Galveston Gal is Home

[RobC]

Hey Steve! The colors' all wrong and the paint is too glossy!

Er, can I get a ride??

[whistlingdeath77]

thanks steve!

[Steve S]

I'm just waiting with baited breath about the color being all wrong,or its too glossy, this that and the other

This is why I moved from Tx to MD- just couldn't stand to be in the same state with such a blantant travesty

[Lynn Allen]

I'm just waiting with baited breath about the color being all wrong,or its too glossy, this that and the other

There's no zinc chromate on the gear doors so Vlado will be happy

Better check with Ober on those stripes....

[67Cougar]

There are practical considerations at work on the selection of paint type and finish. Painting one of these a/c is labor intensive and very expensive. The museum has to put on a paint job that will hold up for many years - they simply cannot afford to put a matte or semi matte finish on it and have to repaint it every 2 years. Add to that being located on the beach, and a heavy upcoming airshow schedule, and an 'authentic' paint scheme wouldn't last long at all.

Consider Tar Heel Hal, their P-47D. This has the original 'Hal' paint scheme that was applied around the time they procured the aircraft. The paint is not authentic - high gloss, hard as a rock Imron (sp?). It has held up very, very well over the years. It has just a few nicks and bad spots, not bad at all for all the flying it has endured. I can attest from first person experience, cleaning oil off its belly is a lot easier with the high gloss finish.

As far as the authenticity of the colors, the original pilot was involved in the design and layout of the paint - he was the best possible reference. This was not the most famous WWII Mustang, photographic references are not as common as some other examples.

For those who are sniping over the authenticity, you ought to focus on the fact that this is a TF-51, dual control, not a single seat P-51D. They procurred a two seater for the purpose of selling rides in it to generate operating revenue for the museum. If they just wanted a Mustang, there are a lot of single seaters around that wouldn't have required such a thorough and expensive rebuild.

The Mustang will soon be on a limited airshow circuit, it is scheduled to fly Heritage flights at NAS Corpus Christi, NAS Ft. Worth, and Barksdale AFB in April and May. I believe the Barksdale show will see it teamed up with a Raptor.

[dc8jet]

Would be nice if they brought it to Oshkosh so us folks up north could see it.

[Randy Haskin]

Is it a Cavalier Mustang?

Sort of.

This is an airframe with a long, questionable history.

Here's the Cliff's Notes from a previous WIX thread on the airframe:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34173

It is an airplane with a very strange history. It is an ex-RCAF Mustang. It was possibly one of the airframes illegally purchased by FAS during the Soccer War, coming from the US civil register (N554T). It was originally built up as a TF-51 in El Salvador just after the 1969 war, and reportedly used parts from a crashed Cavalier TF-51 (FAS 400) and probably parts from a crashed Cavalier Mustang II (FAS 402).

At some point it crashed in El Salvador, was damaged to an unknown extent, and was brought back to the US with the crop of ex-FAS Mustangs bought by Flaherty in the early 70s.

Gordon Plaskett rebuilt it for flight in 1977, and it has gone through numerous owners. At one point it had a 1-piece windscreen and a groovy red leather interior.

No way of telling if the registered serial is the original serial, as is the case with many Mustangs that came from El Salvador.

[Russ Matthews]

Trying to subtantitue a rumor that he may have flown some missions escorting the original Thunderbird as well.

In the meantime, I'm trying to substantiate a rumor that he may have recovered the original Lost Ark of the Covenant as well.

[RickH]

I wouldn't put anything past Ray Lancaster !

[whistlingdeath77]

bring her to New England

[mlenoch]

To add a bit more,

the TF was damaged when it over ran the runway in El Salvador and ended up in a ravine. It was further damaged in recovery and was then hit by a taxing B-25.

Gordon Plaskett had the airframe completed by Unlimited Aircraft Ltd in Chino. The wing from Leroy Penhall's wrecked N6519D was used as it was better than the TFs original wing.

The TF rebuild used a V1650-9 overhauled by Dave Zeuschel.

Plaskett had planned on a warbird training school with the TF, plus a Stearman and a T-6.

Source: Aeroplane Monthly, June 1980

[Rob Mears]

Speaking of Plaskett, one of the first Warbirds International magazines I ever bought had an article on Plaskett's restoration of a P-51D completed as "Petie the 2nd" I believe. Is there any chance this is the same bird, or did "Petie the 2nd" end up somwhere else? I remember how amazed I was at the detail of the fuselage art at that time.

Rob

[Dan K]

Speaking of Plaskett, one of the first Warbirds International magazines I ever bought had an article on Plaskett's restoration of a P-51D completed as "Petie the 2nd" I believe. Is there any chance this is the same bird, or did "Petie the 2nd" end up somwhere else? I remember how amazed I was at the detail of the fuselage art at that time.

Rob

Sounds like 44-74942.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 74942.html

Tony Buechler has had this Mustang based at KUES for many years.

[Randy Haskin]

the TF was damaged when it over ran the runway in El Salvador and ended up in a ravine.

FWIW, that was the "original" FAS 402 (a "fighter" Cavalier Mustang II) that ran of the runway and into the ravine on 8 Oct 1968. This TF was also numbered FAS 402, but the historian community refers to it as "FAS 402 #2"...it is a different airframe.

Pretty typical crossing up of airframe histories of the Cavalier airplanes.

[zorro9]

Galveston Gal:

While the pics of Mr.J Flaherty turn out on the FAS Cavalier c. 1974 the FAS Forums folks are about 90.9 % sure that 'Galveston Gal" had the center fuselage section of their former FAS 400. They do confirm that the crew of the FAS 400 accident was Cpt Bustillo & lt. E. Echeverria who had the accident after the 1969 July soccer war on take-off at Ilopango.

p.s Still to find are the pics & details of the elusive FAS 404 (II). But we are working on it!!

2 B Cont..