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‘Stang Excitement: P-51 Mustang Backpiece Tattoo

Posted on December 20, 2009

One of the things that makes tattoos featuring aircraft so challenging is the amount of detail that many aircraft require to look accurate. As a result, airplane tattoos generally work better when they cover a larger part of the body rather than small areas… backs and torsos seem to work especially well. The tattoo we are proud to feature today of a North American P-51 Mustang fighter from World War II is a perfect example of the artist and wearer giving a tattoo plenty of room to look its best!

(click the image above for the full post and larger photos)

The P-51 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the “Cadillac of the Skies” as they point out it’s aggressive appearance and powerful performance figures combined with its outstanding WWII record and active usage for years after the war. Because of this, the P-51 has remained one of the most popular warbird aircraft flown by private collectors and museums today. Over 120 P-51 Mustangs are maintained in flying condition today out of over 16,000 that were built – pretty impressive considering the fact that the design is over six decades old. This popularity makes the P-51 one of the most recognizable aircraft of all time… and has made it a very popular tattoo subject as well.

The gentleman who sent us his P-51 Mustang backpiece was excited to share this fantastic piece of personal art with us and he certainly has a great reason to be excited! The proportions of the P-51 are right on the money! He got the tattoo in honor of his grandfather who flew as a crewmember aboard a B-29 Superfortress during the war. The “S2” on the nose of the P-51 symbolizes both he and his wife as their initials both begin with the letter “S.”

The tattoo was created by tattoo artist C.W. who can be found at Royal Street Tattoo located in Mobile, AL.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

Click the above image for the full-size photo.

Join the Tattoos In Flight Air Force! - If you have or find any aviation-themed tattoos on the web, send the photo to us along with the name of the artist, studio, location, and a website! Send them along to tattoosinflight@gmail.com, or use the “submit” tool at the right.