P-51D Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and several other conflicts.
The prototype of the P-51 rolled out of the factory 102 days after the contract was signed and first first flew on 26 October 1940.
The Mustang originally used an Allison engine which provided limited high-altitude performance. When the Allison engine was replaced by the Rolls-Royce Merlin, the P-51B/C models were able to equal or exceed the performance of many German fighters. The P-51D was powered by a Packard engine which was a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.
From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the US Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany. Britain and the US Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theatres, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War.
At the start of Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role, at which time, the Mustang became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing.
Source: Wikipedia
The prototype of the P-51 rolled out of the factory 102 days after the contract was signed and first first flew on 26 October 1940.
The Mustang originally used an Allison engine which provided limited high-altitude performance. When the Allison engine was replaced by the Rolls-Royce Merlin, the P-51B/C models were able to equal or exceed the performance of many German fighters. The P-51D was powered by a Packard engine which was a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.
From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the US Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany. Britain and the US Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theatres, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War.
At the start of Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role, at which time, the Mustang became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing.
Source: Wikipedia
The P-51D is currently in Alice, TX and will return for display on special occasions.
Our P-51D Mustang was painted to look much like the P-51s flown by Lt Col Richard Turner during and after WWII. If you wish to see photos of Col Turner and the original Short Fuse aircraft, click the links below (press your browser's back button to return to this page):
Photos of Col Turner 1 354th Pioneer Mustang Fighter Group website
Photos of Col Turner 2 354th Fighter Group website
YouTube video of Short-Fuse-Salle in action Previously on loan to the museum and on display from 2010 until 2015, when sold by the owner. We are grateful for the time we had "Sallee" on display
History of this aircraft:
Delivered to RAAF as A68-198.
- BOC: July 6, 1951.
- SOC: April 1958 at RAAF Tocumwal.
Fawcett Aviation, Bankstown, NSW, 1961-1968.
- Open Storage.
Arnold J. Glass, Sydney, NSW, 1966-1968.
Ed Fleming/Skyservice Aviation, Camden, NSW, 1968.
Stan Booker/Stan's Air Inc, Fresno, CA, 1968.
- Shipped to USA, noted at Bakersfield, Nov. 1969.
Joe Banducci & Elmer Rossi, Bakersfield, CA, 1968-1977.
- Registered as N65198, 1968.
- Registered as N4674, 1970.
- Adopted ID of 45-11483/A68-813/N4674V.
- Flew as race #86/"Ciuchetton".
Registration N607D reserved but not taken up.
Joe F. Banducci, Bakersfield, CA, Oct. 1977-1982.
- Registered as N86JB.
- Flew as race #86.
- Registered as N286JB, March 1982.
Don Whittington, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 1983-1984.
- Used as chase plane for Piper Enforcer programme.
Frank Strickler/Fox 51 Ltd, Denton, TX, 1985-1989.
Lewis Shaw/Fox 51 Ltd, Dallas, TX, 1989-1990.
- Flew as 511483/FF-483.
Victor Haluska/Santa Monica Propeller, CA, 1991.
Flying Eagles Inc, Wilmington, DE, 1991.
Franklin Deveax/Apache Aviation, Dijon, France, May 1991.
- shipped to France from Chino, CA, 1991.
Franklin Deveax/LAFLA, Dijon-Longvic, France, Sept. 1, 1992-1996.
- Registered as F-AZIE.
- Flew as 511483/The Best Years Of Our Lives.
- Badly damaged by inflight fire, forced landing, 1993.
- Rebuilt as 415622/AJ-T/"Short Fuse Salle", 1994.
Courtesy Aircraft Inc, Rockford, IL, Mar. 1996.
- Registered as N286JB.
- Shipped to USA from France, Feb. 1996.
Bill Bruggeman/Ten Air, Anoke, MN, Mar. 1996-2002.
- Flown as 415622/AJ-T/"Short Fuse Salle".
Source(s):
Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989.
Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-4th Edition, 2003.
Photos of Col Turner 1 354th Pioneer Mustang Fighter Group website
Photos of Col Turner 2 354th Fighter Group website
YouTube video of Short-Fuse-Salle in action Previously on loan to the museum and on display from 2010 until 2015, when sold by the owner. We are grateful for the time we had "Sallee" on display
History of this aircraft:
Delivered to RAAF as A68-198.
- BOC: July 6, 1951.
- SOC: April 1958 at RAAF Tocumwal.
Fawcett Aviation, Bankstown, NSW, 1961-1968.
- Open Storage.
Arnold J. Glass, Sydney, NSW, 1966-1968.
Ed Fleming/Skyservice Aviation, Camden, NSW, 1968.
Stan Booker/Stan's Air Inc, Fresno, CA, 1968.
- Shipped to USA, noted at Bakersfield, Nov. 1969.
Joe Banducci & Elmer Rossi, Bakersfield, CA, 1968-1977.
- Registered as N65198, 1968.
- Registered as N4674, 1970.
- Adopted ID of 45-11483/A68-813/N4674V.
- Flew as race #86/"Ciuchetton".
Registration N607D reserved but not taken up.
Joe F. Banducci, Bakersfield, CA, Oct. 1977-1982.
- Registered as N86JB.
- Flew as race #86.
- Registered as N286JB, March 1982.
Don Whittington, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 1983-1984.
- Used as chase plane for Piper Enforcer programme.
Frank Strickler/Fox 51 Ltd, Denton, TX, 1985-1989.
Lewis Shaw/Fox 51 Ltd, Dallas, TX, 1989-1990.
- Flew as 511483/FF-483.
Victor Haluska/Santa Monica Propeller, CA, 1991.
Flying Eagles Inc, Wilmington, DE, 1991.
Franklin Deveax/Apache Aviation, Dijon, France, May 1991.
- shipped to France from Chino, CA, 1991.
Franklin Deveax/LAFLA, Dijon-Longvic, France, Sept. 1, 1992-1996.
- Registered as F-AZIE.
- Flew as 511483/The Best Years Of Our Lives.
- Badly damaged by inflight fire, forced landing, 1993.
- Rebuilt as 415622/AJ-T/"Short Fuse Salle", 1994.
Courtesy Aircraft Inc, Rockford, IL, Mar. 1996.
- Registered as N286JB.
- Shipped to USA from France, Feb. 1996.
Bill Bruggeman/Ten Air, Anoke, MN, Mar. 1996-2002.
- Flown as 415622/AJ-T/"Short Fuse Salle".
Source(s):
Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989.
Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-4th Edition, 2003.
Additional military and civilian aircraft may be seen at the Texas Air & Space Museum.