P-51D 44-84896

[steve dickey]

Any updates on this one? Been just a little over 3 years since being sold. I know it was being restored @ Airmotive Specialties shop, just wondering what shape she's in now.
Thanks.

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/survivors/serial/44-84896

[JohnTerrell]

Airmotive Specialties Inc. recently posted on their Facebook page about having four TF-51 projects all being worked on in the shop right now (may be one of them?). The next TF-51 that will be completed at Airmotive is the ex-"Ridge Runner III", owned by Pat Harker (a few years ago I was told that it will likely be painted in a 506th FG (Iwo Jima) paint scheme with solid green tail (to help balance out the extended canopy)). Everything that comes out of ASI looks absolutely stunning/of the highest quality.

[Waltz41]

Airmotive Specialties Inc. recently posted on their Facebook page about having four TF-51 projects all being worked on in the shop right now (may be one of them?). The next TF-51 that will be completed at Airmotive is the ex-"Ridge Runner III", owned by Pat Harker (a few years ago I was told that it will likely be painted in a 506th FG (Iwo Jima) paint scheme with solid green tail (to help balance out the extended canopy)). Everything that comes out of ASI looks absolutely stunning/of the highest quality.

I can also confirm the Iwo Jima, 457th FS paint scheme....at least to the last time one of our 506th guys talked to Pat this past summer. I'm pretty sure he nailed down the nose art too, which will be an actual 457th FS scheme.

[steve dickey]

Thank you John!

[lucky52]

Are most F-51D converted from single seat to two seat aircraft?

[Lon Moer]

Are most F-51D converted from single seat to two seat aircraft?

Other than a few over restored trophy planes and a handful of dedicated air racers, about 90% of the Mustangs have a back seat.

And while there has generally been several dual-control Mustangs, the conversion has become very popular and there are probably more dual-control Mustangs flying now than ever before.

[JohnTerrell]

Of course those less than 10% or so that might be considered "over restored" represent those that are the closest/most correct to the way they originally were when manufactured in '44/'45, that are flying today.

Regarding TF-51D's - specifically the full dual cockpit/extended cockpit/extended canopy versions - it all originated with Temco in the early 1950's. They converted 15 leftover, stock, single-seat Dallas-produced P-51D's for the USAF. (Later on, in the 60's, I believe the consensus is that three of the Mustangs that went through Trans Florida (Cavalier rebuilds) were original Temco conversions - those being the three Cavalier Mustangs with the full Temco type extended cockpit/canopy conversion.)

Today there are only four original government contract TF-51D's left, of the full extended cockpit/canopy type - "Toulouse Nuts" (flying), "Bum Steer" (flying), "The Friendly Ghost" (static) and another in South Korea (static). However, there are as many as 16 TF-51D's flying today, with all but two of those having been converted or built new since the 1970's to Temco/Cavalier form (most since the early 2000's). There are of course several more in the works, being very much in demand just as two-seater Mk.IX Spitfire conversions/new builds are.

Currently flying TF-51D's:
-Toulouse Nuts (Temco)
-Bum Steer (Temco/Cavalier)
-Lady Jo
-Mad Max
-La Pistolera
-E Pluribus Unum
-Crazy Horse
-Crazy Horse 2
-Little Witch
-D-FTSI
-Little-Ite
-Scat VII
-Diamondback
-Tempus Fugit
-Contrary Mary
-Sonny Boy

Prior to the Temco conversions between 1951-52, North American Aviation's Dallas plant had also produced 10 two-seat, dual instrument, dual control "TP-51D's" late in 1945, but all contained within stock fuselages (just the canopy bubble was made taller). After 1947, with the introduction of the USAF, they were redesignated as TF-51D's (there were also many single-seat examples that were designated as TF-51D's in USAF service as well, when assigned to the trainer role.)

The Temco conversions (extended cockpit and canopy) is what is synonymous with the term "TF-51D" today.

Some of the "non-TF" P-51D's flying today do have basic dual controls added for the back seat/jump seat - the restored "Daddy's Girl" for instance has a stick, rudder pedals, throttle & prop controls and four instruments in the back, all within a stock fuselage, lending it to having sometimes been reffered to as a TP-51D, and I know of some others with similar setups.

[pjpahs]

Reading the history of this aircraft on MustangsMustangs link I see it was at Lake Air Corp. in Michigan City, Indiana in 1963. Our farm was only a little over a mile from the original municipal airport and I remember Mustangs flying over, seemed like they were doing a million MPH ( I was 13), sometimes they were so low I thought they would hit our silos, loved it. Can't remember what B25 it was but in the Warbird Registry I found where Lake Air worked on more than Mustangs and did work on B25's, installing a bomb bay ferry tank on one. Our neighboring city LaPorte also had warbird businesses at their airport, I guess surplus warbirds were relatively inexpensive and there was a market for them. The original city airport occupied an area that was worth more for business expansion , was closed and the city bought my uncles airport on East side of the city, Joe Phillips Airport .I remember my uncle would land his Piper Cub in the pasture behind our barns. Soooo this Mustang was probably one that strafed our barns.