Bomber_12th
SOH-CM-2025
Just some screenshots to share...
These two aircraft are very unique among the Mustangs flying today, as they are among the few that not only flew combat missions during WWII, but are also restored to their original WWII configuration and exact wartime markings (there are less than 25 Mustangs flying today (of roughly 170) that can really be considered WWII combat-vets, and only 10 of these are painted in their original WWII markings). Furthermore, what is also special about these two aircraft is that they are both from the P-51D-20-NA production block (contract #2378) and had only 188 aircraft between them when they each rolled off the NAA Inglewood production line - "Sierra Sue II" was completed on Nov. 25, 1944 and "Twilight Tear" was completed on Dec. 14, 1944. "Twilight Tear", owned/operated by the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum based in Granite Falls, MN, was the personal mount of Lt. Hubert Davis, assigned to the 83rd FS, 78th FG, 8th AF, stationed at Duxford, England in 1945. "Sierra Sue II", owned/operated by Paul Ehlen, is based at the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, MN and was the personal mount of Lt. Bob Bohna, assigned to the 402nd FS, 370th FG, 9th AF, stationed at Advanced Landing Grounds in Belgium and Germany in 1945. "Twilight Tear" was restored through a combined effort of Tri-State Aviation (Wahpeton, ND), Odegaard Wings (Fargo, ND), Aircorps Aviation (Bemidji, MN) and Warhawks, Inc. (Granite Falls, MN), while "Sierra Sue II" was restored entirely by Aircorps Aviation. Both restorations are Oshkosh WWII Grand Champions.
Hopefully an air-to-air photo-shoot featuring the real aircraft together will eventually happen...both aircraft live about a 20-25 minute Mustang flight from each other.
These two aircraft are very unique among the Mustangs flying today, as they are among the few that not only flew combat missions during WWII, but are also restored to their original WWII configuration and exact wartime markings (there are less than 25 Mustangs flying today (of roughly 170) that can really be considered WWII combat-vets, and only 10 of these are painted in their original WWII markings). Furthermore, what is also special about these two aircraft is that they are both from the P-51D-20-NA production block (contract #2378) and had only 188 aircraft between them when they each rolled off the NAA Inglewood production line - "Sierra Sue II" was completed on Nov. 25, 1944 and "Twilight Tear" was completed on Dec. 14, 1944. "Twilight Tear", owned/operated by the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum based in Granite Falls, MN, was the personal mount of Lt. Hubert Davis, assigned to the 83rd FS, 78th FG, 8th AF, stationed at Duxford, England in 1945. "Sierra Sue II", owned/operated by Paul Ehlen, is based at the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, MN and was the personal mount of Lt. Bob Bohna, assigned to the 402nd FS, 370th FG, 9th AF, stationed at Advanced Landing Grounds in Belgium and Germany in 1945. "Twilight Tear" was restored through a combined effort of Tri-State Aviation (Wahpeton, ND), Odegaard Wings (Fargo, ND), Aircorps Aviation (Bemidji, MN) and Warhawks, Inc. (Granite Falls, MN), while "Sierra Sue II" was restored entirely by Aircorps Aviation. Both restorations are Oshkosh WWII Grand Champions.
Hopefully an air-to-air photo-shoot featuring the real aircraft together will eventually happen...both aircraft live about a 20-25 minute Mustang flight from each other.
