I have a great photo on my wall with Jim and Stewart next to the airplane. Such a beautiful P51. They did an amazing job restoring her. I wish I could have gone to the final Reno Air Races. I grew up going to that airshow
@@excellenceinanimation960 I dont believe so. It's a hard copy photo from the time. I've had it forever. I might take it out of its frame, and scan it online.
The paint looks better than any car I've owned. I wonder if they painted it with DuPont Imron which was specifically formulated for aircraft, aside from its chip resistance and overall toughness it was formulated to be "slicker" than ordinary paint to reduce drag and raise airspeed/extend range, I know a guy who painted his boat hull with it and picked up 3 knots as a result, I don't think it was around yet when they'd have painted it for the 1949 race but it could very well be painted with it now.
Nice P51, thanks! One of my favorite memories of the airplane is a film showing Eisenhower jammed into the back of a modified p51 to inspect battle of the bulge sites
Randy - Yes Sir, Ike game guy! On '56 re-election campaign, hit Howell MI, w/Dad & Ike War Buddies. We had commercial trap for shotgun practice, & Ike challenged us to competition! We all shot well, but then old Gramps hobbled out w/his Long Tom 12GA powdering every target. Ike amazed, considering had only one eye, so asked, "Were you in military"? He said, "Sonny, I was in 7th Cav, Custers old outfit once reconstituted, & in WW1, how about you"?
Thanks for posting your enthusiasm on aviation, although i have a physical disability. You're one of the channels that made me try and succeed in getting my PPL. Thanks again.
One of the best to see at the races this year. Beautiful airplane. And such a classic. We all love P-51's. But this one has to be one of the "purdiest" looking! Wonderful to see her restored. I think I saw you Juan. Recognized the logo on your shirt. But didn't dawn on me till you were past us! Had on my "Original Cactus" T-shirt. Long time follower of your channel. And APA brother. So sad this is the last Reno races! Especially for us locals! :( Thanks for your coverage. You always do a great job! And your boy. Always cool to see him in your videos. A fine young man! :)
I’ve heard that the B/C models were actually faster (more aerodynamic) than the D models due to the more streamlined canopies creating less drag. Although the increased visibility of the bubble canopies were probably worth the extra drag during combat conditions (aka dogfights). I love all the P-51s and the P-82’s, as well.
At the airshow they said that they put an amazing amount of coats of primer on it before the paint. The sound of the plane was beautiful. And I think they said that the paint job helped the paint get more speed.
Beautiful airplane. After Reno, what happens to the National Air Races? Reno would be a great place for a Aviation Museum covering the history of air racing. Is the reason for shutting down in Reno the encroachment of developement? I saw in cockpit footage of the airplanes flying the course. Looked like the were flying fairly close to housing. Never got to Reno. Just heard of à midair following the end of the T-6 GOLD FINAL. Live footage was immediately terminated. I had been watching most of the day. What a tragic end to the years of history in Reno. Looking to see your take shortly. Thanks Juan!
It is a beautiful Mustang, I noticed Ralph Meeker's name under Jimmy Stewart's. Ralph Meeker was a Hollywood actor kind of a tough, macho guy image. He also had quite a career as well until he had a stoke in about 1980.
Beautiful ac. Neat seeing the lead swoosh from the exhaust. Avgas only uses a 1:1 ratio of lead to scavenger due to the harmful effect of halogen on aluminum. Scavengers are typically bromides, lead bromide has a high vapor pressure, reducing deposits.
