North American P-51 Mustang Mk. III (RAF, No. 216 Transport and Ferry Group, September 1944). Tayyar Thani (Pilot Officer) Rafa’i of the REAF was killed when this Mustang exploded during a thunderstorm 95km east of Algiers. Egyptian records state that Rafa’i died on 24 September 1944 but the operational records of No. 216 Transport and Ferry Group state that the aeroplane was lost and its pilot killed on the 29th. The Mustang Mk. III involved (serial number KH553) was being ferried by No. 3 FU. The fact that the aeroplane crashed during the turbulence of a storm suggests that it was one of the versions which did not have a dorsal fin modification. It had probably been manufactured late in 1943 and was on its way to the Italian front from Casablanca, via North Africa, probably intended for the RAF’s No. 112 Squadron or No. 213 Squadron. It had the early form of sideways opening cockpit hood rather than the bubble, Spitfire-type, sliding socalled Malcolm Hood. It would almost certainly have had long-range additional fuel tanks for the delivery flight, as shown here. (Artwork by Peter Penev)