What made the P-51 Mustang so special (Find out watch this) | Education Video by World of Military

AT A GLANCE

WD-C

Year of Manufacture:

 

1944

Serial number:

 

G-CMDK / WD-C / 413779

Powerplant

 

PACKARD MERLIN V-1650

Maximum speed

 

430mph

Cruising speed:

 

200 mph

Crew:

 

1 + 1 passenger

P-51D MUSTANG – WD-C

Built at the North American Aviation production line at Inglewood California in mid 1944 with the serial number 44-73877.

Assigned to the USAAF from July 1945 – 1951. It then served with the Royal Canadian Air Force 403 ‘City of Calgary’ Squadron until April 1959 when it was retired.

WD-C then passed into private ownership before undergoing a major restoration. It was then a regular on the airshow circuit carrying a number of markings. In April 2020 WD-C took the colours of Col Donald Blakeslee, Commanding officer of the 4th Fighter Group, the Debden Eagles.

Colonel Blakeslee flew more combat missions than any other American fighter pilot, and stood credited with 15.5 confirmed kills. Blakeslee’s personal standing among Allied pilots was considerable. British ace Johnnie Johnson described him