"County of El Paso, Texas" ...

[Mark Allen M]

Unusual Mustang. A couple of things stand out. Can you see them?

[AG pilot]

P-51A with the serial numbers painted over, and the inner gear doors are still up, possibly having just been run. Wonder if this a govt/civilian ship after the war, at a surplus site?

[mike furline]

P51A 43-6???.
Typically P-51A's had the S/N on the side of the fuselage, not on the tail.
Red surround on National insignia, June 43 - Aug 43 time frame.
Doesn't look like the guns are installed, but bomb racks are on the first photo at least. Hard to tell on the second photo.
With other P-51's and B-25 in the back ground, probably Inglewood.
Sponsored a/c were typically the same plane photographed with the Named panel replaced over and over again.

Same plane?
https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=14169

Last edited by mike furline on Mon Oct 03, 2022 8:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[JohnB]

Judging by the barrage balloon in the background (and another Mustang), I'll say they were taken at the factory.

Obviously a "presentation" ship, so that could be the reason for the photos (to release to the El Paso newspaper).

[AG pilot]

Odd one is "County" and the other is "City".

[C VEICH]

Sponsored a/c were typically the same plane photographed with the Named panel replaced over and over again.

Definitely what is happening here as the aircraft is in exactly the same position in both pictures, the only difference being the names.

Same plane?
https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=14169

Sure looks like it to me, again in the exact same position. No doubt all three of these pictures were taken within a couple of hours of each other at most.

[Craig59]

Some type of “appliqué” or a completely new cowling panel?

On “County,” the back of the S aligns with the back of the first exhaust stack. On “City,” the back of the S is more in alignment with the back of the second exhaust stack and the tail of the F curls under the O.

[lucky52]

The prop is in a different position for what it is worth.