FSX J26 Mustang "Swedish AF Green K"

This repaint provides a historical Royal Swedish Air Force livery for a late-production P-51D Mustang, adapted exclusively for Warbirdsim’s payware “Twilight Tear, Then and Now” model in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. It recreates the look of a real wartime airframe that began service with the 83rd Fighter Squadron in Europe and eventually found a new life under Swedish markings, showcasing an interesting transition from American fighter to J26 in Scandinavian service. The repaint was developed by John Terrell and does not include the underlying payware model, which must be acquired separately from an authorized store such as SimShack.

Manufacturing and Initial Deployment

North American Aviation assembled this particular P-51D-20-NA (serial 44-63864) at its Inglewood facility late in 1944. It was then ferried overseas to England and allocated to the 83rd Fighter Squadron, part of the 78th Fighter Group stationed at Duxford. Its pilot, Lt. Hubert “Bill” Davis, chose to name the aircraft after a noted racehorse, “Twilight Tear.” Over March 1945, Lt. Davis achieved three aerial victories in this aircraft—engaging Me-109 fighters and proving the Mustang’s performance purview in combat operations.

Transition to Swedish Service

When the conflict concluded, the aircraft lingered in Europe before a Swedish acquisition led to a new identity: Fv26158. Once integrated into the Swedish Air Force, it was categorized as a J26 and initially wore the code “Red D,” then later carried this striking “Green K” designation. By 1953, ownership changed, and it was dispatched to the Israeli Air Force, marked with serial 3506 and flown by 101 Squadron. During mid-1950s skirmishes, it may have been used in operational missions against adversaries in the region.

Postwar Progression and Restoration

In the early 1960s, Bill Lear Jr. purchased it, operating the aircraft around Switzerland prior to selling it to William Pierce in California. Unfortunately, during a ferry flight to the United States in the early 1960s, the Mustang crashed upon landing in Iceland and remained wrecked for decades. However, around the early 1990s, the airframe was salvaged, and over the last several years, it underwent an extensive overhaul that returned it to an exact WWII-era standard. It reclaimed its original “Twilight Tear” markings in homage to its 78th Fighter Group history and won notable recognition for its authentic restoration—specifically the WWII Grand Champion award at Oshkosh 2011.

Installation Steps for the Repaint

1. Extract and place the folder named “Texture.J26 26158 Green K” into the “P-51D_Twilight_Tear” folder.
2. Within that same “P-51D_Twilight_Tear” directory, open the Aircraft.CFG file and copy the text block below. Then paste it after the final entry of similar text.
3. Replace [fltsim.X] with the subsequent number in the sequence of aircraft entries to ensure correct indexing.

[fltsim.X]
title = Warbirdsim P-51D Mustang "J26 26158 Green K"
sim = P-51D
model = Twilight Tear
panel =
sound =
texture = J26 26158 Green K
panel_alias =
sound_alias =
kb_checklists =
kb_reference =
atc_id = 158
atc_id_color =
atc_parking_types =
atc_parking_code =
atc_airline=
atc_flight_number=
ui_manufacturer = North American Aviation
ui_type = WWII P-51D-20-NA Mustang
ui_variation = "J26 26158 Green K"
description =
visual_damage = 0

Key Points of This Freeware Package

• Accurate Markings: Reflects the aircraft’s late Swedish era, with proper serial and color scheme.
• Historical Fidelity: Incorporates the final “Green K” paint job from its J26 service.
• A Complement to Payware: This is a standalone repaint for Warbirdsim’s “Twilight Tear, Then and Now,” not a full model.
• Developed by John Terrell: Known for precise and research-driven Mustang liveries.