Paul Mantz's N1204 1948 Bendix winner...the correct colors

[JDDavis2]

I've never found anyone who's seen an accurate color photo anywhere, books, magazines, internet or anywhere, of sponser Glenn McCarthy's Bendix paint scheme (three P-51s in 1948, a P-38 in 1947).

This photoshopped B+W represents the colors the NASM crew found when restoring P-51C N1202...which was the same color as N1204 when both flew in the 1948 Bendix race.

In "Excaliber III" by Robert C. Mikesh (Smithsonian 1978) there is the story of where they sanded through the layers of paint to identify the paint history of N1202 during restoration.
There are other sources claiming the spinner and tips were dark green and the overall base color was light green, but I'm pretty sure the NASM crew correctly identified the colors they found.

Color info from "Excalibur III", and a study of shades in LIFE archive BW photos.

"shamrock", "46", "Glenn McCarthy's" -- kelly green, outlined in darker green
"Latin American" -- kelly green outlined in white
"NX1204" -- kelly green
"experimental" -- dark green
spinner -- RED
wing and tail tips -- RED
overall -- light gray

. JD

[JDDavis2]

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Paul Mantz at Cleveland OH, after winning the 1948 Bendix race from Long Beach CA, along with exhaust and oil streaked P-51C NX1204 Race 46.

photo source: SnappyGoat.com public domain images

[JDDavis2]

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"Glenn McCarthy's Latin American" on N1204 with a RED paint job.

...It appears this photo was taken in 1948 right after Glenn McCarthy entered the sponsorship agreement with Mantz before N1202 and N1204 were painted pearl grey.

photo source: snappygoat public domain images.

... JD