This is a repaint set for the generic/stock P-51D included in the Base and Full versions of the Reno Air Races expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This repaint set contains two depictions of the restored P-51D Mustang USAAF Ser. No. 45-11495, named 'Little Rebel', both as it looked when based in the United States between 2009-2021, registered as N5551D, and as it looks now, based in Europe and registered as OO-PSI.
This aircraft was manufactured at the North American Aviation Dallas, TX factory in the summer of 1945 as P-51D-30-NT USAAF Ser. No. 45-11525, too late for World War II, and transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in late 1945. After arriving in New Zealand the Mustang was assigned the serial number NZ2406, but it was kept in storage, dismantled, at Ardmore until 1951. Assembled and flown that year, it was assigned to Central Flying School in Wigram. A year later, it was reassigned to RNZAF No 75 Sqdn, and in June 1953 it was transferred to RNZAF No 2 Sqdn. The aircraft remained operational in the RNZAF reserve service for two more years until it was flown to Woodbourne in December 1955 and placed into storage. Ultimately, the aircraft was sold off for disposal in 1958, to what appears to have been a scrap dealer, as by 1961 reportedly only a collection of parts, or fuselage, are known to have survived of this aircraft. What remained of 45-11525 eventually made its way to a British collector. Following a few failed attempts to restore the Mustang, the project was acquired by Philip Warner of Cheltenham, England in 2000, at which point it consisted of just a fuselage and some parts, no wings.
In 2004, looking for his third Mustang to restore, Bob Baker of Alva, Oklahoma purchased the project and set about restoring it to fly over the next five years. Following in the path of other benchmark-setting Mustang restorations, it became Baker's goal to restore the aircraft to a very high level of accuracy to original 1945 appearance. This included using period-correct rivets, fasteners, fittings, and all other hardware, as well as using original type paints and primers, and leaving all of the metal with the same shiny or dull/blemished finishes they would have had when the aircraft was originally completed in 1945. This included adding the brushed-on acid etching to areas where the aluminum skins are spot-welded, just as they originally did at the North American Aviation factory to purify the metal surface (leaving bright lines on the cowls, fillets and fairings, radiator doghouse, and landing gear doors). Also, all of the stenciling across the exterior of the aircraft was added using stamps, just as they did at the factory, and sealed with shellac where the stencils were applied to bare aluminum. Odegaard Wings was contracted to build a new set of wings, flaps and some other components for the aircraft, and, as per original factory process, the exterior of the wings were painted dull silver. During all original wartime P-51 production, North American Aviation, in an effort to maximize laminar flow, had a whole process in which they would fill all of the panel seams, rivets and other imperfections within the first 1/3 of the chord of the wing, and then sand it smooth. On early aircraft, the wing was of course then painted in the olive drab and gray camouflage as the rest of the aircraft. However, when the change occurred in early 1944 that the aircraft were to remain bare metal, North American painted the filled wings in dull silver (as well as the fabric rudder and phenolic trim tabs), so as to match/blend with the bare aluminum of the rest of the aircraft. The only real deviation from originality made during the restoration was to install a second seat in the aft cockpit, in-place of the fuselage fuel tank and radios that would have been installed in 1945.
When it came to deciding how to paint the aircraft, it was an easy decision for Baker. Having already completed a P-51D painted as 'Sweet and Lovely', as flown by Cuthbert 'Bill' Patillo of the 487th FS, 352nd FG, the natural choice was to paint this next Mustang as 'Little Rebel', as flown by Bill's twin brother, Charles 'Buck' Patillo, who flew with the 486th FS, 352nd FG. With 'Little Rebel' finished in 2009 and registered as N5551D, it was flown to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh along with 'Sweet and Lovely', where Bob Baker was able to arrange to have both Bill and Buck reunite with the restored representatives of their original wartime mounts. A memorable evening formation flight took place with both Bill and Buck in the backseats of their respective aircraft. Entered into the aircraft judging event, 'Little Rebel' won the "Best P-51" award at AirVenture Oshkosh 2009.
By 2020, Bob Baker put his Mustangs up for sale, and in 2021 Steven Stead of the UK purchased 45-11525/'Little Rebel'. The aircraft was shipped from the United States to Belgium where FAST Aero, located in Brasschaat, performed an IRAN (inspect and replace as needed), and the engine was sent to Vintage V-12s for overhaul. A few changes were made to the aircraft including adding non-slip tape to the port-side wing, and replacing the swastika kill markings with German crosses. Since the aircraft will be flying to airshows and events throughout Europe, it was a necessary change to avoid any problems stemming from laws in various countries. Fully reassembled, the aircraft returned to the sky at Brasschaat on February 26, 2023, and is now on the Belgian civil aviation register as OO-PSI. The aircraft's European public debut was at the Pardubice Airshow in late May, where it was a star attraction, flown through a brilliant aerobatic display by Dan Griffith. When not flying to airshows, the aircraft will be spending the summer months at the Classic Trainers museum located at the Letiště Plzeň Líně Airport (LKLN) in western Czech Republic.
Here are some related videos, well worth watching if you haven't before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUp08kaM7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1upyLw5H3c
Amazing work John! Your attention to detail is second to none!
11 months ago
Thank you, Tim!
11 months ago
Bomber12th
TimHH
Awesome! Thanks for doing Little Rebel, it's one of my favorite P-51s. Now that she is based in Europe, I really hope to finally get to see it in person. Especially since Stephen Stead used to bring his Spitfire quite regularly to the Hahnweide.
Are you planning to do repaints for the 109 also? It would be awesome if we could "fly" Bruce Winters 109 or Hangar 10s D-FMGS and D-FMGV or D-FMBD with your attention to detail =)
11 months ago
Thank you, Stearman!
Yes, I've started working on two repaints (for now) for the FlyingIron Bf 109. One is Bruce Winter's example, and the other being the legendary "Black 6". I've got hundreds of photos to work from for each, and I'll be sure to have every detail of the paint work and stenciling exact to the real aircraft. I'm currently doing as much paint work as I can, waiting for the eventual paintkit to be released, at which time I'll be able to import the paint layers/finish and release them. I would love to see Hangar10's Bf 109s properly recreated as well.
11 months ago
Bomber12th
Stearman94