Flying the P-51 Mustang

Kermit Weeks is a wealthy man who has used some of his money to buy, restore, and maintain in flying condition some of the most iconic aircraft designs in aviation history.  One of his planes is a fully operational, World War Two era, P51 Mustang.

P-51 Glamorous Glennis

The North American Aircraft P-51 Mustang was arguably the best fighter aircraft produced during that war. When it was first introduced to the European air war against the Nazis in 1942, it met the drastic need for a long range fighter aircraft that could provide air cover for allied bombers on day and night raids against targets deep in Nazi controlled territory.  The one named 'Glamourous Glennis' in the image above is a depiction of the P51 flown by World War Two ace Chuck Yeager, who went on after the big war to be the first pilot to break the speed sound barrier in the Bell X-1.

Anyway, the other day I ran across a couple of videos Kermit Weeks made of him prepping and flying his  P51.  This one is a very rare early version. The later models had one piece bubble canopies.  Very cool stuff for a flying buff like me.

Here are the links to Kermit Weeks' videos on flying the P51...

Part One...     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z1Z-WEZZGM

Part Two...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1F_UJaaP1A

Part Three...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOXxUApaaWo

Here's another cool video of the P51. It features Kermit Weeks and one of the original 'Tuskeegee Airman', who were black pilots that flew the P51 fighter during World War Two....  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJW9UlxPmMk