P-51B Mustang 'Lucy Gal'

P-51B Mustang 'Lucy Gal'

National Warplane Museum

The North American P-51 Mustang is one of the most iconic and effective fighter aircraft of World War II. Its exceptional speed, range, and agility allowed Allied forces to seize air superiority over Europe and the Pacific, escorting bombers deep into enemy territory and turning the tide of the air war.

Background

Introduced in 1942, the P-51B was the first Mustang model equipped with the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, giving it the high-altitude performance desperately needed for long-range bomber escort missions. With its combination of speed, range, and firepower, the P-51B became a critical component of the U.S. Army Air Forces' strategic bombing campaign over Europe.

Use & Purpose

The P-51B's primary mission was to escort Allied heavy bombers deep into German-held territory, protecting formations from Luftwaffe attacks and allowing bombing raids to strike with greater accuracy and survivability. The Mustang's versatility also allowed it to conduct ground attack missions, armed reconnaissance, and air superiority patrols across multiple theaters of war.

Museum Project: Honoring Leland Pennington & Lucy Gal

P-51B-10-NA 'Lucy Gal' (Serial No. 42-106603 / Contract AC-30479)

The Lucy Gal project honors the memory of Flight Officer Leland Pennington, a young fighter pilot from Rochester, NY. Assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, 301st Fighter Squadron — the Tuskegee Airmen, Pennington flew 14 combat missions over Europe in this very aircraft before being declared Missing in Action (MIA) on April 21, 1945, during a bomber escort mission over Austria.

Though the original aircraft was lost, the National Warplane Museum — in partnership with the P-51 'Lucy Gal' Project — is carrying out an ambitious, multi-year memorial effort to honor Pennington's sacrifice. This includes:

• Collecting authentic P-51B parts to build a partial static reconstruction
• Featuring Lucy Gal prominently in the Museum's Underdog Aviators exhibit
• Creating an educational outreach program connecting Pennington's story to local history, diversity, and resilience
• Restoring the Wadsworth family AT-6 Texan, the same type of trainer flown by Mustang pilots like Leland, which will fly in support of the project and train future P-51 'Lucy Gal' pilots
• Installing a full-scale floor outline of the P-51B beneath the AT-6 Texan restoration area, symbolizing the training-to-combat pathway many WWII pilots followed

The Lucy Gal project stands as a living tribute not only to Pennington, but to all who trained, fought, and sacrificed as part of America's wartime air forces. Visitors can follow the ongoing progress of this memorial, view original recovered parts, and engage with a deeply personal story that connects the national war effort to the families of Western New York.