And yet another air race inspired model...

[sledge39]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

...By the time the 1948 Bendix rolled around both NX1202 (Houstonian) and NX1204 (Latin American) were painted pearl grey with bright green markings. The wingtips and spinner, however, were still "Mantz Red".

...NX1204 in 1948 gray...

...Paul Mantz and NX1204...Joe DeBona and Jimmy Stewart with "Thunderbird"...

...left-click image...(cancel the medium size image that appears)...

...then left click twice for max size...(1,280px wide)
(some of the thumbnails don't match the photos and some photos are reversed)

...from the LIFE magazine archives..

http://images.google.com/search?q=joe+debona&q=source%3Alife&biw=1024&bih=638&sei=z-RKT_35LsaRiAKPqYHcDQ&tbm=isch

[sledge39]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

...Hmmm...according to Kinert's "Racing Planes and Air Races" vol 4, page 31...

"...Glenn McCarthy sponsored Paul Mantz' three P-51s in the 1948 Bendix...were...light green with darker green markings..."

[Coyote Chris]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Wow...great pics.....Wet Wings and drop tanks is a great book. The Mantz story is a good one.

[stuntflyr]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Reed Kinert's books are filled with inaccuracies, too.

The airplanes were painted gray, with green trim with black or dark green pinstripes. The two Paul Mantz airplanes retained their red color on the wingtips, tail tips and spinners. Eddie Lunkin was the third element of the McCarthy team and the airplane was modified with a P-51H engine and exhaust system with a modified , low profile canopy. It had a similar paint scheme in gray and green.

Chris...

[Big_Jim]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

...Hmmm...according to Kinert's "Racing Planes and Air Races" vol 4, page 31...

"...Glenn McCarthy sponsored Paul Mantz' three P-51s in the 1948 Bendix...were...light green with darker green markings..."

The lettering and numbers were dark green with black outline....the spinner and tips of the wings and empennage were red. Color photos document this scheme.

[stuntflyr]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Do you have a color picture?
Chris...

[Big_Jim]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Do you have a color picture?
Chris...

Even better...(SOMEWHERE in my stash) I have video from 1948 that shows it.

[stuntflyr]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Oooh, cool!
Chris...

[xmh53wrench]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Thanks for all the input guys, and sledge39, great link to all those photos. I am hoping to spend some time comparing the lettering on the grey vs. the red to see if it will help me with the decals. I have yet to see a photo of the left side of the red version with Latin American on it, as well as any info on exactly what that was in reference to (I am assuming its another hotel). Anyway a bit more done tonight.....and a TON of sanding/smoothing. Also cut/filed/sanded a cuffed prop into a cuffless Hamilton Standard.

[Big_Jim]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

I have yet to see a photo of the left side of the red version with Latin American on it, as well as any info on exactly what that was in reference to (I am assuming its another hotel).

Glenn McCarthy owned several hotels....the main one being the Shamrock Hotel in Houston, hence the shamrock on the tail of all his racers and the green on grey colors. In 1947 he sponsored a P-38 called "Flying Shamrock". In 1948 he sponsored 3 Mustangs and named them Texan, Houstonian, and Latin American...all hotels he owned.

[xmh53wrench]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

This is the latest, while waiting to paint the GG wings, and painting NX1204 its red, I decided I would do this goofy 1/32 Mustang by Tomy, it has a motorized prop, and what I thought was really neat rivet detailing. So I came up with this scheme, kind of a stockish P-51, but polished with a bit of paint, and an ode to Nevada and its wild Mustangs. So here it is, still have some red striping to border the black, install the prop, canopy, landing gear and a pair of polished drop tanks. Hope to have it done in a day or two.

Painted with Testors Metalizer and buffed a bit.

[xmh53wrench]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...



Before somebody points it out.....I just realized I put the numbers on the wrong wing.......AAAARRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!! what a rookie move

[Big_Jim]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Before somebody points it out.....I just realized I put the numbers on the wrong wing.......AAAARRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!! what a rookie move

Not if you're racing at Mojave.....

[xmh53wrench]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

Well I muddled my way out of the wing number snafu, I really wanted the unbalanced/unsymetrical look to the wings, but oh well. So here is my "Spirit of Nevada" in its glory.....on my patio...lol

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: And yet another air race inspired model...

The best I've seen. Great workmanship.I can almost hear that Merlin turning over.