1/48 Contrails P-51 Strega

Gallery Article by Ermanno Bonafin on Sept 23 2016

 

      

Bill "Tiger" Destefani comes from an Italian immigrant, owner of a alfalfa plantation near Bakersfield in California.

His love of flying was born as a child when he sees an old biplane spreading insecticides onto his fields. But his father, the old man who conceives life only as work and family, not keen to see this passion, which it regards as a frivolous thing.

Finished his military service in Vietnam in the Navy, just back at home he begins to learn to fly in secret by his father. At 30, you buy a light aircraft (a quiet Navion low-wing) and restore it.

Then one day, something happens that will mark his life. While he was at work on his farm, he is suddenly hit by a severe headache and lost all feeling in his limbs. Hospitalized immediately, remains without conscience for fifteen days, it seems that he is destined to die, but in the end he survives. Completed rehabilitation and returned to work on his farm, as he says, he realizes that it's time to stop dreaming and decides to fulfill his dream. So he buys a Mustang!

He calls it "Eat bread" and began to collect flight hours. But having a Mustang is not something that goes unnoticed, and one day his father, now in his last years of life, asks: I was told that you bought a Mustang. . . . . Bill has to admit it, but to his surprise the old man don't give importance to it. At that moment he realizes he reached in the eyes of his father his maturity, and saw its strong and resolute character, approaching the world of air racing and began his adventure in Reno.

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But his Mustang is virtually standard and it does not have many opportunities to compete with other modified racer. Therefore he enters into partnership with Frank Taylor who has another Mustang and radically change it. The result is the famous "Dago Red". But Bill wants his own modified Mustang, so the sell the "Dago Red" and imports from Australia dropped a P-51D, but with a few hours of flight. Once rebuilt will be called Strega "Witch".

In recent years he has put on sale the "Witch" without success, while continuing to participate successfully in Reno with other riders like Steve Hinton and last year with Robert "Hoot" Gibson at an average of 488.9 mph equivalent to 786.8 km / h!

Bill Destefani is definitely a legend in the field of Racers. A character who has built his life around to these aircraft, exceeding one thousand financial and personal sacrifices. He is known for his bold character and a bit 'bully.

Famous is his response to a journalist who asked him his prediction on the races that were to start in Reno: "I'll tell you what you'll see, twenty-three losers..... And me!"

The resin kit of Contrails is really basic. The wings were discarded because are completely distorted and in its place were employed those of Tamiya shortening and changing ends. Even the landing gear and the doors are from the same kit.

The same thing goes for the spinner and the propellers that have been modified heavily.

Unfortunately in the canopy kit resin and contains some bubbles are impossible to cancel, also with several immersion on the Future.

The worse thing are the decals. The white doesn't cover very well the red paint, so I have to order another set for finish the model.

Quite boring, but at list I have one of the famous racer on my collection!

Ermanno Bonafin

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Photos and text © by Ermanno Bonafin