P51 Models

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Restoring the classics is a popular hobby. Whether it’s cars, planes, and so on, restoration is a satisfying experience to many. But the most gratifying accomplishment is to restore something to its former glory.

Meet Team Strega and its glorious P-51 aircraft named “Strega.” Strega is a highly modified P-51 Mustang, and a nine-time Reno National Unlimited Gold Class Champion.

P-51 Strega

The Strega Air Racing Team has a rich air racing history. Debuting in 1983, Strega has appeared at the Reno National Air Races every year except 1998 as well as numerous other races.

Owner and pilot Bill “Tiger” Destefani was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. He is a cotton and alfalfa farmer and restores WWII aircraft. He went to his first Reno Air Race as a pilot in 1980 in a stock P-51 called “Mange Pane“.

In October 2012, Tiger passed the torch to Steven Hinton as pilot of his P-51 Mustang Strega. Hinton placed 1st in the races he participated in after the passing of the torch.

For further info, visit strega.com

The P-51 Mustang played vital roles during the previous World War. Get quality scale airplane models of this historic aircraft from Showcase Models.

A 68-year crash mystery is now finally put to end.

On June 7, 1944, 2nd Lt Charles “Butch” Moritz went missing when his P-51 Mustang bomber crashed with another aircraft during a training exercise. The remains of a Second World War American Fighter has been discovered 18ft underground in Newton next Toft farmland.

“When we found the remains, I felt shocks and then I burst into tears – it was so emotional but such an honor”, said Catherine Marshall-East who represented the LARG with her husband John at Lt Moritz funeral in Effingham, Illinois last May 12, 2012, Saturday.

Catherine said, “When we were driving up there that morning I felt such a strong, strange feeling – it was meant to be, we were meant to find Butch. I really need to tell his family exactly what happened and how it was to be there. His parachute was intact and the smell of aviation fuel was uncanny. We tried to do everything as respectfully as we could. We even used an American war time flag, with fewer stars, to cover the box with the remains.”

LARG found the pilot’s dog tags, military identification, lighter, family business details and his wallet still containing money. All of which have been taken back to Lt Moritz’s family.

Butch’s father came over to England after the war to find any remnants of his son but he could not find anything so he went home broken-hearted. While his mother died at a very young age after not recovering from the tragedy of what happened to his son. “The rest of his family hasn’t known what has happened for the last 68 years.” Catherine said to the press.

The remains of Lt Moritz were returned to his home town in Effingham, Illionois with motorcycle escort provided by the Patriot Guard. He is due to be buried with full military honors next to his parents. The wreckage from the crash will eventually go on display at Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby.

Manufactured by the North American Aviation, the P-51 Mustang is a single-heavy bomber aircraft known as an fighter back in the World War Era. It’s primary users were the United States Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force and many more.

Are you a fan of the diecast airplane models? Get your own P-51 Mustang Heavy Bomber and see many other nostalgic aviation collectibles only in Showcase Models.

Source: http://www.marketrasenmail.co.uk

On June 7, 1944, Army Air Forces 2^nd Lt. Charles “Butch” Moritz died after the mid-air collision of his P-51C Mustang with another U.S. Aircraft over Linconshire, England. After so many decades, his remains will finally come home to southern Illinois.

Moritz has just 21 when he died and just left America a few weeks before. He graduated from Effingham High School. He attended New Mexico military academy for a year before went to University of Illinois where he played Polo. Moritz is part of the 496^th fighter group stationed in England.

The mid-air collision happened during a training. Eyewitness accounts described Moritz’s P-51 spiraling out of control, exploding and bursting into flames before it hit the ground. The pilot of the other aircraft parachuted to safety.

The discovery of Moritz remains is a fortuitous event. A group of private English individuals searching for vintage aircraft are looking for the plane that collided with Moritz’s P-51. Instead, they found Moritz’s remains and what was left of his P-51 Mustang. Moritz’s dog tags, ID bracelet and wallet containing papers with his name were also found on the site.

