P-51 Mustang Restorations

[JohnTerrell]

In trying to answer some questions pertaining to current numbers of Mustang restorations taking place, as well as new restorations that have taken flight over the years vs. accidents, I've put together some lists shown below. With all of this I know there has to be some I'm missing and if you have any further details you can share I'll certainly add those in.

These are the most substantial or active P-51 projects/restorations that I'm currently aware of, though I know there are at least a few more that I've seen that I don't have details on:

P-51B 43-12112 - Fagen Fighters
P-51C 42-103100 - Pacific Fighters
TP-51C 42-103293 - Collings Foundation
P-51C 42-103740 - Brent Hisey
P-51C '2925' - Warren Pietsch
P-51K 44-11807 - Francis Butler
P-51K 44-12119 - Aadu Karemaa
P-51D 44-12853 - Tom Reilly
P-51D 44-12870 - Terry Dieno
TF-51D 44-63576 - Louis Horschel
P-51D 44-72028 - Lance Ricotta
P-51D 44-72059 - Herman Bayerdorffer
P-51D 44-73163 - Kempf Brothers
P-51D 44-73518 - Ron Buccarelli
P-51D 44-73864 - Steven Loeffler
P-51D 44-73973 - Terry Dieno
P-51D 44-74423 - Vicky Benzing
TF-51D 44-72483 - Pat Harker
P-51D 44-74458 - David Marco (was undergoing some restoration work and new paint a few years ago/may be completed now?)
TF-51D 44-74978 - Tallevast LLC
F-6D 44-84786 - Silvia Sorlini
P-51D(TF-51D?) 44-84896 - Brown Helicopter
P-51D 44-84952 - David Nock
P-51D(TF-51D?) '44-88' - Thom Richard
P-51D(TF-51D?) 45-11518 - Graham Peacock
CAC Mustang A68-71 - Australian National Aviation Museum (static)
CAC Mustang A68-104 - Bob Eastgate
F-82E 46-0256 - Pat Harker

Additionals/Question Marks:

P-51A 43-6178 - Kermit Weeks (long-term on again/off again)
P-51D 44-13954 - Philip Warner
P-51D 44-63762 - Centerline Holdings (fuselage photographed at Tri-State Aviation)
P-51D 44-63791 - Brown Helicopter
P-51D 44-72395 - Centerline Holdings (fuselage photographed at Tri-State Aviation)
P-51D 44-72936 - Marvin Croutch
P-51D 44-73323 - Marvin Croutch
P-51D 44-74902 - Chris Macallister (this was the last Connie Edwards Mustang, recently sold)
TF-51D 44-74960 - Stewart McMillan
P-51D 44-84489 - Peter Anderson
P-51D 44-84850 - Centerline Holdings (Su Su wreckage/ID)
P-51H 44-64375 - Pat Harker
P-51H 44-64203 - Coutches Family
XP-51G 43-43335 - John Morgan

Some early projects and parts/paperwork projects I'm aware of (there are of course many more paperwork/ID projects):

P-51K 44-12118 - Mark Tisler
P-51D 44-72181 - Phil Earthey
P-51D 44-72299 - Eric Waters
P-51D 44-72356 - Jack Walrath
P-51D 44-73196 - Phil Earthey
TF-51D 44-73458 - Dennis Harrup
P-51D 44-74446 - Dave Teeters (Airmotive Specialties)
P-51D 44-85634 - Walter Bagdasarian
CAC Mustang A68-005 - Phil Earthey


Here is a history of P-51 Mustang first post-restoration or major repair flights I've compiled since the year 2000 (not including cosmetic-only changes):