The Pilot This 1967 true story is about an experience by a young 12-year-old boy in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is about the vivid memory of a privately rebuilt P-51 from WWII and its famous owner/pilot. In the morning sun, I could not believe my eyes. There, in our little airport, sat a majestic P-51. They said it had flown in during the night from some U.S. Airport, on its way to an air show. The pilot had gone far enough for a day’s ride and he just happened to choose Kingston for his stopover. They were to take to the air very soon. I marveled at the size of the plane, dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her- She was much larger than in the movies... she glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days long gone by. The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver and then stepped into the pilot's lounge. He was an older man- his wavy hair was gray and tossed. It looked like it might have last been combed sometime,say… around the turn of the century. His flight jacket was checked, creased and worn - it smelled old&genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance. He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal ("Expo-67 Air Show") then walked across the tarmac. After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check, the tall, lanky man returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he would "flash the old bird up, just to be safe." Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction on its use - "If you see a fire, point, then pull this lever!", he said. (I later became a firefighter, but that's another story.) The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from fuel fumes as the huge prop started to rotate. One manifold, then another, and yet another barked - In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar. Blue flames knifed from her manifolds with an arrogant snarl. I looked at the others' faces; there was no concern. I lowered the bell of my extinguisher and I stepped back in awe with the others. One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge... so we did. Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre-flight run-up. He'd taxied to the end of runway 19, out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds and then we ran to the second story deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started down the runway. We could not. There we stood, eyes fixed at a spot halfway down the runway. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder than before. Like a furious hell spawn set loose something mighty this way was coming. "Listen to that thing!" said the controller. In seconds, the Mustang burst into our line of sight. Its tail was already off the runway and it was moving faster than anything I'd ever seen. Two-thirds of the way down 19 the Mustang was airborne with her gear going up! The prop tips were supersonic. We clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellishly fast into the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze. We stood for a few moments, in stunned silence, trying to digest what we'd just seen. The radio controller rushed by me to the radio. "Kingston tower calling Mustang?" He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment. The radio crackled, “Go ahead, Kingston." "Roger, Mustang. Kingston tower would like to advise the circuit is clear for a low-level pass." I stood in shock because the controller had just, more or less, just asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show! The controller looked at us. "Well, what?"he asked. "I can't let that guy go without asking. I could never forgive myself!" The radio crackled once again, “Kingston, do I have permission for a low-level pass, east to west, across the field?" "Roger, Mustang, the circuit is clear for you from horizon to horizon!" "Roger, Kingston, I'm coming back down out of 3,000 feet, stand by." We rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes fixed toward the eastern haze. The sound was subtle at first, a high-pitched whine, a muffled screech... a far distant scream. Moments later, the P-51 burst through the haze. Her airframe straining against positive G's and gravity, her wing tips spilling contrails of vapourized air... prop-tips again supersonic. The burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air. At about 500 mph and 150 yards from where we stood she passed with the old American pilot saluting!! Imagine- A salute to US! I felt like laughing... I felt like crying. She glistened... she screamed- she gleamed and she shone. The whole building shook; my heart pounded. Then the old pilot pulled her up and rolled... and rolled and rolled and rolled out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory. I had never wanted to be an American before that day! It was a time when many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother. A steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style- not unlike the old American pilot who'd just flown into my perpetual memory. He was proud, not arrogant... he was humble and not a braggart. Old and honest, projecting an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day... I know she will! Until that time, I'll just send off this story from a fellow North American. Call it a loving salute to your true Country, and especially to that old American pilot: the late Brigadier General JIMMY STEWART (1908-1997) A True WWII Hero, he was the Commander of the 703rd Bomber Squadron of the US Army Air Force Bomber Wing stationed in England and eventually became a USAF Brigadier General, flying combat missions in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He wove a wonderfully fantastic memory for a young Canadian boy that's lasted a lifetime. W.O.W.= What Other Words
The metal & paint work is amazing! The metal work of the WW2 era was the best. After 40 years of aviation maintenance I’ve never seen structure work so fine, that includes jets. Even more amazing this work was done on a one hour roll time. (24 aircraft out the door a day!) Good Video Juan!
Yeager also flew a one-of-a-kind aircraft after falling off a horse and breaking his ribs, to the point that he couldn’t exert enough force to latch the door shut. He was a great pilot, but he definitely was a bit of a cowboy. Not much room to talk, really.🤷🏻♂️
Yeager was a tiny crab, I went to say hello to him at a cafe in Grass Valley, he was not very friendly. Bob Hoover, complete opposite. That’s how I will remember them both.
@@jrgogol Yes Bob Hoover was a great and considerate person from the times I saw him at Air Shows when he put on great demonstrations of piloting skills!
Jimmy Stewart piloted B17,s in sorties to bomb germany from England during WW2.For me his greatest line was in the film "Flight of The Phoenix" when he said "This bird will fly" before getting to his last cartridge for the Cofman starter.Proper boys own film classic.
