Indonesian P-51s

[DaveM2]

All

Does anyone have an exact number that were turned over to the Indonesians... apparently '2 Squadrons'

Dave

[Tulio]

Dave, do you have contact with Marc Koelich? He is researching those Mustangs.

Saludos,


Tulio

[DaveM2]

Tulio

No I don't..could you PM me his details if you have them, thanks.

Dave

[Swiss Mustangs]

Yes, Mark Koelich is the Top Guy when it comes to AURI / TNI-AU Mustangs. He and I are corresponding on this topic for years already.

Indonesia acquired a yet to be veryfied number of Mustangs through various sources over the years.

For sure are 27 aircraft taken over from the NEIAF (Netherlands East Indies Air Force) in 1949/1950, but most probably only 22 were serviceable.
Additional 20 aircraft were received from US sources as from 1958 after the "Operation Haik" (Allen Pope incident)
6 Cavaliers were delivered under MAP around 1970 and two more aircraft were bought from Cavalier directly.

So we have an estimated number of 55 aircraft - it is possible that a few more were added from unknown sources during the 60's -
on the other side we have to be aware that the attrition rate was high, both in peace and war.

THE Mustang unit in the Indonesian AF was Sku3 (3rd Squadron).

The number of operational F-51's during the entire period of Mustangs in service never was much more than two dozen aircraft, i.e. squadron strenght.

HTH

Martin

[Randy Haskin]

Additional info regarding the AURI Cavaliers:

Two Cavalier TF-51Ds were sent there circa 1971 (F 360 and F 361).

Five Cavalier Mustang IIs and one additional TF-51 were sent there in 1973 (72-1536 thru 72-1541).

[Tulio]

Tulio

No I don't..could you PM me his details if you have them, thanks.

Dave

Dave, please check your PMs.

Saludos,


Tulio

[DaveM2]

Gentlemen

Thanks for your input. Here's a shot taken in the seventies..anyone know more about this particular aircraft?, note the Soviet hardware in the background.
photo 'Diggers Big Brother'

Dave

p.s. Martin, magazine waiting for you, need your postal address.

[hairy]

Hi Dave,

Judging by the artwork it could very well be the P-51 that is now in the RNZAF Museum. I took this photo shortly after it arrived in NZ.



cheers, Marcus

[DaveM2]

Marcus

Could well be, although I guess it wasn't the only one painted like that.

Dave

[Randy Haskin]

Here's a shot taken in the seventies..anyone know more about this particular aircraft?

It's definitely a Cavalier Mustang II, one of the six airplanes rebuilt with the 72-1XXX serial numbers. They were delivered circa 1973 and were replaced by OV-10s less than 3 years later, so I'd place the photo sometime between '73 and '75.

[aseanaero]

I found some photos of the 2 Mustangs at TNI-AU HQ on an Indonesian website and I'm reposting them here for the guys interested in the Indo Mustangs . Note these photos were taken in 2000.

They are actually in better shape now than in these photos so they must have repainted them in the interim period.

There were a couple of Dutch guys photographing everything at airports from 2000 to 2006 and some semi public airbases and it really made the military here furious

It would be impossible as a foreigner now to get out of your car and take these sort of photos now (HQ also requires a security clearance). As of 1 December 2009 you CANNOT go airside on any of the joint civil military airports without an air force security clearance , no exceptions unless you are foreign aircrew going to your aircraft and then you are escorted so these sorts of photos will become even rarer in the future.

A New Zealand engineer friend of mine wanted to photograph the P-51 at the base entrance of Halim AFB which is in a public area and I told him not to do it as it would land me in trouble, he then wound the window down and started to get his camera ready when I said 'no, I'm serious' . An hour later we met the Lt Col in charge of base security on a project we were doing and when my friend asked for permission to take a photo of the P-51 he was told 'no' also. The Indonesians have always been sensitive about serial numbers , dash numbers etc (particularly active aircraft) being recorded and given the explosion of the internet they are cracking down again.

Anyway enjoy these photos

[Randy Haskin]

Looks like they removed the 'laser guns' that used to be mounted on F 363 by ripping them out! Look at the jagged metal around the gun ports.

For the anoraks, both aircraft are Cavalier Mustang IIs given to the AURI / TNI-AU under the US "Peace Pony II" MAP.

F 362 = 72-1537
F 363 = 72-1538

[aseanaero]

Looks like they removed the 'laser guns' that used to be mounted on F 363 by ripping them out!

Hi Randy, I last saw these 2 aircraft about 3 months ago and that damage has been patched up

[aseanaero]

There's still a Mustang on inventory that was damaged in a landing accident and put in storage at either Kalijati or Bandung air bases, the air force said if I could find it I could buy it. In 2 years of visiting various airbases and asking around and getting some leads I haven't found it yet. I've come to the conclusion that what was left of it probably went to the USA with Steve Johnsons bulk shipment of aircraft and parts in the early 80's and it wasn't struck off.

[aseanaero]

Some additional photos