Where did the Philippine P-51's go?

[Swiss Mustangs]

recommended reading:

http://www.geocities.com/afpmuseum/bkpaf.html

I have it in my library and it's a good intel source !

Martin

[tom d. friedman]

Hi,

The pictures that Army posted came from me. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) started acquiring P-51s from 1947 and were retired from service in 1959. The were more that 50+ in service. A number of them were put on display as "gate guardians" to various PAF airbases, a number were damaged and written off in accidents. Some were sold to enthusiast and collectors and a few were sold to air racers. I personally know a few pilots who flew them in service and they were used for counter insurgency flying strikes against HUK and Moro rebels.

The only airframe that I can think of in display right now is the photo that Army posted. That was taken at Villamor Air Base. There used to be two of them wherein one was traded to the Taiwanese Air Force for a working F-5A Freedom Fighter jet. Other airframes were scrapped and sold as parts, with the paddle props being one of the most sought after.

I have to check the other PAF airbases is they still have one or two somewhere but as of now, this is what I can recall. Interesting is that during their service, they flew in nice liveries with the pilots given the freedom to name their aircraft as they wished.

Cheers,

my dad was on mindanoa as an infantryman 1945 , he spoke of the moro / huk tribes...... i have a few moro knives from them. how were those 51's used against them in that dense jungle???

[tferedo]

,

my dad was on mindanoa as an infantryman 1945 , he spoke of the moro / huk tribes...... i have a few moro knives from them. how were those 51's used against them in that dense jungle???

HUKs were not tribes but a large guerilla organization in Luzon. Moro rebels were the ones in Mindanao. P-51s were used as strike aricraft using their .50cal MGs and bombs and rockets to hit Moro and HUK camps and to distrupt their supply lines. If you notice the P-51 picture where the armorers were loading it, the writing on the bomb mentions "Taruc", the name of the leader of the HUKs.

Regards,