On their website, there is a picture of Dago Red after it had crashed in 1970 and before it was rebuilt as Dago Red. Hard to believe it would be repaired in the condition it was in after being wrecked. Look at the chains that are being used to hold it down to the trailer. Those same chain tie downs are used to hold down wrecked/destroyed cars as they are being driven on flatbed trucks to the scrap metal yard.
Here is the picture: http://www.dagored.org/WarbirdInternational.pdf
Text from the article
"Paint it just like your cigar wrapper, honey! You just know how I love your big cigars," gushed the suicide blonde standing next to the puffing and rather porcine new owner of a P-51D Mustang on a spring day in 1970. It wasn't the strangest request that the folks from Aero Sport had ever heard, but it certainly ranked in the top dozen!
Aero Sport, during the 1960s and 1970s had become the top spot for Mustang maintenance and rebuilds. On visits to their vintage World War II hangar at Chino Airport, it was not unusual to find a half-dozen Mustangs parked on their ramp with another half-dozen crammed inside. During this time period, while Mustangs were on the top end of the Warbird price scale, they were still not selling for all that much money and often, owners would not be overly concerned about their mount's maintenance. However, once in the care of Aero Sport, an owner would be guaranteed that his Mustang would be maintained to exacting standards.
The aircraft that was the object of attention for the Aero Sport crew and the new owner was a rather bedraggled P-51D registered N5410V. Built at the North American's Inglewood factory, P-51D-30-NA USAAF s/n 44-74996 was destined to see stateside service and would go on to fly with the Air National Guard. After being withdrawn from ANG service, the Mustang was flown to McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California, for storage and disposal.
A study of Sacramento Air Materiel Area records finds that there "were plans to sell 75 F-51s by sealed bid on 12 August 1957." As of 14 January 1958, there were still at least 50 5-51s at the McClellan and by 11 March of the same year the number had increased to 61 Mustangs. The majority of these Mustangs, along with other types of ex-military aircraft, were sold off during various auctions.
The first auction, offering 75 Mustangs on 3 September 1957, was something of an experiment for the USAF as documents from the time record: "This Headquarters (Dayton) is in receipt of a message from MRD stating that they have been advised by the Office of the Air Attaché to the French Embassy that the French Air Force no longer contemplates the purchase of the 145 F-51 aircraft located at your headquarters (McClellan). Therefore the 75 surplus F-51 aircraft on hand are released and authorized for test sale in accordance with this HQ letter dated 20 November 1956. Limited reclamation may be completed on 67 of the remaining 70 aircraft being held pending results of the test sale. Three TF-51 aircraft s/n 44-84655, 44-84658, and 45-11359 will not be reclaimed pending determination of possible requirements for sale to the government of Nicaragua.
" During one of the auctions, 44-74996 was sold and was assigned the civil registration of N5410V. One of the first civil owners was Prevost F. Smith Parachute Company of Santee, California, and we wonder if the Mustang was involved in any sort of parachute testing program.
When the Mustang completed its maintenance at Aero Sport, the plane was rolled out in its new cigar wrapper colors of an overall rather dull gold with red trim.
The Mustang did not survive long in the hands of the new owner. On 16 August 1970, the Mustang took off at about 1400 from Buchanan Field, Concord, California. At that time, the field was closed for an air show and the Mustang was apparently going to make some passes. The owner's son was in the rear seat. At this point in time, the 51 year-old pilot was not instrument rated and had accumulated 864 flying hours of which 55 were in type. At around 1430 hours, the Mustang was in the traffic pattern for final approach. During approach the Merlin failed (FAA reports stated "undetermined reasons") and the aircraft fell out of the air.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Jessie Bigcraft was enjoying a cup of tea in her apartment near the airport's flight path when the Mustang, which had clipped some trees and a power pole on its way down, slammed inverted through the apartment. The force of the impact was so great that the Mustang continued on and imbedded itself in a vacant house. The occupants of the Mustang emerged from the debris with relatively minor injuries considering the nature of the crash. Mrs. Bigcraft was killed.
After an investigation, the heavily damaged Mustang (listed as destroyed by the FAA) was placed on a trailer and moved to Buchanan Field. The wreck was obtained by well-known Warbird owner Mike Coutches who held on to the remains until 1981 when he sold the plane to Bill "Tiger" Destefani. Tiger had been bitten by the air racing bug and he wanted to create the world's fastest racer and N5410V would form the basis for the Unlimited named Dago Red.
