North Canton, OH — The P-51 fighter plane “Jean Ann II” glided to a landing near MAPS Air Museum at Akron Canton Airport about a week ago. The plane’s power was a crane that hoisted the restored plane from a truck and positioned her near the access road to MAPS (Military Aviation Preservation Society) off state Route 241 in Green. Her parking place was a pole.
The fighter plane, painted in the scheme of the second of two P-51s that MAPS member Robert Withee flew in World War II and named after his wife, will sit atop that post, swiveling to point its wings into the wind. The plane and the landscaped base beneath it will serve as both a sign for the aircraft museum and a memorial to military pilots. Specifically, the plane will honor the 112th Fighter Squadron of the Air National Guard, once stationed in the MAPS hanger.
“It’s hard to believe that something like this is happening after all these years,” said Withee, who flew more than 200 missions in World War II’s Pacific Theater. “In a big open field like this, people will be able to see it coming from both directions.”
P-51D Set as Gate Guardian for MAPS Museum