RedTailP51CSouthStPaulMinnesota
The Squadronâs P-51C Mustang was used as a stateside trainer in 1945 and then declared postwar surplus. It was displayed at a Montana college for 40 years before being donated for restoration (see photo right). The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) took possession of it in the late 1980s. Starting in the mid-1990s, the Minnesota Wing of the CAF began its restoration, raising the more than $500,000 necessary to complete the work. Volunteers of the âRed Tail Projectâ also did much of the work, contributing their time and experience to save money. In 2001, the Mustang, now christened âTuskegee Airmenâ and painted with a bright red tail, flew again for the first time in more than 45 years.