Here is the picture: http://www.dagored.org/WarbirdInternational.pdf
Text from the article
"Paint it just like your cigar wrapper, honey! You just know how I love your big cigars," gushed the suicide blonde standing next to the puffing and rather porcine new owner of a P-51D Mustang on a spring day in 1970. It wasn't the strangest request that the folks from Aero Sport had ever heard, but it certainly ranked in the top dozen!
Aero Sport, during the 1960s and 1970s had become the top spot for Mustang maintenance and rebuilds. On visits to their vintage World War II hangar at Chino Airport, it was not unusual to find a half-dozen Mustangs parked on their ramp with another half-dozen crammed inside. During this time period, while Mustangs were on the top end of the Warbird price scale, they were still not selling for all that much money and often, owners would not be overly concerned about their mount's maintenance. However, once in the care of Aero Sport, an owner would be guaranteed that his Mustang would be maintained to exacting standards.
The aircraft that was the object of attention for the Aero Sport crew and the new owner was a rather bedraggled P-51D registered N5410V. Built at the North American's Inglewood factory, P-51D-30-NA USAAF s/n 44-74996 was destined to see stateside service and would go on to fly with the Air National Guard. After being withdrawn from ANG service, the Mustang was flown to McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California, for storage and disposal.
A study of Sacramento Air Materiel Area records finds that there "were plans to sell 75 F-51s by sealed bid on 12 August 1957." As of 14 January 1958, there were still at least 50 5-51s at the McClellan and by 11 March of the same year the number had increased to 61 Mustangs. The majority of these Mustangs, along with other types of ex-military aircraft, were sold off during various auctions.
The first auction, offering 75 Mustangs on 3 September 1957, was something of an experiment for the USAF as documents from the time record: "This Headquarters (Dayton) is in receipt of a message from MRD stating that they have been advised by the Office of the Air Attaché to the French Embassy that the French Air Force no longer contemplates the purchase of the 145 F-51 aircraft located at your headquarters (McClellan). Therefore the 75 surplus F-51 aircraft on hand are released and authorized for test sale in accordance with this HQ letter dated 20 November 1956. Limited reclamation may be completed on 67 of the remaining 70 aircraft being held pending results of the test sale. Three TF-51 aircraft s/n 44-84655, 44-84658, and 45-11359 will not be reclaimed pending determination of possible requirements for sale to the government of Nicaragua.
" During one of the auctions, 44-74996 was sold and was assigned the civil registration of N5410V. One of the first civil owners was Prevost F. Smith Parachute Company of Santee, California, and we wonder if the Mustang was involved in any sort of parachute testing program.
When the Mustang completed its maintenance at Aero Sport, the plane was rolled out in its new cigar wrapper colors of an overall rather dull gold with red trim.
The Mustang did not survive long in the hands of the new owner. On 16 August 1970, the Mustang took off at about 1400 from Buchanan Field, Concord, California. At that time, the field was closed for an air show and the Mustang was apparently going to make some passes. The owner's son was in the rear seat. At this point in time, the 51 year-old pilot was not instrument rated and had accumulated 864 flying hours of which 55 were in type. At around 1430 hours, the Mustang was in the traffic pattern for final approach. During approach the Merlin failed (FAA reports stated "undetermined reasons") and the aircraft fell out of the air.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Jessie Bigcraft was enjoying a cup of tea in her apartment near the airport's flight path when the Mustang, which had clipped some trees and a power pole on its way down, slammed inverted through the apartment. The force of the impact was so great that the Mustang continued on and imbedded itself in a vacant house. The occupants of the Mustang emerged from the debris with relatively minor injuries considering the nature of the crash. Mrs. Bigcraft was killed.
After an investigation, the heavily damaged Mustang (listed as destroyed by the FAA) was placed on a trailer and moved to Buchanan Field. The wreck was obtained by well-known Warbird owner Mike Coutches who held on to the remains until 1981 when he sold the plane to Bill "Tiger" Destefani. Tiger had been bitten by the air racing bug and he wanted to create the world's fastest racer and N5410V would form the basis for the Unlimited named Dago Red.
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