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P-51 Mustang 'Moonbeam McSwine'
Manufacturer
North American
Year
1944
Serial
44-12473
About her scheme
The Spitfire Company's P-51 Mustang, although not her wartime scheme. Our Mustang is painted to look like Capt. William T. Whisner’s “Moonbeam McSwine.”
In 1943, Capt. Whisner joined the 487th Fighter Squadron in England, known as “the Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney.” Capt. Whistner achieved 15 1/2 aerial victories in World War II, making him a triple Ace. He also became an Ace in the Korean War, flying the F-86 Sabre. He served two tours in Vietnam and retired in 1989.
The Name ‘Moonbeam McSwine’ comes from a Character in the Li’l Abner Comic Strip series which ran for 43 years in the US. Moonbeam was a beautiful, unkempt, lazy woman who preferred the company of pigs instead of people.
About our P-51D Mustang.
Manufactured in October 1944 at the North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, Los Angeles, this aircraft was built in the closing stages of the Second World War. By March 1945, it had been formally accepted by the United States Army Air Forces and shipped to England to serve with the 8th Air Force, supporting Allied air operations over Europe.
Following the end of hostilities, the aircraft returned to the United States in July 1945, arriving at the USAF Depot in Newark, New Jersey. From March 1947 through to 1953, it served with a number of fighter squadrons, including the 182nd, 136th, 120th, and 109th, continuing its operational life in the post-war era.
In December 1956, the aircraft was placed into storage at McClellan Air Force Base, California. Two years later, in August 1958, it was declared surplus and sold for just $1,307.50, marking the end of its official U.S. military service.
A new chapter began in 1963, when the aircraft was restored by Cavalier Aircraft in Texas. By 1968, it had been sold to the El Salvador Air Force, where it flew operationally during the conflict with Honduras between 1968 and 1974, giving it the rare distinction of combat service well beyond the Second World War.
In 1975, the aircraft was restored once again, this time into the famous “Moonbeam McSwine” livery, celebrating its wartime heritage. In 1981, it was acquired by renowned warbird expert and display pilot Vlado Lenoch. Under his ownership, the aircraft became a regular feature on the international airshow circuit, flying as part of the USAF Heritage Flight Program and competing at the Reno Air Races in 1997, 1999, and 2000.
The aircraft changed hands in December 2012, when it was sold to Frédéric Akary and relocated to France. In March 2018, it returned to the United States to join the Warbird Heritage Foundation in Illinois, where it continued to be preserved and displayed as a living piece of aviation history.
In November 2024, the aircraft was acquired by Warbird Experiences Ltd / The Spitfire Company, and is now based at Biggin Hill, United Kingdom, beginning the latest chapter in an extraordinary career that spans continents, conflicts, and generations.
