P-51 Question

[CoastieJohn]

This is more for curiosity and conversation than anything else. I was watching a Magnum PI show a bit ago and there was a P-51 that was maroon with white pin stripes on there. It had a 64 painted on the side and tail number N64CE. I did a little looking around on the Mustang site and seen a C64CL, 44-74423 / 44-10316 called Miss Van Nuys. The prior listings did not have a N64CE, only N64CL. Would that be the same aircraft as on the show?

[Obergrafeter]

64CL....Clay Lacy?

[CoastieJohn]

I'd guess that unless it's possible to have two airframes out there somewhere with close registry numbers??? (N64CE / N64CL)

I figured someone here would know.

[51fixer]

This is more for curiosity and conversation than anything else. I was watching a Magnum PI show a bit ago and there was a P-51 that was maroon with white pin stripes on there. It had a 64 painted on the side and tail number N64CE. I did a little looking around on the Mustang site and seen a C64CL, 44-74423 / 44-10316 called Miss Van Nuys. The prior listings did not have a N64CE, only N64CL. Would that be the same aircraft as on the show?

Google Clay Lacy and P-51, that should get you some images to compare.

[JimH]

It's his Lear as well...

[CoastieJohn]

This is more for curiosity and conversation than anything else. I was watching a Magnum PI show a bit ago and there was a P-51 that was maroon with white pin stripes on there. It had a 64 painted on the side and tail number N64CE. I did a little looking around on the Mustang site and seen a C64CL, 44-74423 / 44-10316 called Miss Van Nuys. The prior listings did not have a N64CE, only N64CL. Would that be the same aircraft as on the show?

Google Clay Lacy and P-51, that should get you some images to compare.

I did that. I didn't see any color schemes that matched other than a "64" on the side. I went back to the Magnum PI show (Season 3, Episode 20, 1983) and confirmed it is N64CE. There are a few other warbird planes in the background shots. No worries.....just curious.

[Speedy]

Yes, it's the same airplane. Just a water-based Hollywood paint job.

[The Inspector]

Lacys race #64 was/is painted a very lurid shade of lavenderish purple, sort of like that buddtuggli 'orchid' color on a lot of DODGE NEONS, because he raced it a lot in the early days. Many years ago it sat in the late Orville Toshs hanger @ Tacomas Narrows Airport, then it went back to Van Nuys, and was rumored a few years ago to be in the Lacy FBO hanger @ KBFI.
Clay does a lot of a2a work with the LEAR shooting p.r. footage and airline commercials as well as some of the very spectacular military in flight stuff you see in promo footage using 2 cameras one on top of, and the other in the belly of the LEAR.

[JimH]

Couple years ago at Van Nuys

Jim

[Lynn Allen]

There used to be another Lacy in Hawaii that owned a steel company who owned a Mustang. Clay's is a really nice one and you will get a great view from the back seat should the opportunty comes about....

[CoastieJohn]

Happened to do a little more looking around. This is from a Magnum Mania website.

Sam Hunter flies three different aircraft in this episode, a Boeing/Hughes Super Stearman (the "Miss Van Nuys"), a Cessna 172 Skyhawk and a WWII P-51 Mustang. The Super Stearman (N121R) was also used in the 1980 film The Last Flight of Noah's Ark with Elliott Gould.

Got lucky. Here's a Youtube of the chase scene from the Magnum PI show. The P-51 in question is chasing the Lear jet. It's a 4 minute clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zE5z0AJT44

[Chris Brame]

Guess they didn't tell the scriptwriter the N-number on the Mustang was changed - still 64 Charlie Lima. Plus the Lear's landing sequence footage was lifted from Capricorn One! Gotta love Hollywood.

[bdk]

Unfortunately TV content hasn't improved since then.

[The Inspector]

Unfortunately TV content hasn't improved since then.

Anyone else catch the footage flipover? First shot it's the only LEAR 23/24 with two left side cabin windows, and I just loved the CESSNA 182 sound track as the P-51 takes off, why would I want to look @ the weather radar on 'test' if the engines are flamed out? what's next? tire squeal on a dirt road?

[famvburg]

I don't recall exactly when or what episode it was, but TC's helo had an engine failure and as he's going down, he tells the pax (Rick and Magnum, maybe?), that his mags (or maybe magnetos) went out.