Late war NMF 65 sqn Mustang operations over Norway?

[Terry McGrady]

Franek ,
The Spinner is the US version of Sky . The simple explanation is that it was painted in the US and did not get repainted before transfer to MAAF.
Cheers
Terry

[Franek Grabowski]

Terry
The spinner should be red and probably is. Bad point on my side though. Lack of Sky stripe is more important and the aircraft does not look like anything painted at Dallas.
Cheers

[Terry McGrady]

Franek Have you seen the Photo of the A/C? How can you describe the spinner as RED? Granted it should be red but it most definately wasn't.
Cheers
Terry

[Franek Grabowski]

Terry, Dull Red was a little bit translucent and may have caused various effects on B&W photos. Definetely, I would not be as definite as you are in this regard.
Cheers

[Terry McGrady]

Franek ,
I'm appearing "Definate " as GA*S KH774 was not the only Mustang IV to serve in MAAF with a Light Coloured Spinner and no Sky tail band . KH 676 CV*A of 3 RAAF was another - KH690 CV*P was another with a light coloured spinner- in this case it appears in a photo in which another A/C whose spinner appears to be red . CV*P in this case does have a sky band,
KH676/690/774 have one thing in common they were all ex UK stock A/C .
Although the Air Britain KA-KZ serials book merely list these A/C as "ME"
The forms 78 especially in the case of KH667 ( this was a suprise to me as it appears to the only P51D-5NT Mustang IV that I can trace as being sent to MAAF) inducates that these A/C were in fact delivered to the UK first then onto MAAF.
Cheers
Terry

[Franek Grabowski]

Terry
I have seen light spinner phenomena on some photos of 318 Sqn Spits, definetelly confirmed red from another ones. Also, shades of grey on B&W photos may vary significantly, despite being the same colour. I am awared of series of photos of RAF Spitfires in Southern France being in plethorra of greys suggesting variety of overpaint schemes and based on available colours. A surviving colour film shot at the very same time proves they were all in a standard DFS, however.
Concerning KH774, I am definite - it does not look like any other Mustang I know from photos and does not conform to known patterns.
I do not recall photos of KH676 & KH690 but information of Sky band on the latter strongly suggest it was a US or British (home) paintwork - Sky bands were not a part of MTO scheme, so I cannot exclude the spinner was also Sky, although temporarily.
Cheers

[Terry McGrady]

Hi Franek ,
This has been an interesting discussion . I do however have a number of photo's from a private collection which shows Mustangs both MKIII &IV in very similar camouflage patterns to that seen on KH774.
So I'm going with what I have .
Cheers and all the best to you and yours for the coming Christmas and New Year
Terry

[Franek Grabowski]

Terry
All I was able to find in good enough quality were photos of a recent warbird painted as KH677 CV-P. If the scheme is accurate, then it is a completely different pattern rather than the one on KH774.
If you wish, I may list a couple of dosens of serials of Mustangs that were subject of my analysis.
Merry Christmas
Franek

[SMF144]

I might be calling the kettle black but why doesn’t Mr. McGrady share those photos he has with us? I’m sure it would shed some light on this rathing interesting topic of discussion.

Regards,
Stephen

[Terry McGrady]

Because I have been asked to keep them private. The owner of the originals of which I have been fortunate to have copies has requested that I don't publish them.
So I'm not cutting my own nose off to suit you or anyone else.