Hello Cpt, thx for the great contents. An Aermacchi MB339 jet of "frecce tricolori" has crashed on the runway in Turin (icao LIMF) near where i live. Pilot survives trough Ejection at very few feet above the rwy. Plane crashed in to a strett at the end of the rwy killing one young person... There is video footage on youtube.
Although this is a gorgeous aircraft, it is not a restoration. The original was completely destroyed in 1955. June 1955: A Bendix Trophy Race-winning ¹ and world record-setting ² North American Aviation P-51C Mustang, N5528N, which had previously owned by air racer Joe C. De Bona, actor and World War II bomber pilot, Jimmy Stewart, and world record-setter Jackie Cochran, was completely destroyed when it crashed approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Morrill, Nebraska, 22 June 1955. N5528N, known both as Thunderbird and Mr. Alex, was being flown on a hail suppression operation by James M. Cook. After takeoff, one of the Mustang’s main landing gear failed to retract. When he was unable to resolve the problem, Cook flew the Mustang over unoccupied terrain north of Morrill, Nebraska, and bailed out. The airplane crashed, exploded and the wreckage burned. N5528N was completely destroyed.
the insignia of the 34th Bomb Squadron "Thunderbirds" is seen on both sides of the cowling. interesting on a pursuit, lol. Many Doolittle raiders and their aircraft came from that squadron in 1942.
I believe this was not a restoration. But a recreation as the original was completely destroyed in 1953 after a pilot bailed out because of fuel load and only one gear extended. The only thing I believe off the original aircraft on the recreation is the number plate. I know I did hear that the wings and fuselage were built from scratch.
To add to the historic significance of this particular plane: If I recall the story correcrly, this plane was built by North American FOR Jimmy Stewart, using pieces leftover after the war. As a result, it's the only P-51 built, that does NOT have a government contract number/serial number. It is truly 1 of 1. Can't remember who crashed it, but it was sold back & forth between Stewart & Cochran several times, and later to Stewart's mechanic - who I believe later sold it to somebody else, OR let somebody else race it - that's when it crashed in...Ohio, in the '50's? It was said to have been totally destroyed, but when I heard about the plane about 10 years ago, I discovered the tail # was still active in the FAA database(!!!), so apparently, there was enough wreckage left for somebody to buy, and keep it in the system all these years. I kept it to myself, hoping to make enough one day that I could knock on that person's door & make them an offer, but obviously somebody beat me to it... FWIW, it's a beautiful restiration - but the tip tanks are missing...guess nobody knows what tanks Stewart had fitted.
I just watched a documentary on this a couple of days before seeing this. It was a documentary about Jimmy Stewart and his airforce career on youtube. Cant recommend the vid enough. Jimmy Stewart - The Soldier's Biography And The Story Of His Record Breaker P-51 "Thunderbird" if anyone is interested.
The narration was incorrect to call them formation lights, when actually they were IFF lights... Identify Friend or Foe. The lights were illuminated in a pattern or sequence to indicate adherence to identifying the correct code for a particular day.
i always refer to Pegasus as Pig Ass, because i had friends in the Para's (in the UK) we had been chatting with some Belgium colleagues and they pronounce Pegasus 'Pig Ass' - probably not how they spell it but that's how it sounded, so it stuck with me
I have a great photo on my wall with Jim and Stewart next to the airplane. Such a beautiful P51. They did an amazing job restoring her. I wish I could have gone to the final Reno Air Races. I grew up going to that airshow
I would love to go someday. And that is a beautiful plane.
is the picture one we can find online?
@@excellenceinanimation960 I dont believe so. It's a hard copy photo from the time. I've had it forever. I might take it out of its frame, and scan it online.
Share that photo with Juan, please.
@@semiprofessional8470
No more races in Reno.
This was the last year.
What a beautiful Mustang ! The paint is absolutely flawless !!! Thanks for sharing.
The paint looks better than any car I've owned.
I wonder if they painted it with DuPont Imron which was specifically formulated for aircraft, aside from its chip resistance and overall toughness it was formulated to be "slicker" than ordinary paint to reduce drag and raise airspeed/extend range, I know a guy who painted his boat hull with it and picked up 3 knots as a result, I don't think it was around yet when they'd have painted it for the 1949 race but it could very well be painted with it now.
