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The Tuskegee Airmen of 332nd FG, or "Red Tails" as they were also known, were the first African-American military aviators in the United States armed forces. Charles White was accepted into the "Tuskegee Experiment" pilot program and trained at Moton Field on the campus of Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. After graduating he was rated as a fighter pilot with the rank of second lieutenant and sent overseas. He was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group base at Ramitelli air field in southern Italy. Upon arrival in September 1944 he was assigned to the 301st Fighter Squadron and began flying combat missions. After joining the group as a replacement pilot, he had received a war-weary P-51C. White's complaints about its unreliability led his commanding officer to allocate this early P-51D directly to him. So inspired by the allocation, White painted a nude on both sides of the new fighter's fuselage, with an aft view to port and a front view to starboard.

Designed to meet an RAF requirement for fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-51 Mustang was first flown on October 26th, 1940. This versatile aircraft was capable of escorting bombers on long-range missions, engaging in dogfights, and dropping down to destroy German targets on the ground. At least eight versions of the P-51 were produced, but it was the definitive P-51D that gave the Mustang its classic warbird appearance. Britain and the US both tested the airframe with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which gave the aircraft tremendous performance gains. The Truman Senate War Investigating Committee called the Mustang "the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence."

Hobby Master's 1:48 scale P-51 Mustang is a well-thought-out, quality product, constructed almost entirely from diecast metal with intelligent use of plastic components. The sliding canopy opens to reveal pad printed flight controls, instrument panel and radio equipment boxes. The all-metal propeller spins freely, and the wing flaps and radiator cowling are also movable. Separately applied metal exhaust stacks have six flanged pipes on each side, and pad printed rivets can be seen on the flaps, engine cowling and rudder. Landing gear and doors are constructed as a complete subassembly for easy configuration. Releases in this series include a variety of wing mounted external fuel tanks and ordnance.

Info: P-51D Mustang - USAAF 332nd FG, 301st FS Tuskegee Airmen, Creamer's Dream, Charles White, Ramitelli Airfield, Italy, 1945