P-51D MUSTANG TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MODEL

The Tuskegee Airmen was the popular name of a group of African American pilots who flew with distinction during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen were initially equipped with P-40 warhawks, briefly with P-39 Airacobras, later with P-47 Thunderbolts and finally with the P-51 Mustang, the airplane in which they became most identifed with.

The P-51 Mustang is a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft and became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. The P-51 Mustang is credited for providing very effective long range bomber escort. The Allied daylight bombing campaign proved extremely successful by strangling the support lines of the enemy and nearly stopping the production of war-time machinery. The P-51 Mustang and the crew who had flown them saved lives in the skies and on the ground.

The concept of the P-51 Mustang began more than three years before the first daylight bombing missions and the heavy losses. It was often accepted that the P-51 Mustang was designed to be an escort fighter. By the time heavy bomber losses were at hand, the P-51B and P-51C, with outstanding range, were already in production and being delivered to bases in England. The North American Mustang was the immediate choice and the bombers fondly called them as ""little friends"".

With the hard work of warbird fanatics around the world, there are about 280 P-51s that still exist today with more than half still airworthy. A few remaining P-51s have the distinction of serving for more than 30 years with almost four different air forces around the world.