Fagen Fighters P-51B project

[C VEICH]

Chad, from what Warren has posted online, asking for help with regard to photos/paint information on "Thunderbird", that is how it will be finished. It is a very advanced project from what I've heard too.

That is extremely exciting news on both accounts, thanks for the info. I will certainly be waiting with anticipation for the airplane's appearance.

[Dan Jones]

I'm sure whatever it becomes it'll be stunning. I think the B/C gets the nod as the prettiest of all the Mustangs.

Myself, I'd like to see it finished as either Howard's "Ding Hao!" or as Gentile's "Shangri-La".

[Matt Gunsch]

To me there is only one correct set of markings for a B model, Shangri-La, I saw Pete Regina's 51 in those markings in the 80s, then could not believe that someone would paint the plane red.

Attachments

4-4-82P-51B.jpg (48.47 KiB) Viewed 1329 times

Last edited by Matt Gunsch on Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

[DH82EH]

Well, good to see that's decided.
"Shangri-La" it is! I couldn't agree more.

I echo your sentiments Matt.

Andy

[glider90]

A bit of scope creep from the Fagan B model, but I recently found this article that chronicles on all three of the Jackie Cochran Mustangs, including Thunderbird and the history of it.
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/jacki ... er-n5528n/

[Dan K]

Minnesota restoration + Minnesota owner = Minnesota commemoration

Don Beerbower and the "Bonnie B"

https://www.mu.iastate.edu/media/gshdir ... 3c9df6.jpg

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opini ... -his-death

[Dan Jones]

To me there is only one correct set of markings for a B model, Shangri-La, I saw Pete Regina's 51 in those markings in the 80s, then could not believe that someone would paint the plane red.

Oh gawd... I'd almost forgotten about that. Wasn't she "Miss Super K, for a drug free America" or something stupid like that?

Pete Regina's B model was the most beautiful airplane I ever saw. The guy that painted it red should have been tarred and feathered.

[k5083]

I recall the appearance of Shangri-La at Oshkosh 1982. It was one of the sensations that year.

I had my camera lens raised and ready for what would have been a historic shot of Regina's plane and the EAA's XP-51 in flight together at the evening warbird show. It was not to be. Things started to come unglued in the XP-51 and it landed without them doing a pass together, never to leave the ground again.

Seeing the XP outside and parked next to a couple of B/Cs at OSH last year brought back that memory also.







August

[Dan Jones]

Didn't somebody have a bird strike or something while taking "Shangri-La" around the pylons at Reno one year?

[Matt Gunsch]

sorry, the plane as a blue nose does nothing for me, if anything I think it looks kind of ratty.

Attachments

[Matt Gunsch]

Didn't somebody have a bird strike or something while taking "Shangri-La" around the pylons at Reno one year?

Skip Holm was flying it, it was his rookie race,

[Scott Rose]

This thread has been edited to remove negative comments. Please behave and be civil to one another.

[Chris Brame]

sorry, the plane as a blue nose does nothing for me, if anything I think it looks kind of ratty.

Hi Matt - Lemme try a little color correction/enhancement there:

[C VEICH]

Guess maybe I will be the dissenting opinion here. I have been lucky enough to see the Regina P-51B in all her guises and was always ecstatic to see it no matter the scheme. For a good many years it was the ONLY B/C variant flying so seeing it in any paint scheme was a real treat. But it seemed like when I was growing up in the late '70s and early '80s that nearly every model, painting, artist's rendering, whatever of a B model Mustang was of Gentile's "Shangri La". It just got to be too common IMHO. I thought the red/gold was gorgeous and remain very glad that I got to see it in that paint scheme as it was not painted that way for very long. Very surprised that anybody would put the only flying B model Mustang in a civilian scheme for sure! At any rate I hope it remains flying for a long time to come and for my money there cannot be too many of the high back Mustangs flying so bring 'em on.

[JohnB]

Here's another "B", the Historic Flight Foundation's "Impatient Virgin", a rebuild of a 361st FG veteran with seven victories.

https://www.airspacemag.com/photocontes ... everett-w/

According to Wiki,there are 3 "B"s flying now (plus an "A", and several "C"s), numbers we wouldn't have imagined back when Regime's B was the only one out there.