Revell Spitfire Mk IX 1/32

[speedgraflex]

Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson “Jack” Christian, jr., O-21782, was the great-grandson of Stonewall” Jackson, one of the Confederacy’s outstanding commanders of the American Civil War. He was born on 19 November 1915, in San Francisco to Brigadier-General Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Sr. and Bertha Marguerite Cook.



While in the USA he formed and trained the 361st Fighter Group (as a major) in Richmond, Virginia on 10 February 1943. The 361st’s nickname was the “Yellow jackets”. He took the unit to RAF BOTTISHAM (later Army Air Forces [AAF] Station F-374), England, for assignment to the 8th Air Force in November, 1943. He flew more than seventy combat missions in the European war and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. In March 1944, he had been promoted to colonel at the age of 28.

While overseas, Christian became a father. His daughter, Lou Ellen was born in Dallas in January 1944.

In a lasting tribute to his actions, in July 1944, a photographic section of the USAAF immortalised his personal aircraft, named “LOU IV / ATHELENE” in a famous set of photos called “Bottisham Four”. The photo seems to be the most moving tribute to all he accomplished at just twenty-eight years of age, but it is a tribute he never saw as he was killed just three weeks later.

[KSaarni]

Spot on Bruce ! :-)

(and for those of you wondering what does a P-51D have to do with a Spitfire, go back one page)

- Kari

[Stuart]

Very interesting to see Kari - you did a great job on foiling that Spitfire. This is one of those things I've always wanted to have a go at myself but have never got around too.

In regards to the P-51, I assume you already know that the wings were not bare metal but painted (after the seams had been filled with putty)? the BMF will look superb on the fuselage though.

[tempestjohnny]

Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson “Jack” Christian, jr., O-21782, was the great-grandson of Stonewall” Jackson, one of the Confederacy’s outstanding commanders of the American Civil War. He was born on 19 November 1915, in San Francisco to Brigadier-General Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian Sr. and Bertha Marguerite Cook.



While in the USA he formed and trained the 361st Fighter Group (as a major) in Richmond, Virginia on 10 February 1943. The 361st’s nickname was the “Yellow jackets”. He took the unit to RAF BOTTISHAM (later Army Air Forces [AAF] Station F-374), England, for assignment to the 8th Air Force in November, 1943. He flew more than seventy combat missions in the European war and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. In March 1944, he had been promoted to colonel at the age of 28.

While overseas, Christian became a father. His daughter, Lou Ellen was born in Dallas in January 1944.

In a lasting tribute to his actions, in July 1944, a photographic section of the USAAF immortalised his personal aircraft, named “LOU IV / ATHELENE” in a famous set of photos called “Bottisham Four”. The photo seems to be the most moving tribute to all he accomplished at just twenty-eight years of age, but it is a tribute he never saw as he was killed just three weeks later.

Tom Cleaver just did an Airfix kit of Christians plane on Modeling Madness. Also talked about the controversy in the upper colors. Very interesting

[KSaarni]

In regards to the P-51, I assume you already know that the wings were not bare metal but painted (after the seams had been filled with putty)? the BMF will look superb on the fuselage though.

Thanks Stuart!

I am a little bit puzzled with Colonel Thomas P-51 and if it's bare-metal or painted. link

Quoting the link:
Additional photographs better indicate LOU IV’s colors and markings, including a yellow propeller spinner, a yellow engine cowling, a bare metal fuselage with a mottled camouflage pattern of dark green and /or black on the top surfaces, and “invasion stripes” beneath the fuselage roundel and on the bottom of the wings.

So I don't really know

This is also pretty interesting info (might also be this has been shared on SPAM before)
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/showandtell7db_1.htm



- Kari

[Stikpusher]

The wings were lacquered aluminum on P-51s, after panel lines were puttied and sanded smooth, as mentioned above. This was done for aerodynamic purposes with the “laminar flow” wing. And several units that had received their new production P-51s added OD, RAF Dark Green, or whatever colors that they had access to on the upper surfaces for camouflage purposes.

As far as the invasion stripes go, they were added to upper and lower wing and fuselage surfaces immediately before the Normandy landings. By July the stripes on the upper surfaces were ordered removed. This was done by either overpainting them, or scrubbing them off. So the discoloration over the upper wings is more than likely the fresh overpaint and not a camo pattern.

[KSaarni]

Thanks Stik, do you know if the fuselage was unpainted, bare-metal ( as the site American airmuseum writes?)

- Kari

[Stuart]

That's a very interesting article - but why on earth would they have used blue to over-paint the stripes? it'd look good though.

[speedgraflex]

Here’s the basic paint chart which applies even though your Revell kit is 1/32. In my opinion, the bare metal of a Mustang will be well represented by the aluminum foil technique. I was planning to do this for my 1/32 project.

[Stikpusher]

Well Bruce beat me to it. But yes, the fuselage was bare metal.