Highly-Modified P-51 Mustang “Strega”

8-Time Class Champion at National Championship Air Races

Of the 15,000 P-51 Mustangs produced between the years 1940 and 1945, many have been lovingly restored to their original WWII glory. But back in 1982, when aviation aficionado Bill “Tiger” Destefani looked at the tattered state of one particular Mustang, he had a different vision –– one that was really fast.

Thus was born Strega, a highly-modified P-51 that turns heads wherever she goes.

Winning last year’s Reno Air Races with young pilot Steven Hinton in the cockpit, Strega topped the field in the Unlimited Class, with an average speed of 491.822 mph in a time of 8:10.357.

Strega first rolled out of the factory in 1944, one of many Mustangs manufactured in Australia.

The plane never saw combat, but by the time Destefani first laid eyes on her, the plane was far gone.

When restoring older planes to their former glory, it is common to start with the best specimen you can –– not the worst.

The Mustang Destefani saw definitely fell into the latter category.

Destefani, who has restored other war birds, opted instead to turn the plane into a racing machine.

The project took an entire year and was accomplished with a dedicated group of racing fanatics.

As crew chief David Hughes puts it, “You don’t do this because you’re going to rake in buckets of money. It’s more like throwing buckets of money out the back door and setting them all on fire. No, we do this for the love of it.”

Keeping Strega in top racing form requires a crew of five, who put in an average of 100 hours of maintenance for every single hour of flight time.

It appears to be time well spent.

Boasting a Rolls Royce V-1649, 12 cylinder, 3800 horsepower, liquid cooled engine, Strega holds the record for the fastest lap ever at Reno, clocking in at 511 mph.

Strega and her winning pilot will be appearing at this year’s Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, April 25th at Half Moon Bay Airport.

But don’t blink: she’s really that fast.