This is all I can do. Dedicated to the memory of Jimmy Leeward - as an aviation enthusiast, I of course have been reading about him, and the exploits of his Mustang, for as long as I can remember. As a youngster, I thought 'Miss Candace' was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life - likely the genesis of my lifelong fascination with the lines of the P-51, and why I absolutely cannot stop painting it. I remember that Dr. Cliff Cummins painted the candy stripes on the tail in honor of his WWII P-47 unit; hopefully my memory of those old Air Classics articles is correct on that point. I have followed the various incarnations of this plane since then, and in honor of Jimmy who kept making her better, and the plane itself - true 1946-1949 "Ghost" or not this airframe has a legitimate claim to the highest honors in any air racing hall of fame in it's own right - I respectfully submit another famous Mustang and pilot that "did good work":
High-Angle Snapshot
24 x 36 in., Oil on panel
Completed 2011
Collection of Pat Foley
4th Fighter Group triple ace 2Lt. Ralph K. Hofer in his P-51B Mustang "Salem Representative" snaps off a burst at a fleeing Fw 190, but loses the nimble German fighter in the morning sun. His aim thwarted, the 'victory' is only on a few frames of gun camera film - this time - thus my title. A fellow 4th Fighter Group Mustang aggressively maneuvers above for the kill. Was he successful? I prefer to let you decide. Hofer was a natural fighter pilot, scoring 15 aerial victories while simultaneously upsetting his superiors with his independent ways. He went out in a blaze of glory on July 2, 1944 attacking a German airfield at Mostar, Yugoslavia.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
What's next?