Nice P51, thanks! One of my favorite memories of the airplane is a film showing Eisenhower jammed into the back of a modified p51 to inspect battle of the bulge sites
Randy - Yes Sir, Ike game guy! On '56 re-election campaign, hit Howell MI, w/Dad & Ike War Buddies. We had commercial trap for shotgun practice, & Ike challenged us to competition! We all shot well, but then old Gramps hobbled out w/his Long Tom 12GA powdering every target. Ike amazed, considering had only one eye, so asked, "Were you in military"? He said, "Sonny, I was in 7th Cav, Custers old outfit once reconstituted, & in WW1, how about you"?
That and the razorback P-47D are simply OUTSTANDING!
Thanks for posting your enthusiasm on aviation, although i have a physical disability. You're one of the channels that made me try and succeed in getting my PPL. Thanks again.
Absolutely beautiful ! WOW thanks Juan for sharing this with us
Beautiful. The gloss, the color, the colors of the decorations and numbers, all striking and reflecting the desert sky. A vision of a P51.
We could use a lot more jimmy Stewart's in this world. People who in just their day too day lives created a legacy that will never be forgotten
Man that’s a sweet bird with history! Thanks for sharing!
One of the best to see at the races this year. Beautiful airplane. And such a classic. We all love P-51's. But this one has to be one of the "purdiest" looking! Wonderful to see her restored. I think I saw you Juan. Recognized the logo on your shirt. But didn't dawn on me till you were past us! Had on my "Original Cactus" T-shirt. Long time follower of your channel. And APA brother. So sad this is the last Reno races! Especially for us locals! :( Thanks for your coverage. You always do a great job! And your boy. Always cool to see him in your videos. A fine young man! :)
Strikingly more beautiful in person than the video can portray.
Remarkable beauty of this aircraft. The sound of it will bring plenty of smiles.
Always thought the B/C model was the prettiest of the P-51's, just love the way they look!
I’ve heard that the B/C models were actually faster (more aerodynamic) than the D models due to the more streamlined canopies creating less drag. Although the increased visibility of the bubble canopies were probably worth the extra drag during combat conditions (aka dogfights). I love all the P-51s and the P-82’s, as well.
Wow! It looks FAST just parked there. What a beautiful airplane. My favorite SE prop driven plane.
I worked with the owner of this beauty, Warren Pietsch. Warren has quite a stable of rare airplanes.
Beautiful bird, 😮 👌 watching from Pahrump Nevada 🇺🇲
What a gorgeous airplane!
RIP for the two pilots and prayers to the family and friends effected! 😢✝️🙏
At the airshow they said that they put an amazing amount of coats of primer on it before the paint. The sound of the plane was beautiful. And I think they said that the paint job helped the paint get more speed.
Beautiful airplane. After Reno, what happens to the National Air Races? Reno would be a great place for a Aviation Museum covering the history of air racing.
Is the reason for shutting down in Reno the encroachment of developement? I saw in cockpit footage of the airplanes flying the course. Looked like the were flying fairly close to housing. Never got to Reno. Just heard of à midair following the end of the T-6 GOLD FINAL. Live footage was immediately terminated. I had been watching most of the day. What a tragic end to the years of history in Reno. Looking to see your take shortly. Thanks Juan!
Good to see you having a fun time..!!!
That bird is so beautiful.
It is a beautiful Mustang, I noticed Ralph Meeker's name under Jimmy Stewart's. Ralph Meeker was a Hollywood actor kind of a tough, macho guy image. He also had quite a career as well until he had a stoke in about 1980.
Beautiful ac. Neat seeing the lead swoosh from the exhaust. Avgas only uses a 1:1 ratio of lead to scavenger due to the harmful effect of halogen on aluminum. Scavengers are typically bromides, lead bromide has a high vapor pressure, reducing deposits.
Thanks for that Information
Now there's two airplanes in common with Jimmy Stewart. This one and your 310 harvey.😍
She's a beautiful peice of machinery.
A ton of pride was put into that plane.
The level of finish is amazing. Great vid as well.
Beautiful 🙌👍
Beautiful machine- great to see it restored.
Thank you Juan, what a stunning restoration of a special airplane.
