357th FG in Profile

P-51B/C Mustang Decals

Eagle Strike Productions

357th Fighter Group in Profile decals are available online from Squadron.com

Reviewed by Scott Brown

Eagle Strike Productions has issued a new decal sheet covering 4 subjects from the 357th FG. All aircraft are P-51 B/C.

These aircraft were flown by ace pilots, Chuck Yeager, "Bud" Anderson, Leonard "Kit" Carson and John Storch. All aircraft are the pilot's early planes, their later birds being fairly well covered by other sheets.

The art and research seem to have come mostly from Jim Roeder's Squadron publication about the 357th FG, and suffers from the same inaccuracies as the book.

Aircraft #1, P-51 B "Old Crow" flown by Clarence "Bud" Anderson has an incorrect serial #, 324 823. This is the serial # for his later aircraft, the B with the Malcom hood that he flew on D-Day. The correct serial is 43-6723. The aircraft was lost with Al Boyle at the controls on 2-21-44. The Squadron codes an incorrect style on all aircraft, but this is the error of the original profile artist. aircraft #2, Chuck Yeager's "Glamorus Glen" has the correct nose lettering to port, but curiously provides alternate lettering for the starboard side, with instructions to look at page 35 in Roeder's book. Doing so reveals Yeager's 2nd P-51, a D model, serial 44-13897. This aircraft was named "Glamorous Glen II" (correct spelling of Glamorous) and is incorrect for his B model. The decals are useful if you can obtain a "II" from someplace and use them for Yeager's 1st P-51 D. It is not known if Yeager had "Glamorus Glen" on both sides of the plane, but other planes from that period did, including "Old Crow", so it is a safe bet. For sure "Glamorous Glen II" did.

Carson and Storch's aircraft are well done except for the squadron codes, and are attractive subjects.

Recommended.

Review Copyright © 2001 by Scott Brown
This Page Created on 21 December, 2001
Last updated 22 July, 2003

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