“If you build it, they will come.” This quote, adapted from the classic 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams, has inspired and driven countless passion projects for those aspiring to achieve success. Growing up, I heard this quote often from both my father and the folks at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York. You see, Field of Dreams is not only a movie, it is also a train of thought, a belief system if you will. What transpired in Geneseo in the early days, when my dad volunteered there, was in parallel with the plot of the film. A big corn field, partially mowed down in the hopes that crowds would flock there to witness something truly special. In Geneseo, the Wings of Eagles airshow became the epitome of creating something magnificent from humble beginnings. Having grown up witnessing this spectacle, I have since carried on that motivation to achieve what some may consider unachievable.
In previous articles (see the first part here), I introduced you to Flight Officer Leland “Sticks” Pennington. Leland was a member of the 301st Fighter Squadron, the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. On April 21st, 1945, Pennington went MIA en route to an escort mission over Austria. I am continuing on the path of creating an airworthy Mustang to serve as a flying tribute to him, and the aircraft will fly as his P-51 Lucy Gal. Our Mustang Team’s current position doesn’t have the funds to acquire an airworthy or project P-51. So, what does one do when you can buy the whole thing upfront? My solution, so far, has been to collect as many Mustang parts as possible. As we begin to ramp-up fundraising efforts and slowly garner more attention, my intent is to use what parts I’ve collected to generate interest and excitement towards the project. I’ve always believed that if you put energy towards something, it grows and eventually comes to fruition. Just as with my warbird flying goals, this P-51 will continue to snowball. As people begin to see the parts we are amassing, and then display at airshows and on social media, I believe more support and popularity will come ‘Lucy Gal’s’ way. Aviation enthusiasts will get excited. In the words of James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams; “People will come, Ray,” (or, Austin.)
So far, I have collected an interesting range of P-51 parts. I currently have the Lacker AN-N6 gun camera, which I had signed by local tactical-recon Mustang pilot Elmer Pankratz. I have a Kollsman Type D-2 pitot tube, off of an Australian CAC Mustang. Lastly, but certainly not least, I have the beginnings of a complete instrument panel. Thanks to warbird part sleuth Jay Wisler, a legend in the business, we were able to obtain a collection of instruments required to nearly fill the panel. As you can see in the photos, a few spots are empty. The landing gear position indicator, and two temperature gauges (coolant and carb-air) are still needed. I used the Blinker Oxygen Indicator as a “stand-by” to fill in space, it looks better when on display to have as many holes filled as possible. I also used an old VOR in the upper left quadrant, which will be replaced when the time comes. Most of the instruments in the panel can be overhauled to airworthy status, if we desire to use them when we get close to that point. Right now, I am keeping all options open.
For our next “trick,” I plan to work with a local university’s aeronautical engineering club to turn some of the original 2D technical drawings into 3D CAD models. From here, we will begin to produce some recognizable parts, which will be added to our display. When we attend the Geneseo and Batavia Airshows this summer, we’d like to have more Mustang parts that the casual aviation fan can recognize and get amped-up about. We plan to develop and build the pilot’s control stick and grip, next.
What our Mustang Team has collected thus far may seem insignificant in comparison to a complete P-51. However, as I mentioned before, these parts show progress and energy towards the finale, an airworthy example of Pennington’s Lucy Gal. Who knows what will happen between now and then? A sponsor may step up and offer to help us acquire an already existing project or airworthy P-51. A new full-scale kit may become available. Resources to fund a search and find the original Lucy Gal could reveal themselves. We may just build the whole thing ourselves! No one knows what the path will look like, but we all share the same vision of the end goal. This is why we keep pushing, this is why we never give up.
