This P51 replica title block fuselage panel would be located on the left side of the aircraft just aft of the firewall. The aircraft nomenclature and other pertinent information is listed on the panel utilizing the same title block stencils that would have been utilized on the actual Mustangs.

This project was a labor of love - spending countless hours searching through aircraft publications to find the right rivet sizes, countersink dimensions and other details. The aluminum and rivets and period tooling had to be sourced to create such a piece.

These panels start their journey as raw pieces of 2024 aircraft grade aluminum. Typically, Alclad 2024 would be used, although the anticorrosive finish it provides also leaves a somewhat cloudy finish under final polishing. The pieces are then drilled and countersunk to the appropriate dimensions. The edges are sanded and rounded while the entire panel starts the polishing process. The panel is dry sanded with increasingly finer grits of sandpaper then, drenched with water to start the wet sanding process. The panels are thoroughly wet sanded to provide a mirror like finish and remove any imperfections in the metal. Finally, after hours of preparation the real polishing begins with the top industry standard aluminum paste and buffed out. The rivets are installed and hand shot using the same techniques as was employed during the original manufacturing process.

The piece is finished with a final buffing and the stencils applied.