Auction: P-51 44-73454 N2051D

[menards]

This one has been for sale on Barnstormers for awhile. Looks like its headed to auction...

https://auction.aircraftbidder.com/List ... ils/415013

[Lon Moer]

This Cavalier Mustang 44-73454 N2051D has been flying as blue nose 44-14911 PZ-M "This Is IT" consistently since 1976!

[bdk]

What does this mean?

1944 P-51D With conversion 2 seat configuration by Cavilier in 1958 subsequently removed (leaving the two seat configuration).

[JohnB]

I thought the N number sounded familiar, WIXer Stephan Wilkinson flew that very aircraft for a report in the February, 1969 issue of FLYING magazine.

At the time it was owned by Rufus Applegarth, an avionics engineer and designer. Interesting story about how he came to get the aircraft, he had an order in for a Beech Duke when his wife passed away. Well, he still needed to travel for work, so a fast two-seater for the bill. He bought it from Cavalier, zero timed for $80,000.

https://books.google.com/books?id=F0ai8 ... &q&f=false

[C VEICH]

What does this mean?

1944 P-51D With conversion 2 seat configuration by Cavilier in 1958 subsequently removed (leaving the two seat configuration).

The airplane had a full Cavalier conversion, including the tip tanks, at one point in time. I think they are trying to say that the Cavalier mods have been removed with the exception of the second seat modification.

[Randy Haskin]

As mentioned above, this was the same aircraft that was featured in the Flying Magazine feature on the Cavalier Mustang in 1969 (by a WIX member!).

BTW, the Cav conversion started in October 1967 and was completed in May '68 (not 1958).
It was in a ground loop accident in 1973, and was subsequently rebuilt to "stock-ish" by Gordon Plaskett.

Here's the first page of the Flying article:

A full color photo:

[blurrkup]

What does this mean?

1944 P-51D With conversion 2 seat configuration by Cavilier in 1958 subsequently removed (leaving the two seat configuration).

Left the 2 seats in but removed the dual controls?

[Archer]

I don't think that Cavalier mods included dual control, just a second seat instead of the radio rack/fuel tank or whatever was normally occupying the room behind the pilot's seat. Have a look here for an overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_Mustang
The most visible parts of the modifications were the tip tanks and the taller fin, removing these would get you back to a stock P-51D look. They may also have left the luggage bays and additional cockpit vents and such in place.

[Randy Haskin]

What does this mean?

1944 P-51D With conversion 2 seat configuration by Cavilier in 1958 subsequently removed (leaving the two seat configuration).

Left the 2 seats in but removed the dual controls?

Only the military-spec Cavalier TF-51s had dual controls; the civilian Cavaliers (with the exception of the TEMCO airframe N851D) did not.

[Lon Moer]

Only the military-spec Cavalier TF-51s had dual controls; the civilian Cavaliers (with the exception of the TEMCO airframe N851D) did not.

How great it would be if all this information were in a book that we could refer to...........

[bdk]

As mentioned above, this was the same aircraft that was featured in the Flying Magazine feature on the Cavalier Mustang in 1969 (by a WIX member!).

I probably read that article 20 times as a kid. Who could forget a name like Rufus Applegarth?