Just some News

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Just some News

Im going to join our illustrious current serving fighter pilot here... If it is true Dago is being converted back to a TF yes its gutting... Dago is one of the most decorated racers out there... but is it not better to have another airplane at home in the skies even if it has trainer wheels on, than hiding away in pieces owned by a bank who dont give a crap about it...

Just to be clear, it's a joke...not based in any rumor or actual information I know.

It's just my favorite running P-51 joke because of the rash of 'restorations' to TF-51s that occurred during the 1990s and 2000s.

Every time a Mustang went in for heavy maintenance, it seemed like it popped out of the hangar wearing a TEMCO canopy and dual controls...all in the name of popularity of dual control warbird fighters, regardless of that particular airframe's actual history.

So, I like to stir the pot any time I see discussion about Mustang restorations, especially modified racers, by claiming it is being 'restored' into a TF-51, just for fun because it's my favorite pet peeve.

[Big_Jim]

Re: Just some News

Just to be clear, it's a joke...not based in any rumor or actual information I know.

It's just my favorite running P-51 joke because of the rash of 'restorations' to TF-51s that occurred during the 1990s and 2000s.

Every time a Mustang went in for heavy maintenance, it seemed like it popped out of the hangar wearing a TEMCO canopy and dual controls...all in the name of popularity of dual control warbird fighters, regardless of that particular airframe's actual history.

So, I like to stir the pot any time I see discussion about Mustang restorations, especially modified racers, by claiming it is being 'restored' into a TF-51, just for fun because it's my favorite pet peeve.

So all the Dago jokes aside, you've got a pretty good tally on numbers....how many actual TEMCO TF's were produced versus the number of TF "restorations" out in the market today? Is it one of those where there are more 'copies' than were ever produced of the real thing?

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Just some News

Is it one of those where there are more 'copies' than were ever produced of the real thing?

Not yet, but mostly because so many of the 'originals' did not survive. The fact is, there are only a couple "original" dual control Mustangs around. Naturally, it's only the TP-51s that were built this way by North American, but I consider the TEMCO and Cavalier versions to be original, too.

These are the serials of what I consider to be "original" dual control Mustangs; I define "original" as having actually flown in military service, rather than converted by any number of organizations post-Cavalier.

NOTE: The one exception to this that I make is 44-84745 (Crazy Horse), as it was one of the Cavalier conversions that was simply never finished before the company folded and the holdings liquidated in the 70s. That aircraft was not purchased by the military/State Department, and never flew in active military service as a TF-51.

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

[Big_Jim]

Re: Just some News

Not yet, but mostly because so many of the 'originals' did not survive. The fact is, there are only a couple "original" dual control Mustangs around. Naturally, it's only the TP-51s that were built this way by North American, but I consider the TEMCO and Cavalier versions to be original, too.

These are the serials of what I consider to be "original" dual control Mustangs; I define "original" as having actually flown in military service, rather than converted by any number of organizations post-Cavalier.

NOTE: The one exception to this that I make is 44-84745 (Crazy Horse), as it was one of the Cavalier conversions that was simply never finished before the company folded and the holdings liquidated in the 70s. That aircraft was not purchased by the military/State Department, and never flew in active military service as a TF-51.

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

Geek.

[T J Johansen]

Re: Just some News

Every time a Mustang went in for heavy maintenance, it seemed like it popped out of the hangar wearing a TEMCO canopy and dual controls...all in the name of popularity of dual control warbird fighters, regardless of that particular airframe's actual history.

Man, I have to go with that sentiment. One of my favourite 51s was N51JK and Jack Kistler. What a guy. I always dropped by his hangar while at Chino to see his beautiful polished 51. When Simon Brown told me they were making it into a TF I almost puked. Still miss that a/c.



T J

[WARPT]

Re: Just some News

For one Galloping Ghost has been flying around Reno and it is fast... Reaching speeds of 540 on straight-a-ways. Some other stuff, Rare Bear doesn't have an engine in it yet and Dago Red is sitting in a field without the front of the plane., (Cowling, prop, etc.) Hope this is helpful.

I spoke to someone "in the know" last Saturday night and the BEAR will getting a race engine hung on it in a day or two!

[dvddude]

Re: Just some News

Geek.

Cut Randy some slack will ya? He's currently in the process of writing the DEFINITIVE book on dual control Mustangs.

[RarebearFan77]

Re: Just some News

Slack hell..... That was funny!!!