Warbird Information Exchange

Hi all

a walk down the memory lane...



here's a photo of P-51D-25-NA 44-73029.... originally sent to the ETO and attached to the 4th FG 335th FS, it was sent back to the Z.I. and later assigned to the 112th FS OH ANG (as seen here) - it then was delivered to Nicaragua on 31st May 1958 as GN122 before being sold back to the U.S. in July 1963 and adopting civil reg. N7999A and later N51JB...

and below - for comparison, how this a/c looks today....



Cordially
Martin

_________________
Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

The interesting thing here is that while at Pioneer Aero Service in the early 90s I went roaming through their cache of airframes, and in the group of fuselages there was one with the serial # etched in the metal on the side although faded . Imagine my surprise when I recognized the number 44-73029. I know from Dick Snyder's accident report that N7999A supposedly had an accident, but the fuselage at PAS didn't display any of the marks, scratches, etc. of N7999A. This leads to the question, did Cavalier repair the fuselage, or has there been yet another swap...?

T J

_________________
Make my day, punk!

what ohio air national guard base did that 51 operate out of??

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

112th FS OH ANG [Cleveland, OH]
162nd FS OH ANG [Cox-Dayton, OH]
164th FS OH ANG [Mansfield, OH]
166th FS OH ANG [Lockbourne AFB, OH]

_________________
Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss

I take care of BE now and this is a mystery to me as well.
Stephen Grey purchased that fus section and it formed the basis for Miss Velma which recently went east over the pond.
SG emailed a photo of the fus section in which that stenciling is visable.
When BE went to Nicaragua in the mid to late 50s it was I believe 5 Ds and a TF. I believe the Ds all came from Ohio.
The Nicaragua paperwork called it 44-73029N when it came back up in 1962.
3 other P-51s in that group had a N suffix to there serial number 44-73693N, 44-73683N and 44-72773N. The other 17 F-51s have a normal looking S/N on the bill of sale. But I don't know what the N means.
When BE was registered with the FAA in 62 the N turned into an A.
3 C-45 serial numbers had an A as a suffix and 1 P-47 came back with a S/N of 5496765-C.
So did the DoD have some kind of IRAN program where BE got different parts or did a S/N swap occur prior to its trip down south?
I am certain this did not happen after it came back as the stencil of the fus section was always on bare metal. I believe the FAN airplanes were devoid of such markings.
Peashooter knows someone who flew in the OHIOANG in that time frame they flew BE. I forwarded contact info to Jim but I don't think he made contact.
Rich

Martin:

Many thanks for posting the interesting photograph of the P-51D 44-73029 that was taken while the aircraft was in the livery of the 112th FS Ohio ANG. If you don't mind, may I ask you what is your source for the information that '73029 was assigned to the 4th Fighter Group, 335th Fighter Squadron? Please excuse my ignorance, but, after nearly thirty years of research....this assignment is "news to me".

ALL THE BEST,

John L. Dienst

my source is Ted Damick.... will ask him for details - but I am sure he got that information from service records (microfilms)

Cordially
Martin

_________________
Flying is easy: just learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss