1:48 P-51D Mustang - Nose Art Selection

Nine paintings from Mustang noses on one sheet

This decal sheet in 1:48 scale gathers a selection of the paintings carried on the forward fuselage by P-51D fighters of American fighter groups at the close of the Second World War. Side by side here are the designs Red Dog XII, Ridge Runner, Shillelagh, Pin-up Girl, Louisana Heatwave, Happy Jacks go Buggy and Missouri Mauler, supplemented by the personal nameplates of the commanders Bochkay and Glover.

Where the painted noses came from

The drawing on the metal came about right on the field airfield, usually by the hand of a mechanic who was good at it. Regulations neither ordered nor forbade it, and so no two examples were ever repeated: one time a girl's name, another a nod to the pilot's home state, another a comic-strip figure. The command put up with it, because it gave the machine a face and the crew a bond with it. A number of these paintings have survived only in period photographs, and the modeler will not get them anywhere other than on a decal sheet.

Before you reach for the tweezers

The area under the design must be smooth and glossy. On a matte finish air is trapped under the carrier film and the edge turns white once dry. Gloss clear beforehand helps, along with a drop of decal softener on riveted seams and a matte overcoat that evens the edge of the film out with its surroundings. Leave the design in lukewarm water only briefly, until it releases, and carry it across together with the backing.

Who the sheet is for

It will be reached for by anyone building an American fighter of the late war period who does not want to stay with the production markings from the box. Nine designs will do for several builds and the remaining pieces come in useful in a collection of references.

In the package you will find: a printed sheet. Obtain the paints and the kit separately.