P-51C N5528N

[airtj]

From aafo.com

Hello everyone, My name is Warren Pietsch and I'm restoring a P-51C N5528N " Thunderbird" This aircraft won the 1949 Bendix and was involved in other record setting flights. I started this project about 15 years ago and am currently at a stage where I could use information to make sure my paint decisions are correct, for instance any pictures or knowledge that would tell me what color the wheel wells, inside of the gear doors, etc. were. Elevators could have been fabric or metal? Any information is appreciated. Warren


http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthre ... estoration

[Decamara]

Bitchin!

[Michel Lemieux]

Wow Jackie Cochran's bird!!!!!

Sadly from Canada I cannot be of any help Warren!

However.....pictures or a WEB link are always appreciated.

Plus hearing how the title and parts got in your hands.

It wore many interesting schemes during its life. Curious to see which one will be honored.

All the best and good luck on the final miles which are always the hardest.

[mike furline]

http://www.mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/su ... al/43-6859
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDos ... rial=21106

P-51B-5 43-6859 seems to be associated with N5528N, but your title indicates a P-51C. ???

[P-Screamer]

I can help. I have color slides. Please contact me at pscreamer@gmail.com.

[JohnTerrell]

Thunderbird, made up of salvaged parts, has no known Army Air Corps serial number. No North American Aviation contract number is listed in any document. It has no known history prior to the C.A.A. assigning it the civil registration NX5528N. The serial number 2925 does not conform to any U.S. Army Air Corps serial number sequence for P-51 series aircraft, nor does it conform to any N.A.A. contract number sequence for P-51s. It appears that this serial number was assigned to the P-51 by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Various sources attribute U.S.A.A.C. serial numbers to NX5528N, e.g., “43-6822” and “43-6859.” There is nothing in the airplane’s C.A.A. records to substantiate these claims. The record specifically states that there is “no service no.” Some sources also describe Thunderbird as a P-51B or an F-6C photo reconnaissance variant. C.A.A. records specifically identify the airplane as a P-51C.

Thunderbird‘s fuselage was purchased as “salvage & scrap” from the 803rd A.A.F. Specialized Depot, Park Ridge, Illinois, by Allied Aircraft Co., Chicago, Illinois. The transaction is dated 14 January 194_ (the year was left blank on the contract). The purchase price was $27.05. Allied Aircraft Co. was a partnership of Leland H. Cameron and Martha L. Cameron, 5300 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, Illinois.

On 11 February 1948, Cameron purchased a P-51, Serial No. 2925, registration N5528N, from J. Quaine, for $1.00. On 5 April 1948, the Civil Aeronautics Authority (predecessor to the Federal Aviation Administration) registered N5528N to L.H. Cameron, 4619 Sancola Avenue, North Hollywood, California.

Two days later, 7 April 1948, Leland Cameron sold N5528N to Joe De Bona Racing Co., 133 N. Robertson Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California. The purchase price listed on the Department of Commerce Bill of Sale was $10.00. On that date, Joe De Bona applied to have the airplane registered in the name of his racing company.

Interestingly, on De Bona’s Department of Commerce Application for Registration, the serial number of N5528N is listed as “21925.” Information on the application is typewritten with the exception of this serial number, which was handwritten. As above, 21925 does not conform to any Army Air Corps or North American Aviation serial number for P-51B or P-51C Mustangs. This is the only instance in which 21925 appears in the airplane’s C.A.A. records.

The Civil Aeronautics Administration registered N5528N to Joe De Bona Racing Co., 15 April 1948. Joe C. De Bona was an experienced air racer. The company was a partnership between De Bona and James M. (Jimmy) Stewart.

Source: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/jacki ... er-n5528n/

The project has been registered to Pietsch with the FAA for quite some years now, and is just as it had been in the 40's/50's, registered as a P-51C with the CAA's made-up serial number of "2925".

[junkman9096]

There are a few detail shots mixed in this this Life Magazine collection along with Paul Mantz' Mustang. Just keep clicking on the thumbnails on the right side of the page.

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/d3 ... 893a8.html

[Saville]

Do we know if Jimmy Stewart ever flew the Mustang he co-owned?

[airnutz]

There are a few detail shots mixed in this this Life Magazine collection along with Paul Mantz' Mustang. Just keep clicking on the thumbnails on the right side of the page.

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/d3 ... 893a8.html

Interesting trick with the dry ice in a coupla photos. I've seen racers run fuel thru a "cool can", but it looks like they're chilling the fuel in one of the tanker tanks before passing it on to the plane.

[pitts91hs]

Warren,Please send my your email.

gary_midcoast@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Gary Henry

[C VEICH]

Warren,Please send my your email.

gary_midcoast@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Gary Henry

Please note that the original post was not put here by Mr. Pietsch but rather was copied to WIX from a post that he put up at AAFO. Thus he is most likely not monitoring this thread and you would be better to post your request on his original thread at AAFO, a link to which was provided by the OP of this thread.