The U.S Department of Defense reached the remaining family members of 2^nd Lt. Charles Moritz and on May 5 he will finally be interred on his hometown with full military honors.

The P-51 Mustang and its pilots had been a huge part of the campaigns during World War II. Add it to your aviation collectibles and get it only from showcasemodels.com

News source: www.therolladailynews.com

William Turner, left, and his identical twin brother, Wilton, with a P-51 Mustang during World War II. A government provision allowed them to be assigned together in the Army Air Corps. They worked together repairing the fighter aircraft in Europe during the war.

The adventures of identical twins can become pretty unpredictable. For twins Wilton and William Turner, they shared these unpredictable experiences while in service for the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Wilton’s future wife read an article in a veteran’s magazine that “the government said twins could be transferred together if it was requested by the parents.” Soon enough, the Turners were together in California and came the long trip overseas where they spent the rest of the war working together.

Their service in the Army Air Corps during World War II also had plenty of unexpected twists. When they arrived in Europe, they were face-to-propeller with an aircraft they didn’t even know existed: The now-legendary P-51 Mustang.

“I’d never seen one,” William said. “And we were supposed to keep them flying for some poor (pilot)? I told them if I’d been a pilot and knew how little these guys knew about this airplane, I would have never gone up.”

Their unfamiliarity with the P-51 didn’t last. Both men were decorated for their excellent work. Two months before V-E Day in 1945, William would be pinned with a Bronze Star, the citation commending him for “skill and devotion to duty” for his superior work.

Another unexpected event came the day a pilot asked William if he wanted to fly with him.

“I said, ‘Sure, I’ll fly in anything’.”

That meant pulling radio gear out from behind the P-51’s cockpit and stuffing William in, without a seat or restraint. But William was determined.

William and Wilton became emotional easily when they talked on William’s back porch Tuesday about their upbringing, the war and their relationship. They also got a good laugh at their own expense when they looked at old photos — because mostly they can’t remember which one of them is which in the pictures.

Their families plan on taking them to the Hill Aerospace Museum, where they’ll get to put their hands on a nicely restored P-51. The twins turn 90 August 18.

Story and photos from Deseret News

Two classic US fighter planes collided during an air display show in Cambridgeshire.

One of the planes, thought to be a P-51 Mustang, plummeted to the ground after their wings touched, forcing the pilot to parachute to safety. The pilot of the other plane, an A-1 Skyraider, went on to land safely, after the military aircraft took to the air during the Flying Legends show.

Mark Brown, a pilot from Warminster who was watching the show, said he saw a “large chunk” of the Skyraider’s wing tip tear off in the collision.

“It went into a bit of a dive then sorted itself out,” he said. “The other aircraft dived away from the airfield. They were only about 100 feet up at this point.Then we saw someone jump out and a parachute open.”

The P-51 Mustang hit the ground to the south-west of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford following the collision which is understood to have happened as three planes took part in formation maneuvers.

A spokesman for the organisers, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, confirmed that both pilots were treated by paramedics at the scene. The cause of the incident will now be investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

Source: BBC

The CAF Red Tail Squadron RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit will show a 35-minute “experience documentary” that highlights who the Tuskegee Airmen are and how they overcame so many obstacles to be allowed to train and fight as the first black U.S. Army Air Corps pilots.

The film, called Rise Above, also features the story of the more than 14,000 other black men and women who trained hard to support the pilots.

The courage and determination they all exhibited in the 1940s as they rose above adversity to meet their goals still has the power to inspire Americans today.

In addition, the movie will give viewers a thrilling feel for what it’s like to fly a P-51C Mustang!

Created by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Adam White of Hemlock Films, this is the third time White has made a documentary featuring the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.

He said, “It’s been my privilege to meet and work with these gentlemen while making Red Tail Reborn, Flight of the Red Tail, and now Rise Above. While they are not particularly eager to talk about themselves, the Airmen are proud to have been part of American history as pioneering pilots, and their stories are awe-inspiring. I’m pleased to be part of the team that is ensuring that the dedication and accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen will not be forgotten.”