2000 TF-51D N351DT "Kentucky Babe" - (flies today as "Crazy Horse 2")
2000 P-51D N351D "Oklahoma Miss" - (flies today as CF-VPM/RCAF markings)
2000 P-51C N1204 "Ina the Macon Belle"
2001 P-51D G-MSTG "Janie"
2001 P-51D VH-FST "The Flying Undertaker"
2001 P-51C N61429 "Tuskegee Airmen"
2001 P-51D N5500S "Geraldine"
2002 P-51D N151BW "Cripes A' Mighty"
2002 CAC Mustang VH-MFT "Snifter"
2002 TF-51D N51LW "Little Witch"
2002 P-51D N334FS "Red Dog XII"
2003 P-51D N451TB "Kimberly Kaye"
2003 P-51D N41749 "Miss Marilyn II"
2003 P-51D N723FH "Upupa Epops"
2003 P-51D N351MX "February"
2003 P-51D N551J "Glamorous Glen III" - (flies today as "Gentleman Jim")
2003 P-51D N451D "Sweet and Lovely"
2004 P-51D N6306T - (following repairs)
2004 P-51D N20MS "Daddy's Girl"
2004 TP-51C N251MX "Betty Jane"
2004 TF-51D N20TF - (flies today as "Bum Steer")
2004 P-51D N63476 "City of Winnipeg" - (flies today as "Kwitcherbitchin")
2005 P-51D N83KD "Cincinnati Miss
2005 P-51C N487FS "Princess Elizabeth"
2005 P-51D N51PE "Little Horse"
2005 P-51D N251BP - (flies today as "Buzzin Cuzzin")
2006 P-51A N8082U "Precious Metal II"
2006 TF-51D N151TF "Tempus Fugit"
2006 P-51D N551W "The Millie G"
2006 P-51A N4235Y "Mrs. Virginia"
2006 P-51D N2869D "Section Eight"
2006 P-51D N7722C - (flies today as N151AM)
2006 P-51D N514RP "Red Dog"
2007 P-51D N551TM "Boomer"
2007 TF-51D "Miss Velma"
2007 P-51D N251BP - (following repairs - flies today as "Buzzin Cuzzin")
2007 P-51D N991R "Miss America" - (following repairs)
2007 P-51D N10607 "Barbara Jean" - (following repairs)
2007 TF-51D N93TF "Scat VII"- (following repairs)
2007 P-51D "Quick Silver"
2007 P-51D N4034S "Queen of Hearts"
2007 P-51D N7TF "Double Trouble Two"
2008 P-51D G-MRLL "Marinell"
2008 P-51D N4132A "Pecos Bill"
2008 P-51D N74190 "Happy Jack's Go Buggy"
2008 P-51B N551E "Old Crow"
2008 TF-51D N51GY "E Pluribus Unum"
2008 P-51B N5087F "Impatient Virgin?"
2009 P-51D N5551D "Little Rebel"
2009 P-51D N79111 "The Galloping Ghost"
2009 P-51D N551BJ "Mormon Mustang" - (following repairs)
2009 P-51C N61429 "Tuskegee Airmen" - (following repairs)
2009 P-51D N5444V "Dixie Boy" - (flies today as "Miss Kandy")
2010 P-51D N151RJ "Stang" - (following repairs)
2010 P-51D N551W "The Millie G" - (following repairs)
2010 P-51K N98CF "Fragile but Agile"
2010 P-51C N4651C "Boise Bee"
2010 P-51D N551JV "Live Bait"
2010 A-36 N251A
2011 TF-51D N4151D "Galveston Gal"
2011 P-51D N451EA "Primo Branco"
2011 P-51D N251PW "Baby Duck"
2011 P-51D N251L "Twilight Tear"
2012 A-36 N4607V "Baby Carmen"
2012 P-51D N2051D "This Is It!"
2012 TF-51D D-FUNN "Little-ite"
2012 P-51D PH-JAT "Trusty Rusty"
2012 P-51D N991R "Miss America" - (following repairs)
2012 P-51D N5420V - (flies today as "Swamp Fox")
2013 P-51D N151JT "Was That Too Fast"
2014 P-51D N514DK - (following repairs)
2014 P-51D N51ZW "Frances Dell" - (following repairs/previously "Glamorous Gal")
2014 P-51D N1751D "Sierra Sue II"
2014 P-51B N515ZB "Berlin Express"
2014 P-51D N551MB "Risky Business"
2015 P-51D N514RP "Red Dog" - (following repairs)
2015 P-51D N6168C "Weaver's Nude" - (following repairs/previously "FF-704")
2015 P-51D N51TH "Alabama Rammer Jammer"
2015 P-51D N151BP "Bunny"
2016 CAC Mustang VH-URZ
2016 TF-51D N551CF "Toulouse Nuts"
2016 P-51C N61429 "Tuskegee Airmen" - (following repairs)
2017 P-51D N357FG "Frenesi"
2017 P-51A N51Z "XP-51"
2017 P-51C N6555B "Lope's Hope 3rd"
2018 P-51D N51TK
2018 TF-51D N451WW "Tiger's Revenge"
2018 TF-51D G-TFSI "Contrary Mary" - (following repairs)
2019 CAC Mustang VH-SVU - (following lengthy overhaul)
2019 P-51C N4651C "Boise Bee" - (following repairs)
2019 P-51D N376TM - (currently being painted)


