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One of the most famous aces of the Eighth Air Force, George Preddy's last assigned aircraft was this P-51D, flown after he returned from an R&R break to take command of the 328th Fighter Squadron. It carries the squadron's standard red rudder and canopy rail name tag. A stylized barber's pole was painted on the right hand side of the cowling reflecting the part time career of his crew chief.
His previous aircraft, flown while serving with the Group's 487th Fighter Squadron, had included P-51D Cripes A' Mighty 3rd and P-51B Cripes A' Mighty 2nd as well as the original Cripes A' Mighty, P-47RE in which Preddy had scored his first three victories. The style of lettering used for Preddy's personal markings varied enormously on all four aircraft. With 26.83 air-to-air kills, 23.83 of them achieved in one of the three Mustangs (including a record six Bf 109s over Brandenburg), Preddy was the top scoring P-51 pilot of the war, although if air and ground kills are included his old rival John Meyer (who flew Petie 2nd) overtakes him to that landmark level. He likely would have gone on to be the top overall ace of the ETO if he hadn't been shot down on Christmas Day 1944 in this, his final aircraft.
The replica features fully functional landing gear, flaps, rudder, a sliding canopy, and removable engine cowling. Each replica is serialized, with a limited run. Bonus 128 pg. book included with each purchase. 352nd Fighter Group by Thomas G Ivie. This book has tons of stories from the pilots that flew in the war and features many rare photos of the P-51s they piloted.
(02/05/2005)
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