North American P-51B Mustang

North American P-51B Mustang (sériové číslo 42-106942, B7-H), 374th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, Bottisham, Velká Británie, 1944.

North American P-51B Mustang from 353rd Fighter Group.

North American P-51B Mustang christened "Lil 'Kitten", on which Lt. Louis Fecher, 362nd Fighter Squadron z 357th Fighter Group.

Source

This P-51B Mustang (s/n 42-106950) belonging to the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355 had an interesting history. fighter group (8th Air Force). The fighter ace originally flew on this machine Lt. Col. Claiborne Kinnard, while the machine bore on the nose of the aircraft the designation "Man O 'War", which designation was later carried by other aircraft used by Kinnard. After him, Lt. Robert E. Hulderman, who named it "The Iowa Beaut". Although Hulderman was not an ace of air (his final war score was a damaged Me-410), he kept painted air victory marks on his plane after his predecessor. When Hulderman later moved to the cockpit of the North American P-51D, he named it "The Iowa Beaut II." Frederick Haviland, another ace 355, also achieved several successful shots with this aircraft. fighter group.


Unlike previous users, the machine did not bring luck to the last of its pilots - Capt. Kenneth Rafferty. He died in his ruins on Monday, September 11, 1944. On this day, Capt. Rafferty, flying as a number, and his leader returned at a minimum height from the mission over Germany (fighter bomber cover during a raid on Magdeburg). Both were hit by anti-aircraft artillery, while Rafferty's machine crashed to the ground near the village Marburg. He is buried in the American War Cemetery in the Ardennes ( American War Cemetery Ardennes)

Scutts, J .: Mustang Aces of the Eighth Air Force, Osprey Publishing, 1994, ISBN-10: 1855324474
Breaux, K .: Courtesies of the Heart, Trafford publishing, 2005
www.fieldsofhonor-database.com
own collection

Trojpohledový náčrtek North American P-51B-5 s Malcomovou kabinou.