AVG P-51B Question

[AKPilot]

Hi! Am new here. Have recently retired from the Air Force, after 22 years, and now work for Boeing IDS.

Does anyone know if there were any P-51Bs, of the Flying Tigers, that ever held the Chinese Nationalist markings? If so, can you post a picture or tell me where to locate one. I swear I saw one somewhere, but can't relocate the picture.

Am trying to model an R/C Top Flite Mustang after one, if it existed. No offense to P-51 lovers of Europe, but am looking for something unique to turn heads on the flightline. If not, I'll probably just replicate Tex Hills with the U.S. Star/Bar on it.



Thanks.

[Micdrow]

Hi! Am new here. Have recently retired from the Air Force, after 22 years, and now work for Boeing IDS.

Does anyone know if there were any P-51Bs, of the Flying Tigers, that ever held the Chinese Nationalist markings? If so, can you post a picture or tell me where to locate one. I swear I saw one somewhere, but can't relocate the picture.

Am trying to model an R/C Top Flite Mustang after one, if it existed. No offense to P-51 lovers of Europe, but am looking for something unique to turn heads on the flightline. If not, I'll probably just replicate Tex Hills with the U.S. Star/Bar on it.

Thanks.

Hi Akpilot,

The AVG was decommisioned July 4th 1942 and the first XP-51B mustang wasnt granted till June 12th 1942 and a addendum to add the packard Merline 61 was added on June 15th 1942 so seeing a P-51B in AVG colors would not have been possible at least to serve with the AVG.

[Micdrow]

The picture you are looking for is located in this thread, as I said above though. It could not have flown with the AVG group but was flown by the Nationalist Chinese Airforce.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/air...ngs-12914.html (Looking for P-47D Chinese Makings)

[JoeB]

Besides being flown by the Chinese Nationalist (and later Communist) AF's outright, some P-51's were also used by the Chinese American Composite Wings late in WWII. Those units were technically also part of the Nationalist AF, but as the name implies had a mixture of Chinese and American pilots. They were in effect partly like the AVG: some US pilots (though Chinese ones too unlike the AVG) in Chinese marked planes. This P-51K in Nationalist markings is identified as CACW:


One common confusion results from many USAAF 14th AF units, the CACW and other units in theater calling themselves 'Flying Tigers' like the AVG, which AVG members complained about ever after. In fact the 14th AF, now the USAF's principle space unit, still uses the nickname 'Flying Tigers'. So 'Flying Tigers' can refer to units other than the 1941-42 AVG at least according to those units, but 'AVG' can never correctly refer to any other unit but the '41-42 P-40 unit.

Joe

[Johnny Signor]

it could have been one with the latter 23rd Fighter group,they had P-51B's,have you tried thier history?