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VISITORS to last year’s Airbourne Eastbourne were treated to the unforgettable sight and sound of a polished aluminium P-51D Mustang sweeping along the seafront display line, her unmistakable Packard Merlin engine echoing across the Sussex coastline.
That aircraft, Moonbeam McSwine, belongs to FlyaSpitfire.com, the largest Warbird operator. The company is now offering members of the public the extraordinary opportunity not only to admire her from the ground, but to take to the skies inside this legendary fighter, from Biggin Hill, Cotswold or Blackbushe Airport.
The North American P-51 Mustang was originally designed in 1940 for Britain. The British Purchasing Commission, established to secure vital war supplies from the United States, approached North American Aviation seeking a new fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force.
Rather than build an existing design under licence, North American proposed and developed an entirely new, modern fighter. In a remarkable feat of engineering, just 102 days after the contract was signed, the prototype Mustang took to the air.
The aircraft first entered operational service with the RAF as the Mustang Mk I, powered by the American-built Allison engine. While effective at lower altitudes, performance limitations soon became apparent.
In 1942, the installation of the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine transformed the aircraft’s performance. Later developments resulted in the definitive P-51D variant, powered by the Packard-built Merlin, an American licence-produced Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that proved both powerful and reliable.
The P-51D became widely used by the United States Army Air Forces as a long-range fighter and bomber escort during the final years of the war, playing a decisive role in securing air superiority over Europe.
FlyaSpitfire.com’s Moonbeam McSwine is a 1944-built P-51D Mustang powered by the Packard Merlin engine. She is currently presented in the markings of the 487th Fighter Squadron, complete with distinctive blue nose and polished fuselage. The squadron famously nicknamed the ‘Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney,’ flew from England in 1943 as part of the 8th Air Force.
This particular Mustang arrived in the UK in 1945, destined for service with the 8th Air Force. However, by the time she was delivered and assembled, the war in Europe had ended.
She returned to the United States in July 1945 without seeing operational combat. In the decades that followed, she passed through several private owners, underwent restoration in 1975, and later joined a French collection in 2012 before returning to the United States in 2018. In November 2024, Moonbeam McSwine was acquired by Warbird Experiences Ltd (FlyaSpitfire.com) with the ambition of returning her to British skies to offer passenger flight experiences.
In March 2025, the Mustang arrived in the UK disassembled inside a shipping container, and by the end of the day she was standing proudly on her wheels inside the hangar. Over the following five months, engineers carried out all necessary maintenance and additional preparations required for passenger experience operations.
Their meticulous work culminated in Moonbeam McSwine’s first UK flight in many years on 28 July 2025, a successful and highly anticipated return to the air. Just days later, on 2 August, she carried out her first passenger experience flights from Cotswold Airport, where crowds gathered with cameras poised to witness her arrival.
Her first public airshow appearance followed at the 2025 Eastbourne Airshow, flown by highly experienced Mustang pilot, Steg Williams. As she entered the display, the deep note of the Packard Merlin carried across the seafront while her polished aluminium fuselage gleamed in the summer sun. For many aviation enthusiasts, it was the first time in almost a decade that they had seen this aircraft display in the UK.
Now, members of the public can sit in that very cockpit, directly behind the pilot, and experience what it was like to fly one of the most advanced fighters of the 1940s. Beneath the distinctive bubble canopy, passengers enjoy panoramic 360-degree views as they soar over the English countryside. For those seeking an extra thrill, the famous Victory Roll can also be included in the flight profile.
Flights departing from Biggin Hill can include routes over Beachy Head and the iconic White Cliffs of Dover. Friends and family can even join in the experience by flying alongside in a dedicated chase aircraft, allowing air-to-air photographs and video to be captured using their own cameras.
It is a rare opportunity, not simply to observe history, but to become part of it.
Bookings can be made by visiting flyaspitfire.com or 01959 576 767.