Absolutely gorgeous 🥰
Congratulations to Aircorp Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota on an unbelievable restoration!
The Pilot
This 1967 true story is about an experience by a young 12-year-old boy in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
It is about the vivid memory of a privately rebuilt P-51 from WWII and its famous owner/pilot.
In the morning sun,
I could not believe my eyes.
There,
in our little airport,
sat a majestic P-51.
They said it had flown in during the night from some U.S. Airport, on its way to an air show.
The pilot had gone far enough
for a day’s ride and he just happened to choose Kingston for his stopover.
They were to take to the air
very soon.
I marveled at the size of the plane, dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her-
She was much larger than in the movies...
she glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days
long gone by.
The pilot arrived by cab,
paid the driver
and then stepped into
the pilot's lounge.
He was an older man-
his wavy hair was gray and tossed.
It looked like it might have last been combed sometime,say…
around the turn of the century.
His flight jacket was checked,
creased and worn -
it smelled old&genuine.
Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders.
He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance.
He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal ("Expo-67 Air Show")
then walked across the tarmac.
After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check,
the tall, lanky man returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he would
"flash the old bird up,
just to be safe."
Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction
on its use -
"If you see a fire, point, then pull this lever!", he said.
(I later became a firefighter,
but that's another story.)
The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from
fuel fumes as the huge prop
started to rotate.
One manifold, then another, and yet another barked -
In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar.
Blue flames knifed from her manifolds with an arrogant snarl.
I looked at the others' faces;
there was no concern.
I lowered the bell of my extinguisher and
I stepped back in awe
with the others.
One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge...
so we did.
Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre-flight run-up.
He'd taxied to the end of runway 19,
out of sight.
All went quiet for several seconds
and then we ran to
the second story deck
to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started
down the runway.
We could not.
There we stood, eyes fixed at a spot halfway down the runway.
Then a roar ripped across the field,
much louder than before.
Like a furious hell spawn set loose something mighty this way was coming.
"Listen to that thing!"
said the controller.
In seconds,
the Mustang burst
into our line of sight.
Its tail was already off the runway and it was moving faster than anything I'd ever seen.
Two-thirds of the way down 19
the Mustang was airborne
with her gear going up!
The prop tips were supersonic.
We clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellishly fast into the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze.
We stood for a few moments,
in stunned silence,
trying to digest what we'd just seen.
The radio controller rushed by me to the radio.
"Kingston tower calling Mustang?" He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment.
The radio crackled,
“Go ahead, Kingston."
"Roger, Mustang.
Kingston tower would like to advise the circuit is clear for a low-level pass."
I stood in shock because the controller had just, more or less, just asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show!
The controller looked at us.
"Well, what?"he asked.
"I can't let that guy go without asking.
I could never forgive myself!"
The radio crackled once again,
“Kingston,
do I have permission for
a low-level pass,
east to west,
across the field?"
"Roger, Mustang,
the circuit is clear for you
from horizon to horizon!"
"Roger, Kingston,
I'm coming back down
out of 3,000 feet,
stand by."
We rushed back onto the
second-story deck,
eyes fixed toward the eastern haze.
The sound was subtle at first,
a high-pitched whine,
a muffled screech...
a far distant scream.
Moments later,
the P-51 burst through the haze.
Her airframe straining against positive G's and gravity,
her wing tips spilling contrails of vapourized air...
prop-tips again supersonic.
The burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air.
At about 500 mph and 150 yards
from where we stood she passed with the old American pilot saluting!!
Imagine-
A salute to US!
I felt like laughing...
I felt like crying.
She glistened...
she screamed-
she gleamed and she shone.
The whole building shook;
my heart pounded.
Then the old pilot pulled her up
and rolled...
and rolled and rolled and rolled
out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory.
I had never wanted to be an American before that day!
It was a time when
many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother.
A steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style-
not unlike the old American pilot who'd just flown into my perpetual memory.
He was proud, not arrogant...
he was humble and not a braggart.
Old and honest,
projecting an aura of America at its best.
That America will return one day...
I know she will!
Until that time,
I'll just send off this story from a fellow North American.