Here are the P-51 incidents/accidents/crashes I've recorded since 2000. Those in bold represent the only P-51's damaged between 2000 and now that have not yet been repaired or are not currently expected to be rebuilt (as far as I know):

2000 TF-51D N20TF - Forced Landing **restored/flying again in 2004**
2001 P-51D N551CB "Glamorous Glenn III" - Engine Failure/Crashed/Destroyed **wreckage/project registered to Oklahoma P-47 LLC 2019**
2002 P-51D N991R "Miss America" - Forced Landing/Heavily Damaged **restored/flying again in 2007**
2003 TF-51D N93TF "Scat VII" - Crashed/Destroyed (1 fatality) **restored/flying again in 2007**
2003 P-51D N6306T - Gear-up Landing/Minor Damage **repaired/flying again in 2004**
2003 P-51D N2869D - Hard Landing/Slid Off Runway **restored/flying again in 2006**
2004 P-51C N61429 "Tuskegee Airmen" - Engine Failure/Forced Landing/Heavily Damaged (1 fatality) **restored/flying again in 2009**
2005 P-51D N6327T "Donna-Mite" - Crashed/Destroyed (1 fatality)
2005 P-51D N251BP - Landing Accident **repaired/flying again in 2007**
2005 P-51D N10607 "Barbara Jean" - Engine Failure/Forced Landing **restored/flying again in 2007**
2006 P-51D N551BJ "Mormon Mustang" - Engine Failure/Forced Landing/Heavily Damaged **restored/flying again in 2009**
2006 P-51D N151BL - Landing Accident **restored/flying again in 2011 as N451EA**
2007 P-51D N51TK "Lou IV" - Landing Accident/Heavily Damaged (1 fatality) **restored/flying again 2018**
2007 P-51A N8082U "Precious Metal II" - Landing Accident (1 fatality) **restored/not flown**
2007 P-51D N151RJ "Stang" - Landing Accident **repaired/flying again in 2010**
2008 CAC Mustang VH-BOB - Gear-Up Landing **under restoration to fly**
2008 P-51D N551W "The Millie G" - Engine Failure/Crash **repaired/flying again in 2010**
2008 P-51D G-BIXL "Miss Helen" - Engine Failure/Hard Landing **repaired/flying again in 2011**
2008 P-51D VH-FST "The Flying Undertaker" - Gear-Up Landing **repaired/flying again 2013**
2010 P-51D N514NH "Su Su" - Landing Accident/Heavily Damaged (1 fatality) **wreckage/ID sold/registered to Centerline Holdings 2015**
2011 CAC Mustang D-FBBD "Big Beautiful Doll" - Crashed/Destroyed
2011 P-51D N991R "Miss America" - Gear-Up Landing **repaired/flying again in 2012**
2011 P-51D N79111 "The Galloping Ghost" - Crashed/Destroyed (11 fatalities)
2011 P-51D N251HR "Glamorous Gal" - Landing Accident/Gear Failure **restored/flying again in 2014 as "Frances Dell"**
2011 P-51D N6168C "FF-704" - Landing Accident **restored/flying again in 2015 as "Weaver's Nude"**
2012 P-51D N514DK - Landing Accident **repaired/flying again in 2014**
2013 TF-51D N4151D "Galveston Gal" - Crashed/Destroyed (2 fatalities) **wreckage acquired by Dennis Harrup 2020**
2013 P-51D N514RP "Red Dog" - Engine Fire **restored/flying again in 2015**
2014 P-51D N1451D "Checkertail Clan" - Crashed/Destroyed (2 fatalities) **wreckage acquired by Dave Teeters/Airmotive Specialties 2017**
2014 P-51D N351BD "Big Beautiful Doll" - Landing Gear Failure/Belly Landing **repaired/flying again in 2015**
2015 P-51D N6WJ "Precious Metal" - Engine Fire/Severe Fire Damage **under rebuild to fly**
2016 P-51C N61429 "Tuskegee Airmen" - Gear-Up Landing **restored/flying again in 2016**
2016 P-51D N351BD "Big Beautiful Doll" - Crashed/Destroyed (2 fatalities) **under rebuild to fly**
2016 P-51D G-MSTG "Janie" - Landing Accident (1 fatality) **wreckage acquired by Graham Peacock/now registered as G-CLNV 2020**
2017 TF-51D G-TFSI "Miss Velma" - Forced Landing **repaired/flying again in 2018 as "Contrary Mary"**
2017 P-51D N251PW "Baby Duck" - Crashed/Destroyed (2 fatalities)
2018 P-51D N4132A "Pecos Bill" - Crashed/Destroyed (2 fatalities)
2019 P-51C N4651C "Boise Bee" - Landing Gear Collapse **repaired/flying again in 2019**

