P-51 Tuskegee Airmen Red Tail Squadron
Description:
Base:
Red Wing, MN
Website:
| P-51 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
| Introduced | Jan 1942 |
| Power | 1 × Packard V-1650-7 liquid-cooled V-12, with a 2 stage intercooled supercharger, 1,490 hp |
| Length | 32 ft 3 in |
| Height | 13 ft 4½ in |
| Wingspan | 37 ft 0 in |
| Range | 1,650 mi with external tanks |
RIDE INFO Rides in the P-51 Tuskegee Airmen can be scheduled by calling the Logistics Director at (802) 371-8838 or via email at logistics@cafriseabove.org. Rides are about 20 minutes and cost $2500. (Pricing and availability are subject to change. Please contact the Logistics Director for the most recent/accurate information.
HISTORY The CAF Red Tail Squadron’s P-51C Mustang, named Tuskegee Airmen, is an authentic and fully restored operational fighter from the WWII era. This awe-inspiring aircraft sparks conversations to educate young and old alike about the often-overlooked history of the Tuskegee Airmen who flew this same model as their signature aircraft in World War II. It is quite simply a museum without walls… and an awe-inspiring one at that!
Our P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen, tail number N61429, saw service stateside as a trainer in 1945, then declared surplus after the war ended. It was displayed at Montana State College (now Montana State University) for 40 years before being donated for restoration. The CAF took possession of the aircraft in the late 1980s and was initially restored to flying condition in 2001.
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter.
