It’s almost back to its glory, the yellow-painted classic fighter modeled on ones a World War II ace used to fly.
The North American P-51H Mustang, restored in honor of Louisiana’s Lt. Col. Claude Crenshaw, U.S.A.F., is “the belle of the ball” at the newly revived Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Ill., said curator Mark Hanson.
The elegant and deadly 1945 model’s restoration will be finished soon after years of work. Some minor paint work will have to wait for spring.
Along with a new, modular timeline that won’t be damaged if walls get wet in the leaky building, a “Dream of Flight” exhibit featuring Leonardo da Vinci courtesy of Rantoul’s Taylor Studios and some classic simulators with a lot of help from Frasca Aviation, it’s another sign of the museum’s recent renaissance.
For the complete story by Dave Hinton of The News-Gazette, click here.
