Who's Mustang #8

[Victor Archer]

Ok, bet no one will get this.
This photo was taken somewhere in California in 1957 and this Mustang raced a long time ago.
I have another shot of this bird I'll share in a little bit.

[matt]

i'm gonna say clay lacy's purple mustang.

[BadIdea]

location

Looks kinda like Whiteman field.

[Peashooter]

I'm gonna take a stab: Bob Love.

[Unregistered]

I'm gonna go the same way with Peashooter.

Bob Love's Mustang.

Reever

[Victor Archer]

I thought I knew the history of this one but now I'm more confused than ever. The first listing I found for the N number shows this plane as one of the Bendix Racers in 1946 and registered as NX66111 but if you do a search for NX6611 I have found that number as having three different serial numbers all of which were at the Bendix Races but have different futures, two not being registered as N66111. One is now listed as a P-51K and not a P-51D. Any one els want to try and figure this one out?
The photo was taken at Whiteman airport, I think at one time it was Whitman air park?

[Race 29]

Vic,
I have a number of sources that have this Mustang racing in the Bendix in 1946, but "crash landing" during a race. It was re-registered as N90613 and rebuilt with dual controls. It was registered again as N22B in 1954, then sold to the Dominican Republic and flew as FAD 1900 from 1954 to 1984. During this time it was rebuilt by Cavalier and may have been given a new serial number. In 1984 it was sold to Brian O'Farrell, and in 1989 it was sold to James Beasley and re-registered as N21023. Beasley rebulit it and made the first flight in 1990, then re-resitered it as N357FG. It now flies as "Frenesi" in Philidelphia.

Race 29

[Victor Archer]

NX66111
Bob Swanson-Racing P-51K # 80 in the 1946 Cleveland National Air Race

Serial #: 44-12852
Construction #: 111-36135
Civil Registration:
NX66111, N90613, N22B, N21023, N357FG
Model(s): FP-51K, F-6K, Cavalier
History:
Unknown Owner, 194?.
- Bendix racer #80/"Full House", 1946.
- Registered as NX66111.
- Crash landed during race, Cleveland, OH, Sept. 1946.
Alfred W. Schwimmer/Intercontinental Airways, Canastota, NY, Dec. 1952-1954.
- Rebuilt by Jack Hardwick, El Monte, CA with dual controls, 1954.
- Registered as N90613.
B.L. Tractman/Aviation Corp. Of America, Mar. 15, 1954.
- Registered as N22B.
Delivered to FA Dominicana as FAD 1900, Apr. 26, 1954-1984.
Brian O'Farrell/Johnson Aviation, Miami, FL, May 19, 1984-1989.
James E. Beasley, Philadelphia, PA, 1988-2002.
- Restored to airworthy.
- First flight, 1990.
- Registered as N21023, July 1989.
- Registered as N357FG, Oct. 1995.
- Flown as 413318/C5-N/Frenesi.

Serial #: 44-12140
Construction #: 122-30273
Civil Registration:
NX66111, N66111, N119AK, N119VF
Model: P-51K-10NT
History:
Flew as Bendix Racer, 1946.
- Registered as NX66111.
- Crashed at Cleveland, OH, 1946.
Glen Hussey, Carmichael, CA, 1966-1969.
- Registered as N66111.
Aadu Karemaa, San Diego, CA, 1986-2002.
- Rebuilt to airworthy.
- Registered as N119AK, 1989.
- Registered as N119VF, Apr. 1992.
- also reported as 44-12119.
FAA quotes type as Aero Classics P-51D.

Serial #: 44-12119
Civil Registration:
N119VF
Owner: Aadu Karemaa
Base: San Diego Ca

Look at the history of the first two and you can see my confusion.
The photos were taken at Whitman in 1957 so don't think there's any way it could be the first.
The second has 20 years of missing history and shows not being registered N66111 untill 1966
These records show two different Mustangs as NX66111 both racing and crashing in Ohio in 1946.
Does any one have information on Bob Swanson-Racing P-51K #80 in the 1946 Cleveland National Air Race?

[stuntflyr]

Bob Swanson # 80

NX66111 is shown on it's belly after a high speed gear up landing in a field on page 70 of Birch Matthews book "Mustang, The Racing Thoroughbred'. The airplane experienced an engine failure while at extremely high power during an attempt to qualify for the Thompson Trophy race held in Cleveland. No indication that Bob Swanson ever entered or even wanted to compete in the long cross country Bendix race is given in anything I've seen.

Possibly some aircraft researchers that don't necessarily know much of air racing history jotted down "Bendix" as a generic air race, held in Cleveland. Certainly only part of the story, though no part for this ship.

Great shots Vic. I have some I will put up every once in a while as I find them, of my late 60's childhood pictures from Torrance, Long Beach, Compton, Orange County and Chino stuff.

Chris...

Chris...

[Race 29]

Vic,
I can see where your confused! There's some weird stuff going on here.

Looking in the Warbirds Directory (3rd edition) I can see their were two Race #80's in 1946. The one mentioned above and also
P-51K
44-12116
111-30249
NX79161
Race #80/Second Fiddle
Now displayed at the Frederick Crawford Museum, Cleaveland, OH. http://www.wrhs.org/crawford/template.asp?id=341
No record of it ever crashing though.
It appears that Bob Swanson had both #80's at the Thompson race. One was named "Full House" (crashed during a race) and "Second Fiddle".

The MustangsMustangs web site was down tonight, so I couldn't do a search for either plane there. However, concerning 44-12140, the Warbirds Directory states "USCR quotes 111-30273, ie. 44-12140, but owner quotes id. as 44-12119" So it looks like Mr. Aadu Karemaa is a little confused as to the serial number of his Mustang as 44-12119 isn't listed as a Mustang survivor.

Race 29

[stuntflyr]

N79161 was the replacement for 66111, that bellied in during the Qualifications for the Thompson.