Ken Dahlberg's P-51B Shillelaugh returning to the air

[Warbirdnerd]

The P-51B wreck has been recovered and AirCorps Aviation will return it to the air.
It will be housed at Wings of the North along another combat vet, Sierra Sue II.
https://www.facebook.com/aircorpsaviati ... 361878744/

[OD/NG]

Wow, great news! I'm excited that another B model will return to the air which will honor him and others.

Super interesting background on Ken Dahlberg - it's something that sounds like it came straight out of Hollywood:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_H._Dahlberg

[thunderbolt47d]

Good news but they really have their work cut out for them. I look forward to seeing this one completed.

[marine air]

As an enthusiast, I will be thrilled with however they are able to resote and recreate this airplane. I would imagine the source of spare early model Mustang parts has to be non existent at this point. still there are two or three early models being built. Wish I could've met Mr Dahlberg. Good luck!

[lucky52]

What does anybody suppose is left of that P-51B?

[DH82EH]

What does anybody suppose is left of that P-51B?

Most importantly, the identity
I think we would actaully be surprised by the amount of material that will indeed be reuseable.
Brackets, fittings, castings. Maybe even landing gear parts. I think we will be surprised.

A question I have. Will this restoration will have to be called a P-51C?
I think it might because of the type certificate.

Andy

[Mark Allen M]

Not a lot of "bling" in the scheme of the first "Shillelah"



Better look

[ZRX61]

What does anybody suppose is left of that P-51B?

AN-3 bolt & a nutplate

[junkman9096]

Once you have a data plate, what more do you have to recover? Same kind of thing happens in race car restoration. I recall reading that at one time there were 3 separate Porsche 917 running in vintage racing circuits, all of which had won the same 24 Hours of Lemans.

Last edited by junkman9096 on Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnB]

Do we always have to go over these same points every time someone rebuilds a Mustang, (or Spitfire or similar) around a few bits and an identity?

Come on, if you have read this forum, or Air Classics, FlyPast or Aeroplane for more than 5 minutes, you know the drill...the "gentleman's agreement" where everyone...builders, owners, pilots, spectators...not to mention the civil authorities...pretend it's the same airplane built by a Rosie in 1943-45.

The fact remains, we all (okay, most of us) want to see more warbirds in the air.

But at the same time we (okay, some of us) get hypercritical over details few care about and we all have heard ad nauseam.

I am a volunteer at a museum and after giving hundreds of tours, I can report no one has complained that the Mustang and Spitfire (along with civil types) are not virgin factory metal.

So, can we skip the righteous indignation for once. ☺

[lucky52]

I hope they get to bring back the guns too.

[Saville]

So, can we skip the righteous indignation for once. ☺

I didn't notice any righteous indignation...just saw a question.

And I think a fair one because I don't know how the thing crashed so I don't know what sort of shape it's in.

[Mick G]

Has anybody studied the Ship of Theseus?

[airnutz]

Great..great...great...great(ad nauseum) grandpa's stone axe. Oh noooooo...
Been der, done dat...

[bdk]

Interesting that the spelling changed! Shille-"laugh"?

I like the idea of the simpler scheme. It shows the wonderful lines of the aircraft better.