that are fitted to a removable bracket that connects to the gunsight mount, I dare you to do the same. Even harder would be to find any finishes, on any of the parts, that is not either of the period, or period correct.
Last edited by JohnTerrell on Wed Jan 13, 2016 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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