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P-51B QP-L532 viewsP-51B, serial number 2106924, QP-L was assigned to pilot Lt. Ralph "Kidd" Hofer, 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Debden, England in February 1944. It was named "Salem Representative". Lt. Hofer was born in Salem, Missouri.
Lt. Hofer was credited with 15 aerial victories and 14 strafing which gave him 29 confirmed victories. He was KIA on July 2, 1944 on a bomber escort in Hungary.
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P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt #605, "OH JOHNNIE".526 viewsThis P-47D was assigned to pilot Lt. Raymond Knight, 346th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, 12th Air Force in April 1945. The aircraft was named after his wife. They were from Houston, TX.
This P-47D was originally with the Brazilian Air Force operating in Italy with the US 12th Air Force as were many of these aircraft flown by the 350th Fighter Group. The Brazilian Air Force usually assigned letters and numbers on their cowlings. The USAAF added a number just aft of the cowling. Often, our numbers were converted Brazilian style letters. Hence, our zeros looked like the letter D, eights looked like the letter B and so on. The irregular placement and style of these numbers was typical fo the 350th Fighter Group.
In April of 1945, Lt. Knight led several low level strafing attacks against airfields in northern Italy. During the attack on Ghedi airfield, he went in alone to find the location of the enemy aircraft, drawing heavy fire in the process. He then led his flight in the attack, destroying five aircraft. He returned to base to lead another attack against Bergamo airfield. As before, he went in alone to locate the enemy aircraft, drawing heavy fire. He then led his flight destroying eight aircraft. During this attack, his aircraft was heavily damaged. The next day, he led another attack against Bergamo to destroy the remaining aircraft and again his aircraft was severly damaged. Lt. Knight was killed trying to bring his damaged aircraft home when it crashed in the mountains. For these actions he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Lt. Knight flew 84 missions destroying 24 enemy aircraft before his death.
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P-51D QP-B "Julie"526 viewsP-51D QP-B "Julie" was assigned to pilot Capt. Joe M. Randerson of the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, 306 Fighter Wing, 15th Air Force in Madna, Italy, December 1944.
The aircraft was named after the Crew Chief's sweetheart Miss Julie Curtis who happened to also be the daughter of Major Bob Curtis, the CO of same 2nd Fighter Squadron.
Prior to receiving this assigned aircraft, Capt. Randerson had been shot down in a P-51B Mustang on September 3, 1944. The P-51B was downed by ground fire while he was straffing a locomotive.
Capt. Randerson crashed in a river bed and was severely burned on the arms, legs, and face. He was rescued by two Serbian farmers. He had his burns tended to for two weeks while he was hidden in a barn, and he was eventually smuggled back to Italy and a hospital where he continued his recovery. He continued to fly and completed forty-nine combat missions when the war ended in Europe. He arrived back in Austin on June 19, 1945.
Special thanks to Milton Bell for creating the custom decals for this aircraft.
Bob King presented the model to Capt. Randerson. Joe Dale Morris, Capt. Randerson's nephew and namesake, also attended the presentation at King's Hobby.
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P-47D-28-RE Thunderbolt, serial number 229336, FT-O514 viewsP-47D-28-RE, FT-O was assigned to pilot Capt. Kenneth H. Dahlberg of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, 9th Airforce, Rosleres en Haye, France, February 1945.
Capt. Dahlberg destroyed 14 enemy aircraft.
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P-47D-30-RE, serial number 228901, G8-N, "The Eyes of Texas"496 viewsThis P47D was assigned to pilot Capt. Joseph Z. Matte, 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, Rennes, France, August 1944.
Capt. Matte finished the war with 7 kills, 1 probable, 1 damaged (all air).He destroyed numerous on the ground with gun-fire and bombs. He flew 99 missions.
Capt. Matte was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, and Air Medal with 18 oak leaf clusters.
He was from Port Arthur, TX.
