New P-51

Yesterday I finished building a new P-51 Mustang. We suffered torrential rains this weekend in Tennessee, but I managed to squeeze a test flight in between rain storms. Here’s a shot of the new bird sitting on the runway. I had the cowl removed so I could tune the engine. Click the picture to enlarge and note the functional exhaust pipes behind the engine. I have a similar exhaust stack on my P-40. It’s gorgeous when you’re flying on a clear day and you can see dual exhaust streams trailing behind the plane.

After I test flew the plane this afternoon, a real P-51 sporting a similar paint scheme flew over our field. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a real P-51 in flight. Last week we were treated to a low-altitude (~1,500 feet) flyover by a B-17 that was in town to give tours and rides. It’s been a great week for warbird lovers.