"Miss AVA P-51D Mustang" T-shirt - Khaki

The North American P-51 Mustang is an iconic Second World War fighter aircraft, famous for its performance, manoeuvrability and versatility. Initially designed to meet a British Army request for a long-range fighter, the P-51 became one of the most successful aircraft of the war, playing a crucial role in Allied air supremacy. Its very long range allowed it to escort and defend bombers as far as Germany. It took 117 days from the first pencil stroke to the first test flight.

Initially, the P-51 Mustang was equipped with an Allison engine, but with the installation of a more powerful British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, it became a formidable high-altitude fighter. This re-engined version was designated P-51B, P-51C and P-51D.

The TF-51 Mustang, meanwhile, is a variant of the P-51 Mustang used primarily for training purposes. The ‘TF-51’ indicates its function as a ‘Trainer Fighter’. It is equipped with a double cockpit to allow the instructor to sit behind the student pilot. This version retains all the flight characteristics.

This Mustang was built in 1945 as a P-51D at the Dallas (Texas) factory in the United States, where it entered service with the US Air Force. Shortly after delivery, it was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force with the serial number NZ2427, where it continued to fly under various owners until 2016.

Acquired by W Air Collection in 2021 and fully restored to TF configuration in England, it touched down at La Ferté-Alais aerodrome in 2023. Its colours represent those of a Mustang from the 23rd Fighter Group, 75th Fighter Squadron based in the Chinese-Burmese-Indian theatre.