Anglia Aircraft Restoration's TF-51D "Contrary Mary" (formerly "Miss Velma") made its first post-rebuild test flight today at Sywell, in the UK, just shy of a year since it made a forced landing in a field near Duxford at Flying Legends 2017. The aircraft is scheduled to make its first public debut at Flying Legends this weekend. Sections of the aircraft were rebuilt and overhauled in the US and then combined with a new wing which had already been previously restored awaiting another potential project. All of the sections were brought together at Air Leasing, at Sywell, UK, last month for reassembly, painting and flight testing.
Here is a photo taken from a flight today, posted on the Ultimate Warbird Flights Facebook page (paint work around the name artwork not yet fully completed):
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5BEB3ED2The markings were very well researched and replicated to exacting accuracy to the original wartime photos. Although it was before my time, I've always been fond of Jimmy Hunt's P-51D back in the 80's when it sported the same paint scheme, so it is awesome to see it now on a Mustang flying again. There are currently only 4 Mustangs flying in the world painted in 78th FG markings (which are among my favorite), and it is the only one outside the US.
In other news, though not directly related to "numbers", the Comanche Fighters/Dan Friedkin P-51D N351MX, previously painted as "February", was revealed yesterday, at Biggin Hill in the UK, in a completely new paint scheme as the 355th FG "The Hun Hunter ~ Texas", and will be debuting in this new scheme at Flying Legends this weekend. I'm not sure if the aircraft will be staying in the UK for a prolonged period or not - Dan has had warbirds based in the UK for long stretches of time, and has also shipped warbirds over just for Flying Legends, so time will tell. For the time being, I'll have it listed with the UK-based Mustangs (with 8 Mustangs in the Friedkin stable, I've always thought that he would have at least one based permanently in the UK, like a few of his Spitfires are). Dan's Spitfire Mk.V JG891 also is now flying again as of the last couple days, following about a year of restoration/refurbishment in the UK at Duxford. The aircraft is now back to the same, very attractive and unique desert color scheme it had worn for the first few years after it was initially restored/completed in 2006 (for the last several years, based in Texas, it had been painted in the "RS-T" Robert Stanford-Tuck markings).
https://www.flyinglegends.com/aircraft/ ... 351mx.htmlhttps://www.flyinglegends.com/aircraft/ ... -lfvc.html