-redtail.org

Jack Miller loved his P-51D Mustang fighter. Twice he was shot down when he was a 20-year-old 2nd lieutenant serving as a member of the 354th Pioneer Mustang Group, 9th Air Force stationed in France during World War II.

The 80-year-old former Englewood fighter pilot recalled the events:

The P-51 had more of an effect on WWII than any other fighter. Some say it was the top fighter plane of the century.
On Sept. 12, 1944, we were on a fighter sweep.

I was flying with 12 other P-51s out of our base on the Brest Peninsula in France into Germany. We’d already lost three fighters in our group that day. Fighter sweeps provided pilots a chance to shoot “targets of opportunity” they found during a mission over enemy territory. The P-51 pilots spent lots of time turning enemy fighters into Swiss cheese while the Fuhrer’s planes were sitting on the ground at air bases.

Flying in the same direction as we were was a group of about 20 German Messerschmitt-109s and Focke Wulf-190s. They were followed by another 30 or 40 enemy fighters. We jumped ‘em, and a big dog fight ensued. There were 13 of us and 50 to 70 of them. By that stage of the war, most of the German pilots were very green.

We were flying along at 12,000 feet when we broke into them. They scrambled in all directions. On my first pass there was a 190 coming head-on as we flew through their formation. He did a roll and I followed him down. I got enough hits on him that he bailed out.

As I looked down I could see another Focke Wulf-190 running around underneath me. I rolled in behind him, got hits on him and he went into the ground. As I started to gain altitude I ran into another 190. I got in behind him and got hits on him. He bailed out too.

At the instant the third German fighter went down, I got hit by a 20 mm shell from a FW-190 I hadn’t seen that was on my tail. My engine exploded from the impact of the enemy cannon shell. When it did, my whole instrument panel fell in my lap.
Miller had shot down three German fighters in five minutes of aerial combat before he became prey himself. He had four kills, but only one of them would be officially confirmed because he lost his fighter over enemy territory. When he went down his plane’s nose camera, which would have confirmed his three new kills, was also lost.

2nd Lt. Jack Miller flew a P-51 Mustang fighter in the European Theater of Operation during World War II. He was shot down twice and spent nine months as a POW.

He was awarded the Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal, Air Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

Read full article.

Bremont Watch Company announced that it is extending its ongoing partnership with the Fighter Collection, and is pleased to announce that they will be an Official Sponsor of The Fighter Collections “Flying Legends Airshow.”

The Flying Legends Air Show is one of Europe’s finest airshows and has become a by-word for flying excellence bringing together the most exotic historic aircraft and the world’s best pilots for an amazing celebration of classic Warbird aircraft. Through a longstanding friendship with the Fighter Collection, Bremont watches developed a limited edition watch, namely the Bremont EP120, encompassing parts of the very Spitfire operated by the collection. This year Bremont will be launching the Bremont P-51 Mustang watch built utilising parts of the famous “Fragile but Agile” Mustang that was formally operated by the Fighter Collection. Bremont announced that the “Fragile but Agile” will be shipped back from the US for the airshow in July to fly in the world famous “Horsemen” routine.

Giles English the founder of Bremont said  “I have been a huge fan of The Fighter Collection for most of my life, both Nick and I were born in Cambridge and used to watch our father fly in the Flying Legends air display as a child. It is wonderful that Bremont is now part of the airshow and that both EP120 and Fragile but Agile will be there.”

Jane Larcombe of Flying Legends said “Bremont is a perfect partner for us as they have a very strong aviation DNA and their wonderful aviation watches are very relevant to our audience and to our pilots.”

The Flying Legends Air Show takes place on the 9th and 10th July, 2011 at Duxford Aerodrome which is situated close Cambridge in the UK.

Following on from the great success and interest generated by the arrival of the very special and unique Bremont EP120 limited edition watch back in late 2008, Bremont is releasing the Limited Edition Bremont P-51 watch a chronograph chronometer built with original parts of the famous 1944 Mustang WWII aircraft P-51K-10 (serial number 44- 12016), a Pacific war veteran and also known as “Fragile but Agile”.

