Warbird Information Exchange

I'm curious to find out what ever happened to the white and red Mustang that sat out on the ramp at San Jose International for years. I grew up looking at that aircraft and would love to see it in its current state.
Curtis Block

I'm sure someone will post with more info but, if I'm not mistaken, this aircraft is now being restored by Nelson Ezell in Texas for a new owner.

This particular P-51 is under restoration at American Aero Services. Here are some recent photos of the restoration.

http://www.americanaeroservices.com/pro ... byHome.htm

Boy, she looks a lot better than when I saw her last. What was the story with its owner when it was at San Jose? I had always heard it was owned by some little old lady. Supposedly it was her husbands airplane and after he died, she refused to sell it. I know that countless people tried to buy it, but with no success. I remember that it used to get shoved around from tie-down to tie-down. I never saw it with flat tires though. I guess no one could stand to see it get to that point. I wonder what finally convinced the owner to let it go? I'm also curious to know what the condition of the aircraft was when it finally got opened up? It always looked alright to me, but at that time I didn't have the experience to know what bad stuff I was looking for. All of that exposure to the elements and lack of use had to take a toll.
Thanks for the info.
Curtis Block

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 73751.html

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/su ... 3751.shtml

I too grew up looking at that Mustang!

I went to James Lick and Piedmont Hills HS's. graduated '68. I was just asking about the P-61 that was left to rot there also, back in the 1950's, on another thread.
My second home was Ried Hillview Airport, where my father was part of the extensive group of "Antiquers" that was active from mid 50's thru early 70's. I was probably nine or so, but got into some real trouble from the old man when he caught me and another "airport brat", Greg Ried playing teeter-totter on a complete Mustang wing just sitting on the ground!

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Charles Neely

Readng about that P-61 was what made me think about the Mustang. I'm to young to have ever seen the Black Widow but I thnk I've heard about it.
Reid hillview is also one of my old stomping grounds. As a matter of fact I learned to fly fron a little old lady named Amelia Reid. Maybe you've heard of her. Her son Robin sort of took me under his wing when I was about 14. After Amelia died I worked at the flight school helping to spruce things up a bit. My first solo was in one of their L-2s.
My first love has always been warbirds , but I cut my teeth on antiques down at the museum in San Martin and at the Watsonville Fly-in. I'm sure some of the antiquers you are talking about were the same that put up with me.
Curtis Block

I knew Amelia before she married Robin's father. She was, IIRC a member of my father's flying club., The Moffit Aero Club. The Luscombe the club owned was kept at San Jose Municiple Airport. I was a bit older than Robin, so we didn't run in the same cirlces. I do remember him tagging along on several of our airport adventures. His cousin Greg Ried was my age so we hung out alot. I have my dad's old photos of the Garden City Aero Club, taken back in the 30's. Robin and Greg's dads are in the photo along with both their grand parents ,Pop and Juanita Ried . My dad is there too. Both the old Kr21 and 34 are their also.

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Charles Neely

Wow, I had a look at their restoration updates, talk about taking it down to the nuts and bolts!! They completely disassembled the wings and fuselage. Is this common for a complete restoration or is this the ultimate?

Old aircraft have the potential for hidden corrosion and fatigue problems. Today it is fairly standard to take them pretty far down. In the case of a WWII era aircraft, especially a fighter like the Mustang, a complete rebuild often means exactly that, with new skins, if needed, and new longerons.

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Charles Neely

You need to know this aircraft sat out in the elements for 20 or so years. Charles would probably know more exactly. I wrote that every so often someone would air the tires and push it around. As far as care was concerned, that was it. No cover, no running, no corrosion control, as far as I know.

The Mustang belonged to Ron Van something. Can't remember, met him once at Wings Over Houston when they flew the Howard Hughes Sikorsky S-43 over for the show. Really nice, down to earth guy. His widow is the one who hung on to it for so long. Jess Bootenhoff takes care of the Sikorsky down at Brazoria County Airport in Angleton, Texas.

His name was Ron van Kretgan if I remember correctly. I dropped by his office many years ago, but unfortunately he wasn't there at the time. The other guy who was there confirmed his ownership of the 51 and added that he also owned "a lot of other s**t as well".

T J

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Make my day, punk!

How much do you think that S-43 is worth? Couldnt be that much right?


If there ever was a more significant bird to bring back to Stratford, that would be it! Well one of them anyway.

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
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Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

So the rumors I heard growing up were true. What finally led to the aircraft being sold? How much did it go for? I know of many unsuccessful attempts to "save" that aircraft over the years. What was actual condition before restoration began. Sure, it looked like a complete (somewhat ratty) Mustang that you could start up and fly (I did just that in my imagination many times when I was young). Or what it just a ball of corrosion in the shape of a P-51?