P-51D Mustang "Moonbeam McSwine" 487th FS, 352nd FG, Sept 1944

Product description

Later in WWII the Allied bombers were flying deep into Germany but suffered tremendous losses because of the lack of range the fighter escorts had. German fighters would wait beyond the range of the Allied fighters and then attack the vulnerable bombers. Once the P-51 called Mustang by the British had the Allison engine replaced with a British Merlin it possessed the high performance that had been lacking. With drop tanks the P-51 had the range to escort bombers all the way to Berlin and back.

P-51D HO/W (44-14237) “Moonbeam McSwine” was the aircraft flown by Capt. William Whisner. In late September 1944 Whisner returned to England to start his second tour of combat and soon was promoted to Captain. On November 21, 1944 Capt. Whisner was credited with five confirmed and 2 probable air-to-to-air victories. Whisner became an ace in Korea as well as WWII and received the DSC three times. Capt. Whisner’s WWII total was 15.5 victories and 5 in 
Korea. He survived 2 wars only to die in 1989 from a Yellow Jacket sting.