P51 Mustang-King of the sky...

[Seascamp]

I?ve been a P51 Mustang nut from the time I was a tyke and the Reno Air Races bring quite a number of restored and race built Mustangs out, what a deal. I always get a pit pass so I can get real close and have a good look at those magnificent old winged warriors. This year the unlimited class racing Mustangs were hitting right at 500 mph around the pylons and they?d come by and the sound was zuzuzuzuzu, goose bump time for sure.

The restored Mustangs with the Merlin engine aren?t slouches either. They did solo demos around the course and could do a very respectable 350 mph or so. How way, way cool. A race built Mustang cranks about 3600-horse power and a restored with a Merlin engine has around 1800 hp. The airplane called ?Dago Red? won the Gold Unlimited this year and he was really hauling buns, big time. He?d come off the pylon with wings vertical and the prop chopping up air molecules, zow, total sight/ sound OD.

Ok, I?ll settle down now, but it will take a bit to get this smile off my face. I just get really jazzed by those P51s. Now then where was I before I went Mustang nuts? I think I was working on a project, maybe. It?ll come to me in a bit I?m sure.

Scamp