Buddy showed up to work to find this in his garage......

*****en *****en *****en !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Only a Mustang?? NOT!
First 262 shot down in combat was by a Spitfire Mk IX of the RCAF 401 Sqn. Ironically the first recorded allied destruction was by a pair of P47s from the 78th FG, the ME 262 wasn't shot down but crashed purposely by the pilot on landing to avoid the P47s! The then went on to destroy what was left of the 262 by strafing.
Did anyone know that the US fitted out some P 51s with experimental Nitrous Oxide systems for combat with the 262s!!

 

Send it my way, I got room to land it out front of my place!

 

WWII Aircraft question: If the red & white checkers are part of a perfect restoration on this Mustang, were they painted on to match a bomber group they were ***igned to ******? Dad was at Great Ashfield and the 385th's B-17's got red & white checkers on the tails midway through the war.

 

Each fighter or bomb group had their own high visibility markings so that it was easier for crews to recognize and formate with the correct group. Also within that, each squadron would also have additional markings aside from the squadron codes to make quick recognition easier.
When restoring an aircraft its history is very important, matching manufacturing serials to actual squadron and group markings that are accurate for that aircraft give you higher points at air shows.

 

A variation of that was the changes Australia had to make to its aircraft markings during WWII. The Commonwealth roundel had the red center deleted as US pilots were attacking Australian planes believing them to be Japanese. Oddly this didn't help and the US pilots continued to attack Australian planes, often the same type aircraft that the US pilots themselves were flying!
Australia ended up painting the entire epanage (Tail) of our aircraft white and often the leading edge of the wings, tips and the nose to make our aircraft as high vis as possible.

 

Awesome, I have one of those in my ba*****t, of course it only has a 38" wingspan, and I fly it from the ground. I'm a huge fan of aircraft, but unfortunatly, I haven't been up in anything smaller than a 727...........

 

PS, have you seen this?
http://www.385bg.com/

Fighter squadron did not always support the same group or squadrons of bombers so I doubt that the fighter was painted to match a specific BG.

 

Man I love airplanes and history, I'm happy as a pig in **** with this stuff.

But if you really want me to prattle on ask me about Australian Military history!! I was asked to manage the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne when I first left the Army, its the second largest Military memorial and museum in Australia. Wish I was fit enough to take it then.........

 

A old stock car racer/ hot rodder from Birmingham Alabama purchased a P 51 in the mid 50s.. His name was Bob Kieran.. You could buy a p51 for around 3 grand.. The story he told that the FAA was going to ground all civilian P 51 because a lot of people got killed in crashes.. Bob said after flying a p51 everything else was boring. He is still alive and very active in the alabama racing pioneers club. Quite a caracter..

 

Oh man........

Greater curves than Rita Hayworth!

Love me a Mustang!

 

Hey,
"Cadillac of the Skies" maybe, but didn't Packard Motors Company
produce Rolls Royce Merlins under subcontract?

S****ey Devils C.C.

 

"Packard of the skys" just sounds hokey.

 

Cool stuff,and I'm fortunate to have Kermit as a neighbor. Guess
he likes them all. I haven't seen his A model yet though. Can you
imagine? Bought his first P-51 at age 25... Largest private collection
in the world and still growing.
http://fantasyofflight.com/pdfs/LL_Weeks.pdf Neat read if you have
a few minutes.

 

So Ramblur...

Have you introduced Mr. Weeks to the HAMB???

 

So Bobby Varnon (k9racer)hit me up about this post. Bobby happens know an ol' hotrodder named Bob Kieran. Bobby quoting Bob "He told that you could buy suprlus p51 in the '50s for 3 grand or so. Story was that the FAA was going to ground all civilians from flying because so many fatalities." I dont know how to repost a photo so if you want you post and I will tell the story..

Well Bobby here ya go, tell away.

Also some of Bob Kieran's auto exploits.....

 

In high school I used to day dream I was flying one of those and strafing the teachers cars in the parking lot.

 

I have meet Kermit a couple of times here in Australia, he used to come into the museum I worked at offering m***ive sums of money for one of our aircraft. A DAP MK 21 Beaufighter, glad they never sold it though, too much Aussy heritage in it. But man did he offer top dollar!!

 

truly the cadillac of the skys.. what a beauty... give anything to take a ride

 

If there is someone near by that does joy rides do it, may cost a lot but its well worth it. I flew in the Royal Australian Air Forces P-51 a few times. That was a while ago but its something I will never forget, what a ride! The power is fantastic and the sound............ WOW!

 

Thanks for posting.. When Mr. Kieran starts talking everybody stops and just listens. Cool senior citizen with lots of great stories. The funny thing is when he purchased the plane no one taught him how to fly it . he just read the repair manual about the controls hopped in and flew off. Amazing as he had only flown a piper cub before the mustang..As he said " after you strap on a P 51 everything else is very slow. He is another one of those guys from the WW 2 era that had a thrust for thrills and adventure. The whole Alabama Racing Pioneers club us like that. In the last 3 years almost 20 have p***ed away........ Also check out the short wheelbase on the roadster and the go fast goodies. ...The old 40 ford dirt tracker was quick too....... Bobby..

 

I have a rear view mirror for it

 

I love a P51, when I was growing up my Father painted a bunch of parts for one that a local foot Doctor was restoring. He even took me up in his T6! Wish I could find the pics....

 

Not yet, but I will. I think he'd get it too, he was out on the lake
yesterday with the Grumman J2 Duck pulling a waterskier!.



And saw this"rat" version lighter than air deal take off this morning...

 

Kermits stuff is the best...!

My neighbors hanger has had one in there since 1982... fun to look at... Great to Listen to.... and Absolutely "******ic" to ride in....!!!

I've riden in "Petie 2nd" and "Donna-Mite" (Formerly known as "Tabasco")

I can't believe how small the P-51 looks sitting next to a P-47...!

 

I remember following the re-build of Petie 2nd, nice aircraft. Owned (at the time) by the pilot who flew it in WWII.

 

Beautiful airplane but it's still no P-47.

 

Several years ago here on the HAMB a question was asked about veterans.. It was unbleavable the number of C130 mechanics that are on the Jalopy Journal.. So a lot of folks with ties to aircraft...

 

I love going there! Kermit is a amazing guy. P-51's kick a@@!!

 

The guy on the ballon chair is nut's!!!!,the other pict's are great.