Warbird Information Exchange

It's hard to believe with the tenticles of the wixtopus reaching all over the world
that the first flight of a amazing P-51D restoration has been missed/overlooked.
Mike VBC and his crew at Midwest Aero latest work of art took to the sky on June
26, 2025. P-51D s/n 44-72107 was a WWII combat vet serving with the 77th FS
20th FG and flew 9 mission before VE-Day. On April 16, 1945 1Lt Walt Umla destroyed
a FW-190 while flying it. He later received the DFC.
It flew the following missions:
11 April 45 1Lt James Seymour
13 April 45 1Lt James Seymour - aborted
16 April 45 1Lt Walter Umla
17 April 45 1Lt Leo Kerns - ERTN oil actuator
18 April 45 1Lt James Seymour
19 April 45 1Lt James Seymour
20 April 45 2Lt Franklin Richter - ERTN Reason unknown
21 April 45 2Lt Franklin Richter
25 April 45 1Lt Charles Cunliffe
See it at Oshkosh!

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

From Midwest Aero Restorations Facebook page ...
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id ... &sk=photos

It did get a mention in the flyers thread but its great to see some pictures. Was worried this was going to have to wait until the end of the month.

Just out of curiosity, for the P-51D, are the armor plates that were installed behind the pilots still around to be installed should the owner want one or did they in up in the scrap pile?

Thank you for the update and photos. I notice the P-51D Dallas Doll, who owns that one?

Lynn

I've seen a few original surviving examples of the armor plate in photographs shared over the years. I've also read that with at least a few restorations, the armor plate was reproduced using aluminum rather than steel, in order to reduce some weight. In the case of several Mustangs which have jump seats in the back, especially for static display, they'll install one of the molded "plastic" (I believe fiberglass?) replica armor plate/radio one-piece units, that I believe Roush makes (or made at one time), that simply attaches over the top of the aft cockpit section, making it appear to have the full WWII-stock armor plate/radio installation.



'Dallas Doll' is owned by Jon Vesely (who has owned a few different Midwest Aero-restored Mustangs over the years). The restoration was originally done for David Nock of the UK, but it was sold to Vesely just before it was completed last year.

The latest Mustang to be completed by Midwest Aero, the 20th FG combat-vet 44-72107 (which, in the time following VE-Day, had the name 'B.J. Belle of the West' added), is owned by Mark and Missy Timken. I've seen it posted where there will be a surprise waiting for 20th FG vet Joe Peterburs at Oshkosh, where both will be present for Warbirds in Review. I assume that surprise will be the offering of a flight in the aircraft. I saw some news coverage where he went for a ride with Isabel Rutland in her P-51D 'Marinell' from Duxford, back in April.