Rebirth of a P-51C

Flight Journal, Aug 1998 by Werneth, Ron

The Southern Minnesota Wing of the Confederate Air Force, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is restoring a rare P-SIC (42-103645) to honor the Tuskegee Airmen-the heroic African-American WW II air group. The fighter is only one of four C or B models left in the world, and it will be used as a flying memorial to these unsung heroes. The Tuskegee Airmen not only helped overcome the terrorism of the Third Reich, but racism as well. The Wing plans to finish the aircraft in the markings of Capt. Andrew "Jug" Turner, CO of the 100th Fighter Squadron. The nose of the restored aircraft will be adorned with the name Skipper's Darlin'. The Tuskegee aviators were members of the 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons, which collectively became the 332nd Fighter Group. The Group performed superbly in combat, and it never lost a bomber to enemy aircraft throughout the conflict.

The CAF acquired the P-5C from a trade school in Billings, Montana, in 1962. Unfortunately, the poor condition of the aircraft slowed the project. After several years of hard work, great progress on the fighter has been made. Noted Mustang expert Bob Odegaard has restored the wings to immaculate condition. They are now being fitted with new wiring and hydraulic lines. The next step in the restoration will be to rebuild the fuselage. The restoration team has a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-1 engine that is available for trade for any P-SiC components or a Packard Merlin V1650-7 engine.

For more information, contact Douglas Olson, CAF Red Tail Project, 4317 Culver Rd., Golden Valley, MN 55422-3665; phone (612) 588-9516. -Ron Wemeth