(There have been 28 fatalities as a result of these accidents since 2000, though 11 of which stem from the crash of Galloping Ghost at Reno in 2011.)

Last edited by JohnTerrell on Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:52 am, edited 9 times in total.

[tom roberts]

WOW Thank You so much.

[JohnTerrell]

Some further figures (if I have everything straight):

- Of the more than 70 Mustang restorations that have been completed since beginning in the year 2000, 57 of those were not flying as of 1999 (either in storage/display only, in early stages of restoration, or in wreckage/paperwork form as of 1999).

- In this era of warbird restorations where many assume most are always now "new-builds", of the 57 Mustangs gained since beginning in 2000, about 31 of them were fully or near-fully complete airframes prior to restoration/rebuild (intact fuselage/wings/tail).

- Of those 57 gained since beginning in 2000, 7 of them are currently not flying (1 is restored/not flown, 3 are wrecks with no indication of rebuild, 3 are wrecks undergoing rebuild currently or in the near future).

- There are roughly 160 Mustangs flying today throughout the world.

Last edited by JohnTerrell on Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[junkman9096]

Dumb question then: how many Mustangs are flying that didn't exist even down to a wing spar in 1945? Never saw the inside of a factory in Dallas or Inglewood and yet are out there now?

[JohnTerrell]

It's really hard to know for sure, from one restoration to the next, just how much original 40's metal still remains today in any one particular airframe, post-restoration, unless you were the one of course doing the work. It is a discussion/matter I try not to get into too much since it can be quite subjective. If a Mustang contains 3 structural parts from the original airframe it claims to be, but the rest had to be replaced or built new, some would say it is still the original and others would say it is not. If a Mustang contains 25% of its structural parts from the airframe it claims to be, but the rest had to be replaced or built new, some would say it is still the original and others would say it is not. I'm not sure where the line stands where all parties come together, or even if there is one (there are no 100% original Mustangs flying). There are some however which are much easier to define as new-builds, like the airframes "Miss Velma" (now "Contrary Mary"), "Dakota Kid II" and "The Millie G", which all started in the 90's as new-build projects in North Dakota, using identities from long-lost airframes, and have always been described in detail as such.

