357th FG Profile
P-51B "Speedball Alice" Flown by Don Bochkay
1st Lt. Don Bochkay's P-51B Mustang "Speedball Alice"
Spring 1944
Modeler Tips:
Side View Notes:
A. Rear red band on propeller boss extends onto spinner to leading edge of
blades when in neutral pitch. Determine width of yellow band by dividing
remainder of spinner evenly.
B. Winged ace of clubs- note red border in card.
C. "Speedball Alice" in red with bold yellow border.
D. Kill marks. Five white swastikas. Note that they are
reversed so as to tilt back counter-clockwise.
E. RAF-style half-sphere mirror on swept pylon.
F. Tail number in yellow, "36" on fin, "933" on
rudder.
G. White recognition stripes were of standard widths on wings and
horizontal stabilizers.
Upper & Lower View Notes:
G. Repeat of item "G" from Side View Notes. H, I, J. Red,
Green, Yellow navigation lights- circular and flush with wing panel.
K. Formation Lights- Red (Port) and Green (Starboard)
L. Width of checkers reduced on underside in order to fit evenly on the
narrow surfaces of the chin scoop area.
Overall Modeling Tips:
*This aircraft wore dark olive green over USAAC medium gray. There were no
antenna wires installed on this aircraft.
*After building several 357th A/C over the past 30 years, I recommend painting
the nose area forward of the exhaust cutout yellow when the flat features are
painted. Then when decal time comes, carefully cut away the yellow squares
from the checkerboard decal and apply the remaining strip of red checkers to the
nose. This method significantly reduces the potential for bubbles, and wrinkles
plus it makes exact alignment of the decal easier.
*Prior to assembly, wash clear plastic parts with a mild glass cleaner and
gently wipe dry. Then use a Q-Tip to evenly spread clear liquid floor wax
(Future Brand seems to get the best results) on both inside & outside.
Protect from dust and let dry for at least 2 hours. The wax fills in
microscopic flaws and creates an even gloss that is clearer & shines
brighter than the original plastic underneath.