Hello all, I am doing some research on a special P-39 named "Air-A-Cutie" which was flown during WWII in the pacific theater of operation. What I know/think ist that the a/c belongs to the 8th FG / 36th FS. This P-39 wore big female nose arts on the left and right side of the nose. I am interested in, who was the pilot, what happened to him and the a/c, and the a/c's serial number. Another question which rises during my research is, did planes of the 8th FG fly with white coloured wing leading edges and tail during the war? I hope someone can help me out with some of my questions. Many thanks in advance, Christoph

Hello Christoph, Give Mike Clairingbould a try. Mike has written some books on the 5th, one that has an index of all A/C that flew with the 5th, including s/n's, Group and Sqdn it served in, and any "Nose Art" carried. Here's his web site. [url "http://www.aerothentic.com"]www.aerothentic.com[/url] Bill [signature]

Hello Bill, great site, many thanks! I will give Mike Clairingbould a try and I hope he can give me some advice. Thank you very much Christoph [signature]

How about  the Serial?
 
It is:
 
P-39D-1-BE Bell Ship number 14A-11  becoming USAAF 41-28267 of the 36thFS/8thFG
Squadron Code "Q" aka "Air-A-Cutie"
 
A couple of others for you:
 
P-39D-1-BE 41-38366 Ship#14A-297 Sumac Arrived on SS Stephen Fields 15-Aug-42 to 36thFS/8thFG "Kay" "K"
P-39D-1-BE 41-38367 Ship#14A-298 Sumac Arrived on SS Stephen Fields 15-Aug-42 to 35thFS/8thFG "LiL" "L"
 
Still hunting them down
Best
Gordy
 
ADF-Serials.com
 

Christoph,
 
Photographs at attachment extracted from http://donaldgranger.home.att.net/p-39f.htm
 
Take what you like and leave the rest....
 
Andy

[image]local://upfiles/5746/9A1F0BC202D84A54A3AFEE8D05827627.jpg[/image]

Christoph,
 
Reference your "...did planes of the 8th FG fly with white coloured wing leading edges and tail during the war?"
 
I suspect the same airframe as in my earlier posting but obviously later in the war (see national insignia) - http://www.aztecmodels.com/FAMAE/Galeria/alexsan/Air.htm
 
Take what you like and leave the rest....
 
Andy

Christoph,
 
Reference your "...and the a/c's serial number."
 
Evidently there were two aircraft that flew in Air A Cutie livery (see text below and photographs at URL)
 
Take what you like and leave the rest....
 
Andy
 
 
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev1/901-1000/Rev995_PYND48026/rev995.htm
 
"The first aircraft is a P-39D-1-BE 41-28267 with 8FG/36 FS from Port Moresby Strip in Sept 1943. This is the famous "Air A Cutie" aircraft. The paint scheme is Olive Drab on top and Neutral Gray on the underside with a white nose cone and tail and wing leading edges. The artwork is some of the best seen on any fighter due to the quality and the huge size of the artwork that is on both sides of the fuselage. There is different artwork on both sides of the fuselage of what appears to be the same naked lady laying down with a big smile on her face. There is yellow text on both side of the fuselage by the artwork that reads "Air A Cutie".
 
The second aircraft is a P-39N-5-BE 42-18802 with 35FG/41FS from Nadzab, New Guinea in October 1943. This is the famous "Air A Cutie" aircraft. The paint scheme is Olive Drab on top and Neutral Gray on the underside with a yellow nose cone and white tail (with a yellow tip) and white wing leading edges. The artwork on the pilots door is a sexy naked lady lying on her side in a curled up pose with the name "Julie" above her. There is also a big white "51" on the side of the fuselage in front of the cockpit."

