BERLIN EXPRESS 2 0 F E B R U A R Y

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1 BERLIN 20 FEBRUARY 2016

2 EXPRESS by Budd Davisson JIM RAEDER 21

3 The exhaust stacks show the detail evident throughout the airframe. It is doubtful if any new P-51B/C straight out of the factory exhibited the craftsmanship obvious in Pacific Fighters Berlin Express. JIM RAEDER JIM KOEPNICK CHRIS MILLER The gun bays of Berlin Express are totally equipped and accurate, and include 1,260 inert rounds of ammo to feed the four legendary Browning.50 caliber machine guns, in this case, non-firing replicas that are faithful to the originals. CHRIS MILLER In replicating Berlin Express, John Muszala and his team of craftsmen faced the difficult task of building many parts that were no longer available, including the canopy framing for the Malcolm hood. These parts had to be formed to exactly match the windshield framing. Note the original Spitfire review mirror, a favorite of Mustang pilots like Bill Overstreet, as were the RAF Mk VIII goggles. 22 FEBRUARY 2016

4 The four-gun arrangement of the B/C was increased to six guns in later Mustangs, but records show they didn t result in appreciably more lethality. The 75-gallon drop tanks, combined with the addition of an 85-gallon fuselage tank behind the pilot, gave the Mustang the range to follow bombers all the way to Berlin and back. This capability alone had much to do with the success of USAAF bombing efforts. Note the detailing of the placards, the safety wiring of the cap, and the breakaway fuel lines required to allow the tank to separate from the airplane, all required in the search for authenticity. JIM RAEDER PHOTOS Like all young men, Bill Overstreet liked cars and carried the red wheels and white side walls popular at the time over to all of his fighters, as did the prior pilot, Ace Bud Anderson, who flew P-51B, , as Old Crow. All three tires, including the tailwheel, as shown here, received the custom treatment. 23

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6 JIM KOEPNICK

7 JIM RAEDER Left wheel well, looking toward the middle of the fuselage. Of note is that every single piece pictured was completely disassembled and rebuilt or recreated right down to the last rivet. This is obvious because the rivets aren t chromated or painted; all parts were finished before assembly. A difficult task! The heavy, dark-colored U-casting bolted to the main spar on the left is one of the wing-to-fuselage attach fittings. Above center is the main gear uplock and the hydraulic system accumulator to the left. The hydraulic actuator, under the big coolant lines barely visible on their way back to the radiators, is sequenced so that the inner gear door (bottom) opens when the gear is lowered, but is pulled back flush to the wing after the gear is down and locked. Notice the many differences in the early Mustang when compared to a D model. For instance, the clamshell door actuator for the D is at the front of the wheel well instead of the back by the spar. JIM RAEDER 26 FEBRUARY 2016

8 JIM RAEDER PHOTOS The detailing in the cockpit is amazingly accurate, with no compromises seen anywhere. When Bill Overstreet climbed into his Mustang and strapped in for a mission, this was exactly what he saw, albeit, not nearly as perfect. Starting in the left rear corner, the flap handle is facing aft on the back of the console. The big black knob facing up is the rudder trim (set 5 degrees right rudder for takeoff), and the black knob ahead of that facing aft is the aileron trim. The big wheel on the side of the console between the two black knobs is the elevator trim control. The landing gear handle is down by the pilot s left ankle and is pulled toward the pilot and up for retraction. Directly above that is the throttle quadrant; note that the throttle handle is a round, aluminum knob on the early Mustangs, while the later D s had the Luger-like twist grip that controlled part of the K-14A gunsight reticle. Gunsights were going through a period of change as the 51B/C came on line, so it was equipped with a variation of sights. However, when they arrived in England, the majority were re-equipped with the RAF s Mk II as seen in Berlin Express. The Mk II gunsight was the first of the mechanical ranging sights. The two twist fittings under the sight controlled range in feet and yards and changed the cross-hair section in the reticle. The flare gun seen lying in the seat could be fired through a port on the left side of the fuselage. 27

9 FRED JOHNSEN Although Bill Overstreet didn t live to see the reincarnation of his old battle mount fly, he did contribute to it when he signed the inside of the gun bay door while the airplane was still under restoration. JIM RAEDER 28 FEBRUARY 2016