P-51 Lucy Gal

Name: P-51 Lucy Gal
Address: Rochester, NY, US
Telephone: (585)2866781

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Keeping Them Flying On April 21st, 1945, the city of Rochester, NY lost a war hero. Flight Officer Leland H.

Pennington, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen's 301st Fighter Squadron, was lost while returning to base from combat. A successful bomber es**rt mission over Austria was Leland's last action for the war effort. During this mission, Pennington was flying a P-51B-10 "Mustang" named "Lucy Gal," after his wife back home. We aim to keep Pennington's story, and the story of the Red Tails as a whole, flying. The Pennington P-51 Memorial is a project of Mustang Aviation, LLC.

10/13/2026

"I'm learning to fly, around the clouds - but what goes up, must come down"

We're making solid progress on the team-effort restoration of the AT-6 Harvard in Geneseo. The landing gear tests are seen here, an item you don't want to skip on the checklist! Many landing incidents occured in USAAF training due to students (and/or instructors) neglecting this critical task.

10/12/2026

Why were Lucy Gal - and other Mustangs like her - so crucial to the outcome of the Second World War? Allow this video from Jane's WWII Fighters to explain on this 🐎

10/08/2026

Do you want to see part of Lucy Gal? How about the concept model of our eventual P-51? Visit the Military History Society of Rochester! The great team at MHSR has teamed up with us to create a display on F.O. Leland Pennington.

The society is located only a street over from Alma Place, where Leland grew up, making it a great place to have parts of our Mustang on display for the time being. Visit Thursday through Saturday, 12-4pm!

10/06/2026

Transformation Tuesday ✨ How it started, and how it all came to fruition for Leland Pennington as a Tuskegee Airman.

F.O. Pennington served as a member of the 301st FS, part of the 332nd FG. He was, and forever will be, a Red Tail.

10/05/2026

Ever wonder how to fly the legendary P-51? Here's your cheat-sheet, a USAAF checklist for the P-51D...📑

F.O. Pennington flew the earlier "B" model Mustang, his named 'Lucy Gal.' The protocols are roughly the same, both variants used the V-1650-7 Merlin.

10/01/2026

When future Red Tail pilot Lelend Pennington was just 16, he suffered a broken leg at the hands of a negligent truck driver. His family was awarded a settlement at the time, but most important, he recovered completely from the injury.

Pennington's legs would go on to serve him well - first as a HS track star, and then again in pilot training at Tuskegee (most likely hearing "more right rudder" from an instructor.)

09/29/2026

Update 📣

Our collaborative effort on the AT-6 in Geneseo has taken flight - well, sort of. The hydraulic system adjustments & tests with our A&Ps are nearly complete, and the Harvard got light on her feet.

F.O. Leland Pennington - and the Red Tails as a whole - honed their piloting skills in the "Terrible Texan" prior to flying the P-51 Mustang in combat.

09/28/2026

With all this talk of gas, we got to thinking - "Do enough people know how the P-51's fuel system looks and operates?" 🤔

Well, being that it is , now is your chance to gain some knowledge! We think this Stallion is well worth the price to fill-up the tanks. 🐎💰

09/25/2026

is here! Preflight is complete, we're just waiting for the weekend to take-off.

⚠️Bonus FF Trivia - How many hours did F.O. Pennington have in the mighty P-51 Mustang? 🤔

📸 Jeff Hancock

09/24/2026

Who doesn't love a big radial-engined fighter? 😍 We celebrate the Republic P-47 on this - and the Red Tail pilots who flew her.

Flt. Officer Leland Pennington accumulated many flight hours in the "Jug" from 1944 to early '45, training to fly the P-51 Mustang in combat overseas.

📸 Charles England

Address

Rochester, NY

Telephone

(585)2866781

Website

http://lucygal.com/

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