After a bit of a delay this past week, I've finally got "Val-Halla" uploaded:
https://flightsim.to/file/55089/p-51d-mustang-val-halla-n151afManufactured at the North American Aviation Dallas, TX plant in the summer of 1945 as P-51D-30-NT USAAF Ser. No. 45-11525, it was one of the last D-model Mustangs produced and delivered far too late to see combat assignment during World War Two. In the post-war years it served with the Indonesian Air Force and was eventually recovered from Indonesia in 1978 by Stephen Johnson, of Oakland, CA. Brought back to the US, it was sold to John MacGuire in 1982 and became part of his War Eagles Air Museum, located in Santa Teresa, NM, where it underwent an intial restoration as "The Silver Ghost", registered as N91JB. Around 1995 the Mustang was acquired by Apollo 8 Astronaut Maj. General Bill Anders, and the aircraft underwent a subsequent restoration by Pena Olivas. In 1996, Bill Anders and his wife, Valerie, founded the Heritage Flight Museum (HFM), and the Mustang became the first asset they donated to the new museum. Following restoration, it was decided to paint the P-51 in the markings of the 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, known as the "Black Knights", the unit that Bill Anders himself had served with in 1958, flying F-89 Scorpions. During the 1950s, the unit was based in Keflavik, Iceland to serve in the role of air defense during the Cold War. Aircraft of the USAF based in this region were painted with large sections of high-visibility "arctic red" (insignia red) on the wings and tail, for in-case if forced down it would aid in search-and-rescue efforts. The name "Val-Halla" was chosen to honor Bill's wife and museum co-founder, Valerie. "Val-Halla" is of course Viking heaven, and according to the HFM's website, the name also reflects the fond memories Bill Anders has had for the time he spent in Iceland and the year he spent as the US Ambassador to Norway. Bill Anders raced the Mustang at Reno in 1997, '98 and '99, as race #68 (commemorating the year, 1968, that he went to the moon aboard Apollo 8). Today, Bill's son, Lt. Col. Greg Anders, is the regular pilot of "Val-Halla", and they can be seen participating in airshows around the western United States, including as part of the USAF Heritage Flight Foundation.As always, every detail has been done to match the real aircraft as close I could get, including the slight difference in shade of the silver paint on the some exterior panels, the bare metal panels/sections around the fuselage, the unique stencils/graphics, cockpit and wheel well finishes, etc.