OCEAN CITY — During the week the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in World War II was marked, Ocean City Air Show officials announced a P-51 Mustang will fly in formation with the Air Force’s latest super fighter over the skies of the resort during the June event.
The U.S. Air Force will pair its past and its future of airpower together at the 2015 Ocean City Air Show when the P-51 Mustang joins the F-22 Raptor in a tight formation during the Heritage Flight. The P-51 Mustang was the workhorse for the U.S in the skies over Europe during World War II.
The Heritage Flight program during the Ocean City Air Show presents the evolution of U.S. Air Force airpower by flying a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft in close formation with the vintage warbird fighter aircraft. The Heritage Flight will feature America’s newest super fighter, the F-22, flying in close formation with the vintage World War II era P-51 Mustang.
“There could be no better way for the Ocean City Air Show to celebrate the 70th anniversary of VE Day and the end of World War II in Europe than to have a P-51 Mustang join the F-22 Raptor in the Heritage Flight,” said Air Show President Bryan Lilley. “The P-51 Mustang was the F-22 Raptor of its day and was key in the Allies achieving air superiority in the skies over Europe.”
Designed by North American Aviation, the P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single seat fighter and fighter bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. With limited high altitude capabilities, it was originally used by the RAF as a reconnaissance aircraft and bomber escort, but when it was updated with a Rolls Royce engine, it’s high altitude capabilities were increased substantially and it matched or even bettered Germany’s Luftwaffe fighters.
While it made its mark in Europe, the P-51 Mustang was also used in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters and saw some action against Japan in the Pacific War. During World War II, P-51 Mustang pilots claimed nearly 5,000 enemy aircraft shot down.
At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters took over the role. The Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the proliferation of jet fighters, the P-51 Mustang remained in service in some air force units as late as the early 1980s.
In addition to the F-22 Raptors, the 2015 Ocean City Air Show on June 13-14 will be headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels along with the European-based Breitling Jet Team and several other exciting units and acts.