Call it a loving salute to your true Country, and especially to that old American pilot:
the late Brigadier General
JIMMY STEWART
(1908-1997)
A True WWII Hero,
he was the Commander of the 703rd Bomber Squadron of the US Army Air Force Bomber Wing stationed in England
and eventually became a USAF Brigadier General,
flying combat missions in WWII,
Korea and Vietnam.
He wove a wonderfully fantastic memory for a young Canadian boy that's lasted a lifetime.
W.O.W.=
What
Other
Words
Just heard about the crash today , at the last ever, Reno Air Race. Prayers for the 2 pilots families. RIP.
Stunning bird 👍👍❤❤
Wow what a beauty. Thanks for showing it to us!
The metal & paint work is amazing! The metal work of the WW2 era was the best. After 40 years of aviation maintenance I’ve never seen structure work so fine, that includes jets. Even more amazing this work was done on a one hour roll time. (24 aircraft out the door a day!) Good Video Juan!
I think that the B/C Versions of the P-51 Mustang are the most beautiful air craft ever built.
Saw her at oshkosh. It had just taxied in to parking, i could smell the fresh paint drying!
Nice coverage ,Thanks
It does look darn nice in blue and yellow
Beautiful! Thanks.
I am reminded of the words of Chuck Yeager, in his autobiography. Something to the effect that "Reno is an abuse of good airplanes."
Yeager also flew a one-of-a-kind aircraft after falling off a horse and breaking his ribs, to the point that he couldn’t exert enough force to latch the door shut. He was a great pilot, but he definitely was a bit of a cowboy. Not much room to talk, really.🤷🏻♂️
Yeager was a tiny crab, I went to say hello to him at a cafe in Grass Valley, he was not very friendly. Bob Hoover, complete opposite. That’s how I will remember them both.
@@colinwallace5286 What does this have to do with what he said about Reno ? Seems like an off-topic ad hominem.
@@jrgogol What does this have to do with what he said about Reno ? Seems like an off-topic ad hominem.
@@jrgogol
Yes Bob Hoover was a great and considerate person from the times I saw him at Air Shows when he put on great demonstrations of piloting skills!
You never cease to have amazing content! Thank you!
wow, just wow
What a gorgeous bird
Always did love the fastback Mustangs.
What a beautiful clean airframe. ❤
Very cool history and absolutely a beautiful plane, Juan I believe Jackie and Yeager were friends do you know if he ever flew it?
That's really cool. The Bendix trophy, now that's a very prestigeous trophy. Had no idea it was still going on in 49.
Every time that jimmy Stewart buys an airplane, JUAN gets his wings
Nice! Stangs are always my favorite warbirds!
Hard to believe it’s the last year. Something about fast blue and gold planes with numbers on them.
What a beautiful machine.
Saw it at Airventure this year . Truly gorgeous on the ground and in the air !
My Father flew a P51 Mustang in WWII named "The Poop Artist."
Stunning. And a fairly simple color scheme to 'copy' onto a homebuilt, although it will be tough to match all that gloss and chrome.
Oh my goodness she’s gorgeous and I love p51c over d’s personally.
Mr. Stewart did his own oil changes to his beater Volvo.
The Cadillac Of The Sky
Nice - and thank you for sharing, Juan!
I bought a tee-shirt from them so nice I hate to wear it blue with yellow collar. They were nice even gave me a cloth bag for free.
Jimmy Stewart piloted B17,s in sorties to bomb germany from England during WW2.For me his greatest line was in the film "Flight of The Phoenix" when he said "This bird will fly" before getting to his last cartridge for the Cofman starter.Proper boys own film classic.
Hello Cpt, thx for the great contents.
An Aermacchi MB339 jet of "frecce tricolori" has crashed on the runway in Turin (icao LIMF) near where i live. Pilot survives trough Ejection at very few feet above the rwy. Plane crashed in to a strett at the end of the rwy killing one young person...
There is video footage on youtube.
GORGEOUS !
And what lineage! 👍
GOTTA start it for the fans!! :-))
My dad flew P 51’s in the army air corps I have his leather flying helmet and P 51 flight manual.
What a beauty!
What an absolute beautiful aeroplane Juan!
That makes me want to build a model of her. Thanks!
