Dick Phillips: Case #97 is a static display at Barksdale AFB, LA. It is marked as 44-14570, but I am not yet sure of its actual ID.


Some history on the real "Ridge Runner" and its pilot.
Greg Renne: P51-D-20-NA, 44-14570/WD-A 'RIDGE RUNNER', Flown by Major Pierce 'Mac' McKennon, Officer Commanding 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Spring 1944.

Major McKennon is credited with 12 kills and flew:

Two B's; 42-106911/WD-A (named 'Yippi Joe'), and 43-6896/WD-A (unnamed). Four D's; 44-14221/WD-A (named 'Ride Runner II), 44-14570/WD-A (named 'Ridge Runner'), 44-63166/WD-A (unnamed), and 44-72308/WD-A (named 'Ridge Runner III').

The photo pictured is of Ridge Runner, with crosses indicating he had not yet scored his last aerial kill. I believe the number of crosses on your photo is an incorrect restoration for the Ridge Runner. I think the Ridge Runner could only have borne 8 or 9 crosses, not the eleven shown. Too bad owners don't do their research better.

Major McKennon was a talented pianist and music student from the University of Arkansas. He initially showed little aptitude for flying, being washed out of USAAF training. Undeterred, he joined the RCAF and eventually reached a Spitfire squadron based in Britain, before finally transferring the USAAF in November 1942. He was shot down twice, avoided capture the first time and was smuggled out by the French Resistance. His second period in enemy territory was much more brief, since one of his pilots landed and flew his squadron commander back to Debden on his lap! McKennon amassed 11 aerial victories, seven of them in the P51, with a further 9.68 strafing kills.

His final Mustang (44-72308 Ridge Runner III) carried an Arkansas razorback on the nose (forward of the cockpit), rushing past two parachutes (his number of times shot down). It had a black-edged white rudder indicated the 335 FS. It had the red nose color sweeping back and down across the number three exhaust, and two rows of ten crosses directly below the port exhaust stack. Evidently, near the end of the war, they painted both the aerial and the strafing kills enmasse.