Tracking down Mustangs

[Unregistered]

Maybe someone on this board can help.

I'm trying to locate a couple of P-51's from the mid 1970's.

N117E (Who owned it then, what was it painted like, who owns it now?)

N988C This was owned by Jack Shaver and called "Miss Kat Brat", but it was sold in 1979. Where is it now?

N169MD This is a tough one. The ORIGINAL N169MD was owned by Burns Braham and crashed. It was eventually rebuilt for Johnny Rutherford as N6320T and is currently flying elsewhere. But Braham bought a second Mustang and transfered the 169MD registration to it. I think it also was painted like "Tangerine" and was present as late as the '77 CAF Airsho. Braham was killed ferrying another Mustang in 1978. So what happened to the second 169MD?

Any pictures or info would help. Thanks in advance.

[Race 29]

Un-Redgie,

I don't have too much info on these birds, but here's what I got.

N117E
Also carried registration N2873D. Owned bu Ed Gilbert, then Frank Sanders in the 60's David Webster owned it in the early 70's and Scott Smith bought it in '78.Gary McCann bought and restored her in '83 and painted it up as "Hurry Home Honey" of the 357th Fighter Group. Harvey Hunwell then bought it in '89, but was killed when he crashed it in Wellington Nevada on November 21, 1996.

N988C
Also carried N6323T. Shaver sold it to Bob Ferguson from Wellesley, MA. who flies it as "Ain't Misbehavin"

N6320T
Johnny Rutherford's mustang doesn't show as ever having N169MD as an "N" number. This Mustang is currently shown as being owned by Heritage aircraft in Fayetteville, GA. and flying as "Vergeltungswaffe".

N169MD
Ok, this is where your confusion ends! This Mustang did indeed carry N169MD when it was registered to Burns Bryam and crashed near Des Moines, IA. April 6th, 1967. John Dilley bought the wreckage and registered it as N769MD. Dilley rebuilt it in '84 but not before using some of the parts in the restoration of N6175C which is better known to Reno fans as Joe Kasparoff's #39 "The Healer and raced by Skip Holm. This one was also owned by Johnny Rutherford during '78/'79. After N769MD was restored, it was bought by Tim Wallis from Wanaka, New Zealand where it flies as NZ2415. It now is owned by by the NZ Historic Aircraft Trust in Ardmore, NZ.

I hope this helps. Unfortunatly I don't have any pictures of these, but they're pretty popular warbirds, and I'm sure someone out there will have some.

Race 29

[Peashooter]

I think the name was Burns Byram. Peas

[Unregistered]

A couple of updates to add to Race 29's great response.

N988C was sold by Bob Furgeson to Bill McGrath in 2002. It's N number is now N51KB and is named Kat Bird.

N6320T was called Vergeltungsaffe and owned by Heritage Aero of Fayetville GA. It was sold in 1999 to Bob Jepson of Savannah, GA who had the plane totally rebuilt as a TF-51 dual control Mustang. It is now called Little Witch.

You can see pictures of both of these planes at Mustangmustangs.com

[Race 29]

Thanks for the update! Sometimes some of the info that I've got isn't the most up to date. Thanks for "batting clean up" Usually I go to the FAA site to cross refrence the "N" numbers, I just didn't get the chance this time.

Race 29

[Race 29]

Also, the web site is www.mustangsmustangs.net This is a great resource site. I can't say enough about it!

Race 29