I have built maybe 15 of these and a few actually survive today.
This is not the first release but one from the mid 70's when photos of the finished kit was used in lieu of box art.
The kit comes with optional canopies and 75 gallon metal drop tanks. Decal option (s) was for one aircraft. Ding Ho, the James Howard MOH bird but I am into the 4th Fighter Group in a big way so I never used that sheet.
It has been a money maker for Monogram because it has been re-popped many times and still can be found. I feel the kit is accurate enough. Not a Tamigawa but still holds up very well. Seems the only negative thing I ever heard of that the spinner was to lean in profile. But it looks like a P-51 at any rate.
The release I intend on doing is the Pro-Modeler version in which Monogram has taken the base kit and rescribed the panel lines, added more cockpit detail and offers three decal options. One from the Tuskgegee Airmen, one from the 352nd FG and my victim, Ill Wind, from the 4th FG.
The instruction sheet has also gone from one page does all to a booklet that included photos of the real deal for inspiration.
So here is the kit in the box. Looks very nice and so we will see just what they did to it.
By the way; Ill Wind was flown by Captain Nick (Cowboy) Megura. 11.8 (?) victories before being forced down in Sweden.
Most likely an urban legend but we was quoted as shouting on the R/T to a fellow pilot, "Attack that Jerry SOB or I'll have you court-marshaled."
Now that is a memory worth saving.
