North American Aviation P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang props in flightline walk at Duxford Flying Legends Air Show 2009. Photo by Ross Cannon
The P-51 Mustang, an American World War II single-seat fighter aircraft. It took just 117 days from the initial design of the aircraft to its first flight. The Mustang was first used as a reconnaissance and fighter-bomber aircraft in the early 1940s by the RAF. The aircraft was also used as a bomber escort, used in raids over Germany during 1944 to help the allies secure the skies. The Mustang was also used briefly fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific War. The Mustang was also used as one of the main fighters in the Korean War and was used in a ground-attack role, later being superseded by jet fighter aircraft.
The P-51D Mustang (the definitive Mustang) was equipped with a Packard V-1650 engine, a liquid cooled 27 litre V12 variant of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which was produced by The Packard Motor Car Company. The P-51D was also equipped with six 50in M2 Browning machine guns.
The Mustang prototype (the NA-73X) first flew on 26th October 1940 just 117 days after the order was placed for an aircraft which would be better than the Curtiss P-40, having the same engine but taking less time for it to be produced than the P-40.
The Mustang was much modified and used in many different roles all over the world, in fact after the war no less than 55 nations operated various models. The Mustang has the distinction of being the most numerous American fighter aircraft ever built with the total number built being 16766. The Mustang continues to be one of the most popular of the wartime fighters with flying examples still being operated all over the world.
Airworthy North American Aviation P-51 Mustangs
P-51D-A68-192 Mustang G-HAEC 472218 (WZ-I) Big Beautiful Doll
Mustang P-51D-A68-192 was built in 1951 in Australia by The Commonwealth Aircraft Company. After four hours of flying the aircraft was put into storage.
It was sold in 1958 and flew for a number of years in Australia.
In 1966 it was shipped to the Philippines where on its first test flight it suffered a forced landing due to engine failure. After being repaired and re-engined the aircraft was written off when attempting to land at Manila Airport. The wreckage for this aircraft and another Mustang were moved to Hong Kong where parts from both airframes were used for the rebuild.
The aircraft was moved to the UK in 1995 and based at Duxford until 1997 when it was sold to Rob Davies and painted as Big Beautiful Doll. The aircraft was flown by Colonel John D. Landers Commanding Officer of the 78th Fighter Group based at Duxford in 1944/1945.
Photo by Ross Cannon
P-51D-25NA Mustang G-BTCD 44-73419 (B7-H) Ferocious Frankie
Mustang P-51D-25NA, as far as can be ascertained this aircraft was built in 1944 and was operated in Canada.
The aircraft was restored in 1962 and has been operated as Candyman and Moose.
The Old Flying Machine Company had acquired the aircraft in 1999 and it now carries the colours of Walace E. Hopkins and was named in honour of his wife Frankie. Walace Hopkins flew 76 combat missions with the 361st Fighter Group and was credited with eight victories during the Second World War.
Photo by Wayne Willday
P-51D Mustang (Cavalier F-51D) SE-BIL NL405HC 44-10753a It's about time
This particular Mustang was modified by Cavalier to a Cavalier F-51D Mustang II in the late ’60s. A total of nine aircraft were converted and were delivered to the El Salvador Air Force.
In 1974 she returned to the USA and was owned by several individuals until 2006 when she was acquired by the Swedish company Biltema, and it is believed that this Cavalier Mustang is the only airworthy F-51 II Mustang in the world.
Photo by Ross Cannon
P-51D-25-NT Mustang G-MSTG 414419 (LH-F) Janie
P-51D-25-NT 'Janie' was built for the Royal New Zealand Air Force with the US serial number 45-11518. The aircraft was built at Dallas and then shipped to New Zealand. On her arrival in New Zealand she was given the RNZAF serial number NZ2427 and based at Hobsonville where she stayed until her retirement in 1955.
In 1958 she was purchased by Barry North and Pete Colman for $150 and put into storage until 1990. Then she was bought by The Alpine Fighter Collection at Wanaka and then placed into storage.
In 1997 she was purchased and brought to the UK by Maurice Hammond and registered as G-MSTG. The aircraft underwent a four and a half year restoration and was flown on July 13th 2001. The aircraft flies in the markings of a 353rd FG Mustang flown by Major Bill Price of the 350th FS whilst based at Raydon in Suffolk. This particular Mustang is named Janie after the pilot's sister.
Photo by Bob Franklin
P-51D-20-NA Mustang G-SIJJ 44-72035 Jumpin Jacques
Mustang P-51D-20-NA was built at the Inglewood factory in California as 44-72035 and was shipped out to Italy where she was assigned to 332nd Fighter Group. She served out the last few months of the war on escort and ground-attack duties over Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia and still carried battle scars with bullet hole repairs on her fuselage.