I didn't realize the significance of this plane in Minot when i was getting my Mooney worked on a few weeks ago. I have a few pretty good pics of it.
Stunning!!
Just came out of restoration this year by Air Corps Aviation of Minnesota
Although this is a gorgeous aircraft, it is not a restoration. The original was completely destroyed in 1955. June 1955: A Bendix Trophy Race-winning ¹ and world record-setting ² North American Aviation P-51C Mustang, N5528N, which had previously owned by air racer Joe C. De Bona, actor and World War II bomber pilot, Jimmy Stewart, and world record-setter Jackie Cochran, was completely destroyed when it crashed approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Morrill, Nebraska, 22 June 1955.
N5528N, known both as Thunderbird and Mr. Alex, was being flown on a hail suppression operation by James M. Cook. After takeoff, one of the Mustang’s main landing gear failed to retract. When he was unable to resolve the problem, Cook flew the Mustang over unoccupied terrain north of Morrill, Nebraska, and bailed out.
The airplane crashed, exploded and the wreckage burned. N5528N was completely destroyed.
the insignia of the 34th Bomb Squadron "Thunderbirds" is seen on both sides of the cowling. interesting on a pursuit, lol.
Many Doolittle raiders and their aircraft came from that squadron in 1942.
Magnificent.
Jimmy Steward Airport Indiana Pennsylvania has museum there also
Would love to see some in flight pictures.
wow what a piece
Wow.
Thanks Juan.
Curious how much was done to the airframe over the years to keep the plane in such beautiful shape.
I believe this was not a restoration. But a recreation as the original was completely destroyed in 1953 after a pilot bailed out because of fuel load and only one gear extended. The only thing I believe off the original aircraft on the recreation is the number plate. I know I did hear that the wings and fuselage were built from scratch.
That paint color!!!!!!
To add to the historic significance of this particular plane:
If I recall the story correcrly, this plane was built by North American FOR Jimmy Stewart, using pieces leftover after the war. As a result, it's the only P-51 built, that does NOT have a government contract number/serial number.
It is truly 1 of 1.
Can't remember who crashed it, but it was sold back & forth between Stewart & Cochran several times, and later to Stewart's mechanic - who I believe later sold it to somebody else, OR let somebody else race it - that's when it crashed in...Ohio, in the '50's?
It was said to have been totally destroyed, but when I heard about the plane about 10 years ago, I discovered the tail # was still active in the FAA database(!!!), so apparently, there was enough wreckage left for somebody to buy, and keep it in the system all these years.
I kept it to myself, hoping to make enough one day that I could knock on that person's door & make them an offer, but obviously somebody beat me to it...
FWIW, it's a beautiful restiration - but the tip tanks are missing...guess nobody knows what tanks Stewart had fitted.
Very cool 😎
1:43 If you ever wondered what supercritical laminar airflow wing section means, here ya go.
Was great seeing it at Oshkosh this year.
Beautiful airplane.
I believe this aircraft was covered in the book, Wet Wings and Drop Tanks.
How much history for one aircraft, amazing
Sweet!
I just watched a documentary on this a couple of days before seeing this. It was a documentary about Jimmy Stewart and his airforce career on youtube. Cant recommend the vid enough. Jimmy Stewart - The Soldier's Biography And The Story Of His Record Breaker P-51 "Thunderbird" if anyone is interested.
Juan, beautiful P-51 video. What were the formation light shown at the very end of the video used for?
The narration was incorrect to call them formation lights, when actually they were IFF lights... Identify Friend or Foe. The lights were illuminated in a pattern or sequence to indicate adherence to identifying the correct code for a particular day.
Dakota Territory Air Museum & Air Corps Aviation getting it done in the great white north.
Jimmy Stewart sold it to Cochran for $1. Cochran sold it back to him, a few years later, for $1
i always refer to Pegasus as Pig Ass, because i had friends in the Para's (in the UK) we had been chatting with some Belgium colleagues and they pronounce Pegasus 'Pig Ass' - probably not how they spell it but that's how it sounded, so it stuck with me
Is the Ralph Meeker who is listed on the side of the plane just below Jimmy Stewart the same man as the actor named Ralph Meeker???
Flabbergasted !!!!
Nice airplane
Are the fuselage rivets counter sunk because that skin looks like glass?