Original aluminium metal from the aircraft fuselage is integrated into both the dial and the movement of the Bremont P-51 watch with the dial itself inspired by the clocks found in the P-51 aircraft. The 43mm hardened steel Trip-Tick case using Bremont’s B-EBE2000 technology integrates the new rotating ‘Roto-Click’ inner bezel that houses four ball-bearings inside the case. As with many of Bremont‟s latest watch designs, the Bremont P-51 watch is assembled in the company’s atelier in England rather than their workshop in Biel-Bienne in Switzerland, and houses a modified Swiss BE-54A automatic chronometer movement that also shows UTC time.

P-51K-10 (serial number 44-12016) rolled off the North American Aviation assembly line in Dallas, Texas, on 18 December 1944 and was then loaded on a ship on the 15th January 1945 for an assignment in the Far East. It was to take part in the American campaign to retake the Philippine Islands from the Japanese. On arrival in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, the aircraft was assigned to the 342nd Fighter Squadron of the 348th Fighter Group, which then was stationed at the San Marcelino airbase, just north of Manila Bay. Lt. Bert Lee Jr. was assigned to fly the aircraft. Lt. Lee was credited with two confirmed victories during the war, which accounts for the two Japanese flags painted below his name on the plane – one was a Japanese A6M “Zero” fighter near Manila and the other a twin-engine “Betty” bomber. A lot of his missions in the P51 were ground support, in what was then Indochina. Lee and his Mustang both survived the war. Following its time in the US Air Force, „Fragile but Agile‟ then spent time serving with both the Swedish and Israeli military before being overhauled and operated for many years by The Fighter Collection, based at Duxford in the UK. Recently, the Mustang was again treated to a major overhaul by Steve Hinton‟s Fighter Rebuilders at Chino, California having been acquired by the Friedkin Family‟s Comanche Fighter Collection.

-1luxurious.com

A wreck of a North American P-51 fighter was found Tuesday, during the excavation of a pit on the upper field in Starnberg.

Five individual guns that were mounted on the side of the wings of the P-51 was also found.

“This is to mark the cannon caliber point 50 and a twin cannon,” said Hagen Hanser, a hobbyist and an aircraft expert.

According to the blueprint of the machine, the P-51 aircraft has a total of six guns.

“On each wing were three machine guns,” said Hanser.

Source and photo from tz-online.de

Shortly after pilot Tom Gregory landed a P-51 Mustang at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, 90-year-old Raymond B. Lancaster slowly made his way to the aircraft and gave it a gentle rub. From tip to tail, the plane was painted to look exactly like the one he flew in more than 60 combat missions in World War II.

“I saw it come in and land,” Lancaster said. “It was wonderful.”

Lone Star Museum President Larry Gregory, Tom’s brother, said it was a Mustang “that brought Raymond home safely. There’s a special bond between man and plane in all of that.”

Lancaster named his Mustang “Galveston Gal,” after the song My Galveston Gal, originally recorded by Phil Harris in the early 1930s. By putting the words on his airplane, Lancaster had something positive to think about – his safe return to Galveston, where he was born and raised.

The P-51 Mustang is considered one of the most historically significant fighter planes, helping the Allies win air control over Europe during the war, Larry Gregory said.

Nobody knows where Lancaster’s original Mustang is, but seeing one now, some 65 years later, brought back memories. He is looking forward to riding in this Galveston Gal, this time as a passenger.

“It’s an honor to get to fly a piece of history, and it would be an honor to fly with him,” said Tom Gregory, a Magnolia resident and chief pilot at Lone Star Flight Museum. “It means a lot that he was there to witness the arrival of what we call ‘his’ airplane.”

The Mustang joins the museum’s fleet of planes, which includes the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, T-6 Texan and PT-17 Stearman.

Source: chron.com, mustangsmustangs.com