Air A Cutie was a P-400 . Long barrel 20MM gun plus 12 exaust stacks = P-400.  Assigned to 36th Fighter Squadron, Crew Chief
Maxi Maksymyk. It had an RAF Serial under the horizontal stabilizer. Not sure of the number. Pictures in "Attack & Conquer", 8th FG in WWll

Dear varsity07840

Check up on your P-39 models,..P-39D-1/2s etc s=20mm (Were to be follow-on Airacobras per Lend-Lease for RAF) and twelve stackers are common, especially engine swaps in PNG. Seen P-400 pics with normal Exhausts per P-39D/Fs in theatre and Australia. E4 engine

Example, Ex-80thFS P-39F  41-7119 had a E-4 engine in it and had the 12 Exhaust stackers after its overhaul at Townsville in July 1942. It became A53-1 in the RAAF. There are pics to back this hybrid up in several examples.
There is only minor differences in the details and justs slots in.

So not all seems to be Black and white Mate, especially later Olive drab P-400's with 8/35th FGs. White identifcation markings came in July/August 1943 per PNG, so if you want to make a nice Milne Bay shot per late 1942, drop the white.

Mind you that the P-400s and P-39Fs flew on past July 1943 in service, whereas the 37mm cannon armed P-39D was withdrawn earlier. 20Mic Mic was considered better.

The 41st FS was flying P-39D-1s (41-38***s) and P-400s during April 1943 (IE two model combinations :Two serial examples 41-38509 and BW126)

Decide on period to get correct details and serials as remarked earlier.

Best
Gordy

If you are a model builder, there have been 1/48 scale decals printed by at least a couple of companies with the "Air-A-Cutie" markings. 
 
Marty

ORIGINAL: gordonb

Dear varsity07840

Check up on your P-39 models,..P-39D-1/2s etc s=20mm (Were to be follow-on Airacobras per Lend-Lease for RAF) and twelve stackers are common, especially engine swaps in PNG. Seen P-400 pics with normal Exhausts per P-39D/Fs in theatre and Australia. E4 engine

Example, Ex-80thFS P-39F  41-7119 had a E-4 engine in it and had the 12 Exhaust stackers after its overhaul at Townsville in July 1942. It became A53-1 in the RAAF. There are pics to back this hybrid up in several examples.
There is only minor differences in the details and justs slots in.

So not all seems to be Black and white Mate, especially later Olive drab P-400's with 8/35th FGs. White identifcation markings came in July/August 1943 per PNG, so if you want to make a nice Milne Bay shot per late 1942, drop the white.

Mind you that the P-400s and P-39Fs flew on past July 1943 in service, whereas the 37mm cannon armed P-39D was withdrawn earlier. 20Mic Mic was considered better.

The 41st FS was flying P-39D-1s (41-38***s) and P-400s during April 1943 (IE two model combinations :Two serial examples 41-38509 and BW126)

Decide on period to get correct details and serials as remarked earlier.

Best
Gordy

 
Gordy:
 
Correct me if I'm wrong. All P-39D airframes started off with 6 exaust stacks. All F models, as well as the P-400 had 12 exaust stacks. All F models had the 37MM gun.
The D-1 had the 20MM as did the P-400. But, the D-1 model had 6 stacks and the 400 had 12. Having said all that: Were engine swaps between different models made in the field?  Possibly. Does that make some a/c grey rather than black and white? Maybe. But regarding" Air A Cutie", how does an P-400 airframe with its RAF serial, 12 stacks, and a 20 mm gun become a P-39F? Granted, what it has in common with an F model is the 12 stacks, but you refer to "normal exausts" for the D/Fs as 6. 41-7119 had 12 stacks after overhaul because as an F model it came from the factory that way.  As I'm writting this, I'm looking at pre war pictures of 31st PG
P-39Ds & Fs sitting next to each other on the apron. Some are so new, they don't
have nose guns installed. What sets them apart (other than Curtiss vs Aeroproducts props)? The Ds had 6 stacks and the Curtiss prop, the Fs had 12 stacks and the Aeroporducts prop. Most were transfered with the squadrons to the 35th PG and sent to your Homeland, then on to PNG.
 
Regards,
 
varsity07840

Sorry Varsity in late catching up.
 
Your right , I got my models mixed up. What I was (intending) refering to was the P-39D-1 that had the 20mm, not the mentioned P-39F, were flown beside P-400s in units. Sorry for mucking that up
 
There were a few rebuilds in Port Moresby in early 1943, as there was a shortage on the supply of fighter aircraft to that theatre during that period from Oct42 to Feb 1943.
 
Best
Gordy