LSFM Gets a TF-51

[mlenoch]

Sidebar:
From Gordon Plaskett's King City, CA hanger came Tony Buechler's "Petie" and "Moonbeam", along with the grey LSFM TF-51. All were hangered (and restored) together at one time in the mid 70's.
VL

[marine air]

One year in the 1980's, at Sun N Fun, a group of P-51 guys went over to see the factory after the PA-48 Enforcer program was cancelled. SOmeone showed them 14 sets of items needed to build up a TF-51. Canopies, instrument panels, and a few other items. One of the takers was John Dilley of Indiana. Don't know where these items ended up but you can add 14 to the list of "TF bits" that ended up, no doubt being used in the recent conversions. I believe the Lauderbach twins got one of the kits for Crazy Horse.
My dad got some windscreen panels for an H model as a souvenir which he has since sold.

[Django]

Chris, don't get too attached to that scheme. It's going to be repainted.

After carrying this paint scheme for more than 25 years the TF is going to be repainted as Galveston Gal. Ray Lancaster, flew P-38s, P-47s and P-51s in Europe. All of his aircraft were named Galveston Gal, including the Vari Eze he built back in the 80s. It was Galveston Gal VI, If I remember correctly.

Some research has been done on Ray's logbook and it appears that there were several occasions where Ray escorted the original Thunderbird.

Neat. What FG was he in?

[Marco Lavagnino]

Randy, it is uncertain how TF-51 FAS 404 (II) ended its career with the Salvadoran Air Force, but there was an event that could have damaged it beyond repair: In 1971-1972 an A-26B Invader (FAS 602), during engine tests at the ramp at Ilopango airport, accidentally began to taxi (mechanic had not correctly put the wheel chokes...) and collided with the TF-51. Right Invader engine and nose impacted TF-51 propeller and right wing, respectively. Although it is difficult to evaluate damage from the available pictures, it is possible that both aircraft were w/o after this incident.

Marco

[steve dickey]

Chris, don't get too attached to that scheme. It's going to be repainted.

After carrying this paint scheme for more than 25 years the TF is going to be repainted as Galveston Gal. Ray Lancaster, flew P-38s, P-47s and P-51s in Europe. All of his aircraft were named Galveston Gal, including the Vari Eze he built back in the 80s. It was Galveston Gal VI, If I remember correctly.

Some research has been done on Ray's logbook and it appears that there were several occasions where Ray escorted the original Thunderbird.

Neat. What FG was he in?

359th(green cowls) like "Daddys Girl"

[Randy Haskin]

Randy, it is uncertain how TF-51 FAS 404 (II) ended its career with the Salvadoran Air Force, but there was an event that could have damaged it beyond repair: In 1971-1972 an A-26B Invader (FAS 602), during engine tests at the ramp at Ilopango airport, accidentally began to taxi (mechanic had not correctly put the wheel chokes...) and collided with the TF-51. Right Invader engine and nose impacted TF-51 propeller and right wing, respectively. Although it is difficult to evaluate damage from the available pictures, it is possible that both aircraft were w/o after this incident.

Marco

My understanding was that it was a more severe accident that finished off FAS 404 #2....but you could be right!

For everyone else: This is the accident we're talking about....

[Randy Haskin]

I believe the Lauderbach twins got one of the kits for Crazy Horse.

Crazy Horse was a TF-51 long before Lauderback got ahold of her.

The Lindsay family started the build circa 1978 and Gordon Plaskett finished it in 1984.

[Bill Greenwood]

I don't have the history but I thought Crazy Horse was a factory TF, despite having a lot of non stock instruments, in both cockpits. Is it actually a aftermarket build up?

I recall phoning Gordon Plaskett back in the early 80s to get dual training, but he had just stopped his program.

[marine air]

That's not what I was told by a Lauderback, but hey, I'll go with whatever the paperwork says!

[P51Mstg]

Going from memory there were two different N851Ds......

The first was the Cavalier demonstrator that eventually had the registration changed to something else and became "Casper the Friendly Ghost" with John McGuire.........


