Continued from Part II
After purchasing N79111 from Sanders in 1982, pilot Jimmy Leeward raced the Mustang under a few different names, including Specter (Race number X) and the Leeward Air Ranch Special (Race 44, then Race 9). He met with only limited success however, being forced to withdraw several times due to engine problems, and eventually placed the veteran racer in storage in 1989.

In 2005, Leeward announced that he planned to return N79111 to air racing as The Galloping Ghost, a name it had not officially worn for almost fifty years. Unfortunately, this was not to be. The Ghost was not finished in time for the 2007, 2008, or 2009 races, and the first one it was able to qualify for was the 2010 Gold. However, this race was cancelled due to high winds, so the full potential of the Ghost was never realized.

In 2011, tragedy struck. During the Friday Gold heat, the left elevator trim tab separated from the airframe, forcing it into a violent climb (later calculated to be approximately 17.3 Gs). The aircraft flipped inverted and crashed nose-down directly in front of a grandstand. Leeward and 17 spectators were killed, at least 69 others were injured, and the legendary Ghost was totally destroyed.

This tragic event marked the end of the 65-year postwar career of The Galloping Ghost, years marked by both incredible successes and disappointing failures.

This build represents the final appearance of The Galloping Ghost, at the time of the 2010 race that never was (though I have omitted some of the smaller details for the sake of simplicity). These markings were nearly identical to the original 1946 Ghost. Additionally, the wingspan is about two feet greater than that of the Ghost, as further reducing it began to create control issues.

Also check out:
1946-1952 as Race 77 The Galloping Ghost, pilots Steve Beville and Bruce Raymond
1979-1982 as Race 69 Jeannie, pilot Skip Holm

Controls

AG 1: Canopy
AG 3: Wing lights
VTOL: Flaps

All other controls are standard.

Credits

Jundroo (base P-51-D)

Substantial modifications were made to the Mustang, including a fairly radical wing clip and redesign of the cockpit canopy and turtledeck, as well as reshaping of the ventral air scoop. The wingtip probe is also included, though it is missing in the screenshots.