New images added Hobby Master HA7756 P-51D-5-NA Mustang Cripes A Mighty “George Peddy” 487 FS, 352 FG, 8th AF, USAAF, Bodney UK, July 1944
P-51D Mustang ‘Cripes A’ Mighty 3rd’ was flown by Major George Preddy, one of the top American fighter aces of World War Two. Serving with the 352nd Fighter Group, Preddy used the aircraft during escort and fighter sweep missions over Europe in 1944. The Mustang featured the group’s distinctive blue nose markings and carried Preddy’s personal nose art. Flying the P-51D, he achieved numerous aerial victories against German fighters, including Bf 109s and Fw 190s. Preddy became one of the highest scoring USAAF Mustang aces before being killed in action in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.
North American P-51D Mustang
Designed to meet an RAF requirement for fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-51 Mustang was first flown on October 26th, 1940. This versatile aircraft was capable of escorting bombers on long-range missions, engaging in dogfights, and dropping down to destroy German targets on the ground. At least eight versions of the P-51 were produced, but it was the definitive P-51D that gave the Mustang its classic warbird appearance. Britain and the US both tested the airframe with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which gave the aircraft tremendous performance gains. The Truman Senate War Investigating Committee called the Mustang “the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence.”
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