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P-15D-15-NA484 viewsQP-J
This aircraft was flown by Major Howard D. "Deacon" Hively.
4th Fighter Group, 334th Fighter Squadron CO.
January 1945
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P-51D QP-B "Julie"468 viewsP-51D QP-B "Julie" was assigned to pilot Capt. Joe M. Randerson of the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, 306 Fighter Wing, 15th Air Force in Madna, Italy, December 1944.
The aircraft was named after the Crew Chief's sweetheart Miss Julie Curtis who happened to also be the daughter of Major Bob Curtis, the CO of same 2nd Fighter Squadron.
Prior to receiving this assigned aircraft, Capt. Randerson had been shot down in a P-51B Mustang on September 3, 1944. The P-51B was downed by ground fire while he was straffing a locomotive.
Capt. Randerson crashed in a river bed and was severely burned on the arms, legs, and face. He was rescued by two Serbian farmers. He had his burns tended to for two weeks while he was hidden in a barn, and he was eventually smuggled back to Italy and a hospital where he continued his recovery. He continued to fly and completed forty-nine combat missions when the war ended in Europe. He arrived back in Austin on June 19, 1945.
Special thanks to Milton Bell for creating the custom decals for this aircraft.
Bob King presented the model to Capt. Randerson. Joe Dale Morris, Capt. Randerson's nephew and namesake, also attended the presentation at King's Hobby.
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P-51D Mustang E2-Y466 viewsP51D, serial number 414460, E2-Y was assigned to pilot John W. Johnston of the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, Little Walden, England, 1945.
John W. Johnston is the father of Austin Scale Modelers Society member Jack Johnston.
The notch out of the fuselage national insignia is on both sides of the aircraft. This aircraft also had the rearward facing radar installed on the vertical stabilizer.
Special thanks to Jack Johnston for excellent photo references.
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P-51K PE-L, Flying Ginny449 viewsThe P-51K was named Flying Ginny after his sweetheart and soon to be wife from Austin, TX.
Lt. Taylor had this aircraft assigned to him after returning from being shot down in another Mustang over France.
He had been on an escort mission to Germany when his aircraft developed engine trouble. As he was returning to England, he was attacked by two German ME-109 fighters. Taylor tried to hide from them in clouds, but they flushed him out. He dove his Mustang to the deck and tried to fly so low that the ME-109s could not get a clean shot at him. Unfortunately, Lt. Taylor hit a man on a bicycle while evading the enemy aircraft. This resulted in severe wing damage which forced Taylor to gain altitude so that he could bail out. The ME-109s then finished off his aircraft. Taylor rushed his exit from the stricken P-51K and was hit by the tail of the aircraft. His parachute opened barely in time for him to survive bailing out. The injured Taylor evaded capture and walked back to Allied lines. His Texas accent convinced Allied soldiers that he wasn't a spy as he passed into their lines. He now resides in Austin, TX.
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P-40E Warhawk441 viewsThis P40E, "Bob's Robin", #94, was flown by Lt. Robert H. Vaught, 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, Australia, Summer 1942.
Lt. Vaught flew from a jungle air strip. On one mission, he was bitten shortly after takeoff by a snake that had crawled into his cockpit. He managed to land the aircraft and survived the venomous bite.
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USAAF F.8 Mosquito438 viewsThis is the first USAAF F.8 Mosquito delivered to Wright Field, Ohio on June 1, 1943. It was serial number 334928, formerly KB 317, a B Mk. VII model.
The USAAF later received thirty-six Mosquito B Mk. XXs for photo reconnaissance.
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P-47M-1-RE435 viewsP-47M-1-RE, serial number 4-21175, 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group was given this special marking for the Paris Air Show in May of 1945.
The port side of the aircraft had Hub Zemke's kill marks below the canopy although Zemke never did pilot this particular aircraft. Lt. Paul C. Dawson was the aircraft's pilot.
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