Warbird Information Exchange

First post-restoration flight for Selby's P-51 on 11/6/09. Congrats to American Aero on another successful job!

http://www.americanaeroservices.com/web ... 00911.html

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Darn, I thought the initials of the plane would be "B.B."

Congtats to the crew anyways!

That is the most beautiful mustang I have ever seen. I LOVE the pacific markings. may be too shiny to some, but just right for Taylor!

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Taylor Stevenson

It is beautiful, but the most beautiful Mustang I've ever seen (though very unauthentic),was the old "Platinum Plus" owned by John Sandberg. That thing was so shiny, you could floss your teeth in the shine of the landing gear doors. It looked like a giant crane submerged the entire plane in a big hot vat of molten chrome.

Interesting finish, but the "overchroming" is a little bit over the top for an aircraft supposed to be a WWII combat aircraft.
Why is it impossible to see a natural aluminium P-51 looking like it was in the forties ?
To say the truth, über-glossy WWII aircrafts look rather like rich dentists toys than war combat planes.

Frankly, who will tell me that a natural aluminium P-51 is not looking better :

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Switzerl ... 1019019/L/

That's very nice looking. Yeah, natural finish might be better for real combat. I have flown formation next to one that shiny and you sure have to stay on the down sun side or it blinds you.

What airport is that runup and test flight at? I don't recognize the pilot, is that the owner? It looks like there is a C-47 there that needs some tender loving care. It's good to see they did a real weight and balance. Some years back there was a newly restored Spitfire flying. The pilot was a top guy, but he was complaining about the handling in slow turns and higher g s. When we talked about the weight of the person in the back cockpit it became obvious to me that their loading and disposition was far different from mine. Now, our planes weren't exactly the same ,they had a single stage engine for one thing, but still it did not seem right.

Sure enough, they finally weighed it and found it was out of normal cg range at the aft end.

It sure is a good practice to wear a nomex flight suit and helmet for Mustang flying, especially an initial test flight. I can't get the video to run so can't see that part, I just notice the pilot is not wearing it on the runup.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Another Mustang....yawn


Just kidding! I love it!

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Volunteer Coordinator/Curator - Military Aviation Museum - Virginia Beach, VA
"America's Flying Museum"
http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org

[quote="Bill Greenwood"]That's very nice looking. Yeah, natural finish might be better for real combat. I have flown formation next to one that shiny and you sure have to stay on the down sun side or it blinds you.

What airport is that runup and test flight at? I don't recognize the pilot, is that the owner? It looks like there is a C-47 there that needs some tender loving care.

Bill thats New Smyrna Beach Airport and the owner Selby Burch is standing there watching in the take-off video (although he's the one doing the ground run up)... My guess is maybe Glen Wegman doing test flight... I believe he's the one that also test flew Jack Rousch's P-51D that American Aero Services restored...

Its not impossible to to see natural metal finished P-51's, Princess Elizabeth, Happy Jacks Go Buggy, Twilight Tear to name three, all US based now.

I think we have to accept that most P-51's are privately owned and as a consequence the owners wishes carry a lot of weight when it comes to appearance and finishing matters. This particular aircraft was presumably highly polished as the owner instructed it to be so, however he also chose a WWII colour scheme but was comfortable with it being applied in that context and was not looking for a precise replication of a WWII appearance.

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Warbird Colour - Authentic historic aircraft finishes http://www.warbirdcolour.co.uk

Three cheers for a new PTO Mustang!!

Yeah, it's uber-shiny, but darn it looks good.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

The first flight was last Friday at New Smyrna Beach and the owner is Selby Burch.

Yes the DC-3 needs alot of TLC.

Glenn did the initial runs after some top end work and the initial test flights have and will be done by Elliot Cross.

It's not impossible. Look around you there are at least 6. Most are completely painted bc the metal can't be realistically made bare and look like A. a combat finish or B. shiny.

Also, many of these aircraft ARE toys to their owners. Heck it will be for me! So if the owner likes it shiny, who cares. At least he did an accurate scheme. PTO even!

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Taylor Stevenson

So if the owner likes it shiny, who cares...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes, and if I would be rich enough, I could buy the Joconde and paint big moustaches on her, who cares

More seriously, it's a little bit sorry that US warbirds are almost never painted with the same historic care like the British warbirds.

For instance, if I had to prepare some aviation sequences for a WWII movie featuring some Mustangs, I could only think to two or three P-51's which would look like WWII-era aircrafts.

Very nice!

Congrats!

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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