P-51 44-73079 help

[The Inspector]

And, in typical military cost effectiveness programs style, while airplanes were being crated and shipped back to the states, a guy I used to work with @ Boeing 30 odd years ago (and I'm sure he's long dead as he was in his 60's then) said his last assignment in the USAAF was to pick up brand new P-51's in Dallas and ferry them to Oklahoma where they were met by crews with bulldozers and cranes who started ripping the brand new airframes apart as soon as the tanks were drained.

[drgondog]

Dave is right about Speke, and also right that many -25 and -30 51D's went home (not to the scrap pile) for re-assignment to CONUS or PTO. At the 355th FG I have records of at least 20 P-51D-25NA's that flew combat and several P-51D-30NTs also.

I also know that at least 15 P-51D-25's went to Gablingen w/355th in July, 1945 and my father's last Mustang ER-B JANE VII (44-472953) was lost in bad weather near Regensburg in 1946 and many -20 and -25s went to Swiss Air Force. The highest dash number 51 arriving at Steeple Morden was 44-73294, 51D-30NT 44-11674 and the closest to your query (079) was 44-73065

One of the 355th -20NS's (44-63869) went down in 1947 w/165KY NG chasing the UFO.

Most of the scrapped birds were P-51B/C and P-51D-5 through -10's. Stripped clocks and radios, 1650-7 engines and guns, then planted C-4 on the wing spars.. mostly between July 1945 (B/C) and October 1945 right after VE Day.

[drgondog]

I forgot to mention the 51's being scarpped in the States were mostly out of Training Command including many P-51B/C and D-5/K-1 and K-5's.

[evanflys]

It should be flying this week!

Evan

[Jack Cook]

A beautiful Mustang with yet another waaaaaaaaay out there paint job

[evanflys]

More pictures here:
http://evanflys.com/primo_branco

Here is a video of it:

http://vimeo.com/28257313

Evan's dad Tim

[Dan Johnson II]

I'm with Jack on this one. Any background to the 'way out there' paint scheme?

[Mike]

Pimp my ride!

[Taylor Stevenson]

Who cares about the scheme, guys... Unclench your cheeks for a moment and give credit that that's one great looking mustang back in the air.

[evanflys]

I'm with Jack on this one. Any background to the 'way out there' paint scheme?

No background to it. It just looks cool!!

Evan

[Jack Cook]

Who cares about the scheme, guys... Unclench your cheeks for a moment and give credit that that's one great looking mustang back in the air.

Taylor my glass is half full not half empty has I said this.................
""A beautiful Mustang"""
but has I said also......."""that paint scheme is waaaaaaaaaaay out there""" (BTW that's neutral face)

[mlenoch]

The gear doors are not green........I'm going to bed!
VL

[Lynn Allen]

The gear doors are not green........I'm going to bed!
VL

There is always hope...

[Django]

In spite of the ETO/MTO/HUH? markings confusion... it looks great up in the air. Unfortunately most normal people wouldn't know the difference at an airshow anyway. It reminds me of some of the models I built when I was a kid and just getting started. Maybe not correct markings at all, but you could still tell it was a WWII aircraft.

At least it doesn't have post 1947 National Insignia with D-day stripes.

[C VEICH]

At least it doesn't have post 1947 National Insignia with D-day stripes.

Agreed, 'cause we all know that doesn't look right!


Pic by David D. Jackson