P-51D-20 44-72777 VF-V was the aircraft assigned to Major Ralph J.'Doc'Watson, the operations officer of the 52nd FG. Watson was one of the youngest colonels to serve in the Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force. His World War II career included meritorious service in the European and North African Combat Theaters, where his five aerial combat kills in his P-51 Mustang earned his ?Ace? status. Watson became president and chairman of the board of the American Fighter Aces Association. He was featured in the film ?The True Aces,? which still appears on national television, and in the W.W. II documentary film ?Fight for the Skies? with Ronald Reagan. In his post-war career, Watson played a key role in establishing the first jet airbases in Turkey, flew supersonic and experimental aircraft, and worked for Rockwell/North American Aviation. He served as Senate liaison to the USAF before becoming a top lobbyist with Rockwell, where he promoted the development of the X-15, the B-70 bomber, the Apollo space capsule, the Minuteman ICBM, the B-1 bomber and the Space Shuttle programs. Repaint of the Shockwave WWII Mustang by Jan Kees Blom, based on paintkit by John Terrell.
by jankees (2007-12-09 01:18:37)
by jankees (2007-12-09 01:18:37)
