Fagen Fighters P-51B project

[Thomas_Mac]

From the Fagen Fighters Facebook

Fagen Fighters received a new restoration project today, Mustang P-51B-1-NA, 43-12112 purchased from John Muszala of Pacific Fighters in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Thank you to our friends at AirCorps Aviation, Mark Tisler for delivery of our project to Granite Falls.

[old iron]

Looks as if this was recently found in the Sahara Desert...

[bdk]

Looks as if this was recently found in the Sahara Desert...

Just the opposite, a swamp!

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 12112.html

[PinecastleAAF]

Iirc it was in a lake near Bartow, been a long time since it was recovered. Nice to see some good photos of it.

[kalamazookid]

Awesome news! Fagen Fighters continues to build up a top-notch collection and inventory of projects. Looking forward to this one as well as the S2BC and Hellcat. I believe they're also working on another P-40.

The museum is a great place to visit. I highly recommend stopping by if you're ever in or passing through the area.

[JohnTerrell]

This is a very early P-51B, originally manufactured without a fuselage tank and with early details that hadn't yet changed, like the early throttle/engine control setup that the Allison-engined Mustangs had (where the throttle and mixture levers actually go through a cutout in the left upper longeron).

This particular aircraft was withheld by North American Aviation and became the test/prototype airframe for the very first fuselage fuel tank installation, which at the time was a metal 93-gallon tank, so quite a significant survivor. This was of course reduced to a 85-gallon rubber self-sealing tank in production. NAA put it through State-side endurance tests to ensure it had the legs to get from England to Berlin and back again with plenty of fuel remaining.

While serving as a trainer at Bartow, Florida, it crashed into Lake Hancock after failing to pull out of a dive when conducting dive-boming practice on November 24, 1943. The pilot, 2nd Lt. Richard K. Short, was killed. 2nd Lt. Enrique R. Smith, flying P-51B 43-12108, was also killed when he too failed to pull out of his dive and crashed into the same lake.

The wreckage was recovered in the 1980's and was owned for a time by Ron Shirk, who had a few different P-51 airframe wrecks/projects. It has however spent much of the last two decades in outdoor storage in Idaho Falls with Pacific Fighters prior to now. When the aircraft was originally recovered, it had its original Bartow AAF trainer code L18 still painted on the nose, but for some reason, while being prepped for display purposes years ago, it was repainted as B16.

It will be fantastic to see another flying P-51B/C down the road (my favorite of all Mustang production) - of course essentially all newly-manufactured like pretty much all B/C's that are around today. A lot of exciting warbird projects being done for and by Fagen at this time.

This project makes four P-51B/C projects I'm aware of at this time, with the three others actively being worked on being:
- Warren Pietsch P-51C "Thunderbird" '2925' N5528N
- Brent Hisey P-51C "Patty Ann II" 42-103740 N309PV
- Pacific Fighters P-51C "RAF FB206" 42-103100 N426QA

[C VEICH]

I know it probably won't happen but I would love to see "Thunderbird" actually restored as such. I love the blue and yellow race paint scheme.

[4RG.I.'S]

I know it probably won't happen but I would love to see "Thunderbird" actually restored as such. I love the blue and yellow race paint scheme.

It's possible that just such a thing is in process...

[JohnTerrell]

Chad, from what Warren has posted online, asking for help with regard to photos/paint information on "Thunderbird", that is how it will be finished. It is a very advanced project from what I've heard too.

[4RG.I.'S]

Chad, from what Warren has posted online, asking for help with regard to photos/paint information on "Thunderbird", that is how it will be finished. It is a very advanced project from what I've heard too.

Thanks for adding that John! I wasn't sure what Warren had shared so I didn't want to say too much. Yes, he's moving along quite well with the project.

[JohnTerrell]

Yes, it was put forth publicly on the AAFO forum.

[mike furline]

Here's 43-12252 (only 140 aircraft later) in Natural Metal Finish at Bartow.

https://www.swissmustangs.ch/dean-r.-gilmore-tribute

[Chris Brame]

2nd Lt. Enrique R. Smith, flying P-51B 43-12108, was also killed when he too failed to pull out of his dive and crashed into the same lake.

Have any remains of that one been recovered?

Nice to see 43-12112 finally getting some attention. I bet when it's done, there will be enough of these remains to display almost as-is next to the new one!

[JohnTerrell]

Trainer markings weren't specific to any one pilot.

[Baldeagle]

McCorkle, Archer, Beeson, all men worth honoring. I still vote for Ding-Hao! for the next one-



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