357th Fighter Group Profile

P-51B "Sweet Helen"

Harvey Mace and his P-51B Sweet Helen

1st Lt. Harvey Mace's P-51B Mustang "Sweet Helen"
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.  "Sweet Helen" in white rendered tightly across 3/4 of lower strip panel. Top of letter "S" overlaps panel seam.
C.  White recognition stripes were of standard widths on vertical & horizontal stabilizers for early-1944 ETO Mustangs.
D.  Tail number in yellow, "36" on fin, "923" on rudder.
E.  White recognition stripes were of standard widths on wings.

Upper & Lower View Notes:
E.  Repeat of items "E" & "C" from Side View Notes. F, G, H.  Red, Green, Yellow navigation lights- circular and flush with wing panel.
I.  Formation Lights- Red (Port) and Green (Starboard)
J.  Width of checker 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.  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.