Warbird Information Exchange

Does anyone know the aeroplane's current status? I saw around Christmas time, there was talk this aeroplane was going to England to be flown over there for a season, and have since seen a picture of the fuselage in a shipping jig, but that talk has only come from one source.

I've also seen mentions about the aeroplane going into deep maintenance. Does anyone have any more information?

Thanks

And for those of us who don't memorize temporary nicknames of airplanes we don't own (aside from the rarer stuff and B-17s and B-29s) pray tell, what is Betty Jane?

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
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I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

And a sweet flying one at that. I like the shoulder room in the back seat compared to a D.
I heard deep maintenance also.

I still remember a photo of the aircraft on one of its first test flights, at which time it had the rear cockpit covered over by a conversion-assembly (may have been multiple parts/panels) that made it look just like a stock single-seater (the only noticeable difference being the antenna mast that is positioned farther back on the spine). Does anyone know if that is still possible/conversion-assembly parts still around for it?

Pappy posted this on facebook which gives a good look at her current status

https://www.facebook.com/jim.goolsby.1/posts/1333331323391615

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When did Betty Jane go from being a "replica" TP-51C to having an actual NAA/wartime ID and just being considered a straight-up warbird?

When Muszala was building this 15-ish years ago, it was commonplace among the warbird community to talk about it as the "replica P-51C" (obviously acknowledging it was assembled with a number of "real" NAA parts he'd collected), but now people seem surprised when I mention that it wasn't a restoration of a known wreck/airframe or a dataplate rebuild.

When did an ID get attached to the airplane? What's the history of that ID?

Not trying to take anything away from the airplane -- it is beautiful, and Muszala's work is terrific -- but the "historian" in me is curious.

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