The most "new-build" airframes I'm aware of are the ones where if you look at registry sites like MustangsMustangs, the history abruptly begins at some point in the 1990's or 2000's, where there is no previous history of ownership listed, or there is history from the 1940's/1950's, but there is no further history until the year the restoration/build began. Of course there are others which began as complete airframes, with long histories/provenance prior to restoration, but because of corrosion much of the airframe had to be replaced, and then there are individuals who will argue whether it should be considered the original airframe or not depending on likelihood of how much is original or not in the restored airframe.

Based on my own judgement, I'd say the baseline likely stands at somewhere close to 30 that are flying today which really didn't exist prior to being built within the last 20-30 years.

Last edited by JohnTerrell on Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[JohnB]

So, if I interpret your data correctly, since 2000 some 70 Mustangs have been restored/rebuilt and many (20-30) are basically new airframes.
But in the same period, there have only been five that were wrecked and not rebuilt.

If correct, that seems to bode well for the future of Mustangs.

[JohnTerrell]

Over 70 Mustang restorations and repair jobs (some to the same airframes) since 2000, 57 restorations of which resulted in Mustangs flying again that weren't flying or didn't exist as of 1999 (50 of which are still flying at this time), and about 26 of those 57 could be considered "new-build" (having started from mainly parts/paperwork). There are only 5 Mustangs that have crashed since 2000 that I am not aware of either having already been rebuilt or are currently with owners that intend to or are currently having them rebuilt. All of this of roughly 160 Mustangs flying in total today.

The most recent information contained in my original post, as was shared with me by a few individuals over the past couple days, is that Graham Peacock (Anglia Aircraft Restorations/Fighter Aviation Engineering) in the UK recently acquired the wreck of the P-51D "Janie" G-MSTG, which is now re-registered as G-CLNV as of June 24th (also helping to explain why the TF-51D "Contrary Mary" is now on the market).

Last edited by JohnTerrell on Sun Jun 28, 2020 11:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Lynn Allen]

John, thank you for your time putting this list together...

[JohnTerrell]

You're welcome Lynn, and perhaps stats like these can be quoted the next time anyone sees someone making false/erroneous claims, especially on Facebook, like when anyone starts in about how many warbirds we're losing because they're flown. I started putting this together 5-6 years ago for myself, and I'm always interested in trying to keep it as up-to-date as much as possible.

[kenair]

this post got me thinking how the rebuild of P-51D 44-12870 - Terry Dieno was at

by this Twitter video, the P-51 flew in October 2018 https://twitter.com/i/status/1054195681357975552

[JohnTerrell]

Terry Dieno's P-51D 44-63350 (N51TK) is the one that was completed and as seen in the video. Doug Rozendaal conducted the test flights. It has since been painted and you can see how it looks completed on this sales page (a very nice looking aircraft): https://www.historicandclassicaircrafts ... p51mustang

Terry Dieno also owns two other P-51D projects that are quite substantial, 44-12870 (N3024T) and 44-73973 (N6325T).

[Stephen Rister]

John, I also want to thank you for your Mustang updates. Perhaps you know if these 3 Mustangs are being rebuilt to flying status.

44-74444 N4451C
44-12817 N5151T
44-74204 N51U

Thank you!
Stephen

[JohnTerrell]

Stephen, I don't have any information on those to add.

[Stephen Rister]

Thank you Sir, maybe they will show up in the future.

Stephen

[florida.warbirds]

I sure this has been posted before but adds to the thread at hand.

"Airmotive Specialties Inc recently posted this photo of 5 Mustangs that are currently being restored. The one on the far left is formerly known as “Ridgerunner III” and will become “Hel-eter.”"