After the war 44-72035 was put into storage. After a while she was overhauled before being issued to the Air National Guard. She spent time with several ANG units until she was retired from service in 1956. After a short period in storage she was sold for $11110 with just over 1000 hours recorded. Some twenty years later she was moved to Columbia, and later she moved to France where she was painted in the Jumpin' Jacques colour scheme by her new owner Jacques Bourret. This aircraft is in almost the original 1944 condition, as she has never had a full rebuild and now is part of The Hangar 11 Collection and is a welcome participant at air shows both in Great Britain and abroad.
Photo by Bob Franklin
P-51D-5NA Mustang G-MRLL 44-13521 (5Q-B) Marinell
The aircraft was built with the serial number 44-13521 and was assigned to the 339th FG in June 1944, and to the 504th FS receiving its coding 5Q-B.
The aircraft was named Marinell by Captain Bradford V. Stevens from Hood River, Oregon, to whom it was assigned. The aircraft was lost on 13th August 1944 when being flown by 2/Lt Myer B. Winkleman, during a fighter sweep/bombing mission against the marshalling yards at St. Quentin, Fonguenias, Beauvias and St. Omer. The aircraft was last seen attempting a belly landing north of Paris.
The history of the aircraft is unclear until it was recovered from a local scrapyard by Didier Chable as a museum exhibit in the mid ’70s. The aircraft was acquired by Maurice Hammond in 1998 and was restored and test flown in 2008, its first flight since 1944.
Photo by Bob Franklin
P-51D-25NT Mustang N251RJ 44-84847 (CY-D) Miss Velma
Miss Velma, Mustang P-51D was one of the last Mustangs built. It is thought that the aircraft saw service in North Korea during the Korean War.
Up until the late 1990s the aircraft was in storage but reappeared in 1999 and was restored to flying condition.
The aircraft was acquired by The Fighter Collection in 2000 and finally arrived at Duxford in 2007 after a flight from Chino across the Atlantic.
The Fighter Collection's website
Photo by Ian Bracegirdle
P-51D-30NA Mustang F-AZSB 44-74427 (G4-C) Nooky Booky IV
Mustang P-51D-30NA was built in Inglewood, California in 1945, to be put into storage along with another 130 P-51 Mustangs. On November 8th 1950 she was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as 9592. She served with No. 403 Auxiliary Squadron at Calgary and No. 442 Auxiliary Squadron at RCAF Station Sea Island, British Columbia and also in the Air Armament School until Canadian Mustangs were struck off charge starting in 1956 through to 1960.
She had several owners over the next few years but suffered a forced landing in 1965 and another accident in 1970, and was subsequently rebuilt with components from another Mustang (44-74435) and was painted as Doc's Doll.
She changed owners again in August 1975 where she was repainted as JT-B/Miss Coronado.
In 1994 she moved to Florida and was painted in the colours of Major Leonard 'Kit' Carson's 44-11622/G4-C Nooky Booky IV.
In 1998 she moved across to France when she was acquired by Christophe Jacquard of JCB Aviation.
As of 2006 she is with her owner Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis Foundation, Cerny La Ferte Alais, France.
Photo by Bob Franklin
P-51D-25NA Mustang N167F 44-73877 (B6-S) Old Crow
The aircraft was built in 1944 and never saw any combat action during World War II.
In 1951 it was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force as 9279 where it remained in service until 1958. It had several owners until 1980 when it was sold to The Scandinavian Historic Flight. The aircraft then underwent an extensive restoration before being flown across the Atlantic to Norway.
The aircraft is currently painted in the colours of Colonel Clarence E. 'Bud' Anderson's Old Crow 357th FG, 363 FS. Bud scored a total of sixteen kills flying his P-51D 'Old Crow'. The name Old Crow refers to the smartest bird in the air, it was probably chosen because it was Bud's preferred brand of whiskey at the time.
Scandinavian Historic Flight website
Photo by Bob Franklin
P-51D-20NA Mustang G-CBNM 44-63864 (HL-W) Twilight Tear
Twilight Tear was built at North America's aviation factory in California in 1944 and delivered to the United States Air Force (USAF).
In 1945 she was crated up and sent to the United Kingdom where she joined the 8th Air Force at Duxford's 78th Fighter Group, flown by Huebert (Bill) Davis who named the aircraft 'Twilight Tear'. He flew most of his 35 combat missions in this aircraft.
After the war Twilight Tear was bought by the Swedish government where she stayed until 1953. Her next home was Israel where she served with the Israeli Defence Force until 1961.
In 1978 the aircraft was seen on static display and acquired by a former Israeli pilot who restored her.
In 1986 she was sold and painted in Swedish Air Force markings and remained in Scandinavia until 2002, when The Fighter Collection acquired her and she came home to Duxford.
The Fighter Collection's website
Photo by Bob Franklin