Warbird Information Exchange

No, I haven't seen that one. Possible some antenna location or some kind of repair.
Interesting to see the round access hole forward of the filler patch.
Easy access to the tailgear pivot bolts? Is there one of those on the other side?
Rich

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Rich Palmer

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Same round hole other side, thanks Rich .

Beats me.

Remember, if the folklore about how this aircraft was built is correct, the tailcone would have come from a Mustang off the US civil register (and not a Cavalier-modified aircraft).

Given also how the aircraft may have also had a significant rebuild from Mr Plaskett after return from El Salvador (as a 'wreck', mind you), it's tough to say exactly where that tailcone might have come from. Thus, who knows what that might have been a modification for. Antenna....vent....? Looks like a future home of new skin to me, heh heh.

Don't ya just love sorting out Mustang mysteries like this?

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I've seen those before. I am pretty sure the round ones are some mechanics idea for an easy access to the tail gear pivot bolts.

The other "slot" looks to be a target tow release mechanism. I've seen that on some mustangs and one in particular that was ex Canadian.

Mike V

Maybe a location where they had a ILS antenna....?

Well, I finally took the plunge and am going to try to post some pix.
Back in the day a local businessman, Bob Amix(sp), bought a P-51 from Gordon Plasket, and flew it for a couple of weeks before engine trouble caused a forced landing.
After that he started looking for a TF-51 and ended up with N851D. You'll notice from the pix it was NL851D when it came in prior to restoration. This was in the 1985/86 time frame I think....




Brad, I guess this was this prior to Bob Byrne's ownership?

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This was prior to Burns ownership.

The Scheme that was on the plane in the last photo is basically how the "horse" looked when Doug and Lee first aquired it. Burns put the name Rascal III on the nose.

Lee and Doug changed the lettering on the side and put DS on the left and LL on the right respectively and removed the black X on the tail. They then added the blue rudder. However the A/C scheme in the last photo was the foundation for the scheme that is on the plane today.

The aircraft is still registered as NL851D as is all the Mustangs at S51. The NL indicates Limited catagory .

Didn't Doug Schulz originally purchase N851D alone, prior to LLauderback joining? I believe DS was on both sides of the fuselage.

Also, Gordon Plaskett does not recall what the 'oval patch' was on the right side of the LSFM TF. He did say that the airframe came to him in pieces. Also, the collision damage was on the right side of the fuselage, aft of the canopy. ............Did this aircraft go to the Whittington's some time after Gordon?

I'll have more later.
VL

Vlado:

Good day!! Tks for the info and other news. Glad to see other pics emerging fm the past.

Will you plz ask Mr. Gordon Plaskett if he has any pics of this aircraft when it arrived at his shop?? Any angles of the damage (R/S) aft of the canopy??

Tks in advance!

Thanks a lot Vlado for taking the time to ask Mr. Plaskett. It would seem to me now that the oval hole on the left was an antenna placement at one time, just need to see some pics maybe It did go onto the Whittingtons some time after but I'm not sure when. I too would like to see some pics of her when she came to King city

LSFM Folks:

Good day!!

Just out of curiosity what kind of id plate is in the cabin of the TF-51????

I knew I had seen that "Slot" before. No antenna. Seems to match this photo pretty good.


Thanks,
Mike VBC

WIX is amazing! Great original photo... It'd be neat to see a mustang with the mechanism installed. I assume it was strictly post war birds?

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Taylor Stevenson

I would guess yes all post war. This is the release mechanism in the cockpit for this particular machine.


Also here is a another shot of the circular hole for the tail gear pivot bolts. This is obviously an ex-cavalier machine. Randy can answer better but I think she spent time in Salvador. 45-11559 which I think was an adopted id? First and only Mustang I've soloed

Mike VBC

Mike, how long ago was that last shot taken? Late 80s, early 1990s maybe, when Butch Schroeder owned her?

Definitely an El Salvador Cavalier. That is the ex-FAS 401, which is now Mad Max. Unknown origin of the adopted serial.

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