This is a repaint set for the generic/stock P-51D Mustang included in the full version of the Reno Air Races expansion for MSFS 2020, as well as the P-51D Mustang included by default in MSFS 2024. This repaint set contains two depictions of the restored P-51D Mustang USAAF Ser. No. 45-11495, named 'Little Rebel', both as it looked when owned by Bob Baker and based in the United States between 2009-2021, registered as N5551D, and as it looks now, owned by Steve Stead and based in Europe, registered as OO-PSI.

This repaint has been specially refined for use with the excellent Improvement Mod by Randall Snow, available here.

This aircraft was manufactured at the North American Aviation Dallas, TX factory in the summer of 1945 as P-51D-30-NT USAAF Ser. No. 45-11525, too late for World War II, and transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in late 1945. After arriving in New Zealand the Mustang was assigned the serial number NZ2406, but it was kept in storage, dismantled, at Ardmore until 1951. Assembled and flown that year, it was assigned to Central Flying School in Wigram. A year later, it was reassigned to RNZAF No 75 Sqdn, and in June 1953 it was transferred to RNZAF No 2 Sqdn. The aircraft remained operational in the RNZAF reserve service for two more years until it was flown to Woodbourne in December 1955 and placed into storage. Ultimately, the aircraft was sold off for disposal in 1958, to what appears to have been a scrap dealer, as by 1961 reportedly only a collection of parts, or fuselage, are known to have survived of this aircraft. What remained of 45-11525 eventually made its way to a British collector. Following a few failed attempts to restore the Mustang, the project was acquired by Philip Warner of Cheltenham, England in 2000, at which point it consisted of just a fuselage and some parts, no wings. 

In 2004, looking for his third Mustang to restore, Bob Baker of Alva, Oklahoma purchased the project and set about restoring it to fly over the next five years. Following in the path of other benchmark-setting Mustang restorations, it became Baker's goal to restore the aircraft to a very high level of accuracy to original 1945 appearance. This included using period-correct rivets, fasteners, fittings, and all other hardware, as well as using original type paints and primers, and leaving all of the metal with the same shiny or dull/blemished finishes they would have had when the aircraft was originally completed in 1945. This included adding the brushed-on acid etching to areas where the aluminum skins are spotwelded, just as they originally did at the North American Aviation factory to purify the metal surface (leaving bright lines on the cowls, fillets and fairings, radiator doghouse, and landing gear doors). Odegaard Wings was contracted to build a new set of wings, flaps and some other components for the aircraft, and, as per original factory process, the exterior of the wings were painted dull silver. During all original wartime P-51 production, North American Aviation, in an effort to maximize laminar flow, had a whole process in which they would fill all of the panel seams, rivets and other imperfections within the first 1/3 of the chord of the wing, and then sand it smooth. On early aircraft, the wing was then painted in the olive drab and gray camouflage as the rest of the aircraft. However, when the change occurred that the aircraft were to remain bare metal, North American painted the filled wings dull silver (as well as the fabric rudder and phenolic trim tabs), so as to match/blend with the bare aluminum of the rest of the aircraft. The only real deviation from originality made during the restoration was to install a second seat in the aft cockpit, in-place of the fuselage fuel tank and radios that would have been installed in 1945.

When it came to deciding how to paint the aircraft, it was an easy decision for Baker. Having already completed a P-51D painted as 'Sweet and Lovely', as flown by Cuthbert 'Bill' Patillo of the 487th FS, 352nd FG, the natural choice was to paint this next Mustang as 'Little Rebel', as flown by Bill's twin brother, Charles 'Buck' Patillo, who flew with the 486th FS, 352nd FG. With 'Little Rebel' finished in 2009 and registered as N5551D, it was flown to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh along with 'Sweet and Lovely', where Bob Baker was able to arrange to have both Bill and Buck reunite with the restored representatives of their original wartime mounts. A memorable evening formation flight took place with both Bill and Buck in the backseats of their respective aircraft. Enterred into the aircraft judging event, 'Little Rebel' won the "Best P-51" award at AirVenture Oshkosh 2009.

By 2020, Bob Baker put his Mustangs up for sale, and in 2021 Steven Stead of the UK purchased 45-11525/'Little Rebel'. The aircraft was shipped from the United States to Belgium where FAST Aero, located in Brasschaat, performed an IRAN (inspect and replace as needed), and the engine was sent to Vintage V-12s for overhaul. A few changes were made to the aircraft including adding non-slip tape to the port-side wing, and replacing the swastika kill markings with German crosses. Since the aircraft will be flying to airshows and events throughout Europe, it was a necessary change to avoid any problems stemming from laws in various countries. Fully reassembled, the aircraft returned to the sky at Brasschaat on February 26, 2023, and is now on the Belgian civil aviation register as OO-PSI. The aircraft's European public debut was at the Pardubice Airshow in late May, where it was a star attraction, flown through a brilliant aerobatic display by Dan Griffith. When not flying to airshows, the aircraft will be spending the summer months at the Classic Trainers museum located at the Letiště Plzeň Líně Airport (LKLN) in western Czech Republic.

Here are some related videos, well worth watching if you haven't before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUp08kaM7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1upyLw5H3c

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P-51D Little Rebel (Two Versions)

This add-on provides two high-fidelity repaints for the default P-51D Mustang in both the MSFS 2024 base game and the Reno Air Races expansion for MSFS 2020. The liveries represent the restored warbird 'Little Rebel' as it appeared under two different owners and registrations: N5551D in the United States and OO-PSI in Europe. The paint schemes feature historically accurate details reflecting each period of the aircraft's restoration and operation. Compatibility with the P-51D Improvement Mod by Randall Snow is included for enhanced realism.

Version History