Mustang 45-11513/NZ2423 restoration visit

[Zac Yates]

Hi all,
Yesterday Brendon Deere was kind enough to host me at his Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre, located at RNZAF Base Ohakea and allowed me to see his P-51D project up close (as well as put up with a lot of questions!).

This aircraft, 45-11513/NZ2423 is one of several RNZAF surplus aircraft that were bought and preserved by the late John Smith of Mapua in the 1950s-60s, among their number being a DH Tiger Moth, two P-40 Kittyhawks (one now being restored to fly), a DH Mosquito FB.VI which has been conserved in running condition, and several literal tons of parts for many other aircraft. This was widely publicised as a "barn find" following John's death in August 2019 but had been an open secret worldwide among warbird enthusiasts for many years. John was very reclusive and publicity shy but many people were fortunate to be allowed into The Shed to take a look at this truly remarkable collection. Here's a look:
https://youtu.be/Uhr__ZBYuT4

Brendon Deere is well-known in New Zealand for restoring and operating Spitfire Mk.IXc PV270, painted in the markings of his uncle the Battle of Britain pilot Al Deere, as well as an ex-RNZAF Harvard and a Grumman Avenger wearing wartime RNZAF markings. I was very pleased to hear that Brendon had been entrusted with Mustang NZ2423 by the Smith family, not just because I've known him since 2004 but also because Ohakea is less than an hour's drive from my home! The aircraft was also based at Ohakea for almost all its RNZAF service between 1952 and 1957.

When I visited work was underway: Pete Burgess was focused on pipes for the recently-installed oil radiator and Joe Deere was working on the windscreen side glazing. Brendon and Pete said that as a restoration project the Mustang is a lot more straightforward than the Spitfire was. John Smith saved as much as he could from the scrappers over the years and as such they've had to source very few parts from outside what came from Mapua - they have multiples of many parts, such as six canopies and eleven undercarriage legs! Besides what you see in the photos below there's also a shipping container with countless spares yet to be inventoried.

Brendon said the fuselage is structurally complete and the systems/plumbing work is now underway. The wing, being restored by Odegaard Wings at Kindred, ND, is about 2-3mth from completion and the engine (restored by Vintage V-12s at Tehachapi, CA) was recently run for the first time since 1957. As of her final flight on May 30 1957 airframe and engine total time was 260hr 55min.

She's being restored in her original single seat condition - the fuselage fuel tank is fitted, the radio rack is awaiting refurbished sets to be installed, and she will fly in 2023 with bomb racks and rocket rails, painted in Number 2 (Wellington) Territorial Air Force markings. All of the pipework you see in the photos is original, as is the radiator and much of the hardware. It will be one of the most original Mustangs flying anywhere when complete.

NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr

It's all rather exciting!

NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Ohakea 130122 Zac Yates by Zac Yates, on Flickr

If you're keen to see more I have all the photos I took (including the other aircraft in the hangars) on my Flickr account.

[AG pilot]

Very nice pics. Thank you for sharing them with us!

[DH82EH]

Whoa... ... that's very cool Zac. So nice to have all those spares.
Great to see a NZ machine being restored to her former glory to operate so close to where she served.
Thanks for the post

Andy

[kalamazookid]

Thanks for the extensive report and photos!

[Ed Likes]

Hey thanks a lot for the post and pics. Isn't the engine going back into this Mustang it's original engine? If so that has to put this Mustang in rarified atmosphere. Can't be hardly any current Mustangs flying with their original engine. Also regarding the fuselage and wings etc. Will those be original to this P-51 as well? Of course I know these are being rebuilt. Havins said all this has to be among the most all original Mustangs out there being returned to flying status. That is impressive nearly 80 years after it first flew. Thanks again for posting all this great information.

[DH82EH]

Ed, I see some of the wing skins hanging on the wall. The spars were cut, so they will be new. I'd bet the ribs, brackets and fittings are mostly original.
She will be a unique beauty!

[Saville]

Looks like it's going back together with the stock design - the aft fuel tank and tank gauge.

Very neat project. And what a great hangar to work in too.

Thanks for the pics.

[Zac Yates]

I forgot to mention that they've identified five or six other RNZAF aircraft whose components will go into NZ2423.

Great to see a NZ machine being restored to her former glory to operate so close to where she served.

It's the very same RNZAF base where she served most of her time!

Isn't the engine going back into this Mustang it's original engine? If so that has to put this Mustang in rarified atmosphere. Can't be hardly any current Mustangs flying with their original engine.

It's the factory-installed engine, never had any other installed!

The spars were cut, so they will be new. I'd bet the ribs, brackets and fittings are mostly original.
She will be a unique beauty!

Fortunately John Smith saved outer wing panels which overlap with where NZ2423's originals were cut off, so Odegaard Wings are able to get it sorted fairly easily. And I agree: she certainly will be!

If you use Facebook I urge you check out the group Brendon set up for his collection, he regularly posts detailed, photo-heavy Mustang updates as well as movements of the other aircraft: https://www.facebook.com/groups/119982544710555

[Zac Yates]

And in case you wanted to see work underway on the wing, there was an update from North Dakota overnight (from Brendon's FB post):

Brent and his team at Odegaard Wings have been busy putting lots of rivets into our wings over the last couple of weeks with the lower wing skins largely finished apart from the lower gear well skins and effort then moving to the last of the upper wing skin riveting. Focus will then move to new outer skins for the gear doors, the stainless section of the "0" station rib between the two wing panels, and repair of the outer wing panels.

NZ2423 Odegaard Wings via Brendon Deere 230122 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Odegaard Wings via Brendon Deere 230122 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Odegaard Wings via Brendon Deere 230122 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ2423 Odegaard Wings via Brendon Deere 230122 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

When I visited Brendon said the wings are about two-three months from completion. Don't they look stunning? You can see all the progress pics on Brendon's Facebook page and my own NZ2423 Flickr album (including historic photos of the airframe).

[DH82EH]

Some great detail shots in your Flickr album Zac.
Thanks for that.

Andy

[Zac Yates]

Some great detail shots in your Flickr album Zac.
Thanks for that.

Andy

The vast - and I do mean VAST - majority are from Brendon via his Facebook page. He has been very generous in sharing so much!

[DH82EH]

I would bet that this will be the last Mustang rebuild to start with such an original and complete example.
No doubt Brendon and team will do it justice.

[Adam Kline]

Love the photos. Looks like a candy store. LOL