N5483V photos?

[Speedy]

Does anyone have any photos of the wreckage of P-51D N5483V after it was recovered from it's accident in the Gulf of Mexico in January 1990?

For a time I believe it was stored in Ft. Collin, Colorado, but I have since heard it is in the World Jet hangar in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Anyone? Buehler?

Brad

[Randy Haskin]

Wasn't it rebuilt into the Griffon-powered racer?

<duck>

[Speedy]

Wasn't it rebuilt into the Griffon-powered racer?

<duck>

Wow, for an Air Force pilot you're a pretty funny guy.......

[Jack Cook]

Are we going to talk (I mean argue...I mean fight) about the
Whittington's again

[jet1]

Are we going to talk (I mean argue...I mean fight) about the
Whittington's again

plane ditched, recovered, rebuilt, flying....thats all I care about.

[Speedy]

Are we going to talk (I mean argue...I mean fight) about the
Whittington's again

Nope...no arguing whatsoever. I am just interested in seeing what the 'current' condition of the wreckage is. That was one of my favorite Mustangs of all time, and for the last 20 years all I have heard is 'rumors' of it's whereabouts and condition.

Brad

[cg51]

Wasn't it rebuilt into the Griffon-powered racer?

<duck>

Negative
N5483v on the left, N6WJ on the right

[kenlyco]

Are we going to talk (I mean argue...I mean fight) about the
Whittington's again

There would never have been an arguement till you went off topic on the Wittington's.

[Jack Cook]

There would never have been an arguement till you went off topic on the Wittington's

I don't recall any arguements. Just statements of facts which some people wanted to turn a blind eye towards.

[Randy Haskin]

plane ditched, recovered, rebuilt, flying....thats all I care about.

It is the "rebuilt" and "flying" part that is in question here.

[Randy Haskin]

Wasn't it rebuilt into the Griffon-powered racer?

<duck>

Negative
N5483v on the left, N6WJ on the right

Yes, I know. I was jokingly repeating the often-stated misbelief that they are the same airplane.

[T J Johansen]

Negative
N5483v on the left, N6WJ on the right

Did they start with a complete airframe or just bits and pieces when they built the Griffon racer?

T J

[Speedy]

Did they start with a complete airframe or just bits and pieces when they built the Griffon racer?

T J

The fuselage was a movie prop out in Hollywood...MGM, I think. The wings were from somewhere else. There is no 'pedigree' to this airframe.

And as you can see in Clint's picture...they unbolted the entire tail section from the Merlin bird (in the left of the picture), and bolted it onto the Griffon bird (see how shiny it is, along with the yellow stripe on the vertical?). This is the move that confused everyone, because it had the 'data plate' and 'registration number' of the Melin bird....and now the Griffon bird "became" N5483V.

After the crash at Reno in '88, the tail section was unbolted again and taken off the Griffon bird, put BACK ON the Merlin bird.....so the Merlin bird became N5483V 'again'. The Griffon bird, this time with a stock tail unit, was registered N6WJ.

The Merlin N5483V crashed in the Gulf of Mexico in January 1990.

The Griffon N6WJ raced at Phoenix '95 with the stock tail, then was replaced by an H-model tail that same year at Reno...and this is the configuration it was sold to Bucarelli in.

Whether the tail was salvaged from the N5483V wreckage, I have never been able to determine.

Last edited by Speedy on Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Randy Haskin]

Did they start with a complete airframe or just bits and pieces when they built the Griffon racer?

T J

The fuselage was a movie prop out in Hollywood...MGM, I think. The wings were from somewhere else. There is no 'pedigree' to this airframe.

Oh, nonsense. Every Mustang these days needs an authentic made-up pedigree. I'm sure they can find a dataplate somewhere that needs a good home!

That is, of course, when it's time to 'restore' it 'back' into a TF-51. Ahem.

[T J Johansen]

Did they start with a complete airframe or just bits and pieces when they built the Griffon racer?

T J

The fuselage was a movie prop out in Hollywood...MGM, I think. The wings were from somewhere else. There is no 'pedigree' to this airframe.

And as you can see in Clint's picture...they unbolted the entire tail section from the Merlin bird (in the left of the picture), and bolted it onto the Griffon bird (see how shiny it is, along with the yellow stripe on the vertical?). This is the move that confused everyone, because it had the 'data plate' and 'registration number' of the Melin bird....and now the Griffon bird "became" N5483V.

After the crash at Reno in '88, the tail section was unbolted again and taken off the Griffon bird, put BACK ON the Merlin bird.....so the Merlin bird became N5483V 'again'. The Griffon bird, this time with a stock tail unit, was registered N6WJ.

The Merlin N5483V crashed in the Gulf of Mexico in January 1990.

The Griffon N6WJ raced at Phoenix '95 with the stock tail, then was replaced by an H-model tail that same year at Reno...and this is the configuration it was sold to Bucarelli in.

Whether the tail was salvaged from the N5483V wreckage, I have never been able to determine.

Yes, I was aware of the story on the Griffon racer after completion, with the tail swap back and forth. Can't remember seeing actual photos of the two a/c together before though. The first time I saw the Griffon version was in World Jet's hangar in 1992, at which time it did have the stock tail on it.

The reason I asked about where the airframe (or bits thereof) came from is this. The last sighting I have of P-51D 44-73098 was a photo in a sales ad from Jan. 88. The 51 is sitting inside the gate at World Jet. After that, not a trace... As I remember it 73098 did incorporate some none standard, and even some fibreglass parts while in Paul Reymonds museum. Therefore I wondered if it had been deemed worthwhile of becoming a donor for a racer.

T J