JohnTerrell wrote:
It's interesting looking at the information presented about it on the MustangsMustangs website. The aircraft's owner in the mid 60's, David Forrest, found through evidence on the airframe that it was 44-72483, however at the time it had been registered as 44-63769, which Forrest had found to have actually crashed during WWII. Through David Forrest's findings, proving it to be 44-72483, it allowed for the aircraft's true past to be revealed, as having been assigned to the 356th FS, 354th FG, 9th Air Force (same squadron markings as "Short-Fuse Sallee"), coded AJ-R, in service during the final days of the war in Europe. Following WWII it served with the Swedish AF as Fv26087 and then flew with the Nicaraguan AF as GN85 (same path that another combat vet, "Sierra Sue II", took). It was at the time it was imported back into the US, in 1963, that it was initially registered with the serial of 44-63769, later corrected by David Forrest to 44-72483, based on his findings. Later, in 1969, the aircraft was acquired by El Salvador and flew as FAS 411. Upon its return to the US in 1975 it was registered under the phony serial of 44-13250 (a Dallas-built P-51D-20-NT ID), for which it is still registered as today. The MustangsMustangs site has it recognized, rightfully, as being P-51D-20-NA 44-72483, despite the current/since 1975 "made up" registered ID of 44-13250.
If ya think ya know something about a mustang, go ahead, post it... Then John Terrell will follow up and blow you out of the water with details... Another big thanks John!