Warbird Information Exchange

In 1953, there was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth across the pond. Two P-51
Mustangs piloted by two eager drivers anxious to win a two plane duel were to
race films of the coronation to various points in North America. One P-51 was
recruited by NBC and the other by CBS. Does anyone have any information that
could help me as I am writing an article for a national magazine on this very
little known 2 aircraft race?

Steve Zuger

Salem, Oregon

Wasn't one of Paul Mantz's B-models used?

As usual there are conflicting accounts.
According to wired.com:

Record-breaking Canberra PR3 jets of Britain’s Royal Air Force flew the films to Gander, Newfoundland. Then CF-100s[sic] of the Royal Canadian Air Force took one series of films to Montreal, which supplied CBC in Canada and — through a special hookup to New York City — ABC and NBC in the United States. (This was Plan B for NBC, whose own hired jet developed mid-Atlantic mechanical troubles and had to turn back.) RCAF Mustang P-51s flew films directly to Boston for the CBS national broadcast.

However, in his memoirs, Walter Kronkite states that the CBS P-51 was "Thunderbird" and this borne out in this long account of the "Coronation Race" which states

The CBS P-51 was piloted by Joe DeBona, who had won the Bendix trophy race in it in 1949. The NBC P-51 was piloted by Stanley Reaver, who had finished second in the same race. He said he was determined not to let DeBona do it to him again. DeBona left Goose Bay at 2:02 P.M. , Eastern time, and arrived in Boston at 4:13. Reaver left at 2:15, had ice problems, and arrived at 4:37.

DeBona (1949 - subsequently repainted)

Reaver

This Mantz's P-51:


ETA previous thread viewtopic.php?p=319765

see topic:http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=319875

kennsmithf2g wrote:see topic: viewtopic.php?p=319875

or viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32165&start=15

Pretty much covered it, I'd say