uksubs
Lieutenant Colonel
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Captured P-51B Mustang test flown by the Luftwaffe in 1944
One of the first attested Mustang in German hands was "T9+CK" in early 1944. Its origins remain unclear : did the aircraft land with little or no damage in occpied territory or was it built from different wreckages? It kept the usual US Olive Drab camouflage pattern, apart from the underside and tail section which were painted yellow, and the new nationality marks. Soon, the American fighters stopped being camouflaged : the USAAC was seeking to destroy the Luftwaffe the air and saw no interest in camouflaging their aircraft. In addition to making the aircraft more visible, the absence of paint also slightly reduced the weight and accordingly improved performance. Thus "T9+CK" was rid of its Olive Drab paint, to match the new Mustangs' performance as faithfully as possible. This aircraft was tested at Rechlin and later operated out of Hanover-Wunstorf in the summer of 1944.
Another P-51B, "T9+HK", was also used according to photographic evidence. The prop spinner was painted yellow and a red band went around the front of the nose. The anti-glare pane in front of the cockpit was the standard Olive Drab. As usual, the underside and tail section were also painted yellow. This aircraft was presumably also tested at Rechlin before joining the travelling circus. It was notably used by Hungarian fighter pilots at Neuruppin airfield to learn how to use their Fw-190s to the best advantage against P-51s.
One of the first attested Mustang in German hands was "T9+CK" in early 1944. Its origins remain unclear : did the aircraft land with little or no damage in occpied territory or was it built from different wreckages? It kept the usual US Olive Drab camouflage pattern, apart from the underside and tail section which were painted yellow, and the new nationality marks. Soon, the American fighters stopped being camouflaged : the USAAC was seeking to destroy the Luftwaffe the air and saw no interest in camouflaging their aircraft. In addition to making the aircraft more visible, the absence of paint also slightly reduced the weight and accordingly improved performance. Thus "T9+CK" was rid of its Olive Drab paint, to match the new Mustangs' performance as faithfully as possible. This aircraft was tested at Rechlin and later operated out of Hanover-Wunstorf in the summer of 1944.
Another P-51B, "T9+HK", was also used according to photographic evidence. The prop spinner was painted yellow and a red band went around the front of the nose. The anti-glare pane in front of the cockpit was the standard Olive Drab. As usual, the underside and tail section were also painted yellow. This aircraft was presumably also tested at Rechlin before joining the travelling circus. It was notably used by Hungarian fighter pilots at Neuruppin airfield to learn how to use their Fw-190s to the best advantage against P-51s.