The SECOND N851D went through Plaskett, then Bob Byrne (Rascal 4 or 5 or whatever was next) and it was a TF-51 at that time and then the Lauderbacks got it and turned it into CRAZY HORSE 1 (obviously not to be confused with the former "Kentucky Babe" which is now CH2).......

If I'm wrong, I'm not trying to destroy the net. After 45 years of storing this info in my head and some of it gets confused here and there......

Mark H

[Randy Haskin]

That's not what I was told by a Lauderback, but hey, I'll go with whatever the paperwork says!

It has nothing to do with what 'the paperwork' says. Lauderback didn't even start Stallion51 -- Doug Schultz did (Hence the 'DS' on the left size of Crazy Horse). So, the airplane was a TF before those guys even got involved with the program.

Going from memory there were two different N851Ds......

The first was the Cavalier demonstrator that eventually had the registration changed to something else and became "Casper the Friendly Ghost" with John McGuire.........

The SECOND N851D went through Plaskett, then Bob Byrne (Rascal 4 or 5 or whatever was next) and it was a TF-51 at that time and then the Lauderbacks got it and turned it into CRAZY HORSE 1 (obviously not to be confused with the former "Kentucky Babe" which is now CH2).......

This.

The WIX Registry is more or less correct in this history of Crazy Horse:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51regis ... 84745.html

The original N851D was sent to Indonesia as part of Peace Pony I. Although IMHO McGuire's airplane isn't the original N851D, but that's what it is registered with and that's what Johnson and McGuire believed when it came back from Indonesia.

Crazy Horse, which uses the same N number, but is not the same airplane, was built by the Lindsay family out of a normal 'fighter'.

[mlenoch]

I flew Crazy Horse (one) with Doug Schultz before the Lauderbacks were involved.
It was the P-51 checkout in 1987.
VL

[marine air]

The Tenn. Air National Guard had a couple of Temco TF-51D's and one was lost in a landing accident that occured on June 26, 1954. That one was scrapped and can be taken off the list of survivors. I cant read the srial number butI do have a lost of the P-51's that served in the Tn. Air Gurad.
P-51 D/H's 44-72727, 44-72961, 73214, 44-73429, 44-73668, 44-74921, 44-84536, 44-84537,
44-84557,
45-11480, 45-11487
RF-51D's 44-14233, 44-20473, 44-72837, 44-44-84517, 44-84773, 44-84775, 44-84839, 44-84845, 44-84727, 44-84853
THis would have been early 1950's. Don't which which serials were the H's and TF's.

[Randy Haskin]

The Tenn. Air National Guard had a couple of Temco TF-51D's and one was lost in a landing accident that occured on June 26, 1954. That one was scrapped and can be taken off the list of survivors. I cant read the srial number butI do have a lost of the P-51's that served in the Tn. Air Gurad.
P-51 D/H's 44-72727, 44-72961, 73214, 44-73429, 44-73668, 44-74921, 44-84536, 44-84537,
44-84557,
45-11480, 45-11487
RF-51D's 44-14233, 44-20473, 44-72837, 44-44-84517, 44-84773, 44-84775, 44-84839, 44-84845, 44-84727, 44-84853
THis would have been early 1950's. Don't which which serials were the H's and TF's.

Where are you going with this post? Are you trying to compile a list of the serial numbers of the "real" TPs and TFs?

North American Aviation TP-51D
44-84610
44-84611
45-11443
45-11444
45-11445
45-11446
45-11447
45-11448
45-11449
45-11450

TEMCO TF-51D
44-84654
44-84655
44-84656
44-84657
44-84658
44-84660
44-84662
44-84663
44-84665
44-84666
44-84667
44-84668
44-84669
44-84670
44-84676

Cavalier TF-51D
67-14866
67-22582
69-6599
FAS 400
72-1536
44-73260
44-84745

[mlenoch]

Are those listed "North American TP-51D's", dual control, single-seat-canopy aircraft?
Thx,
VL