Dates

Event

Constructed as a P-51D-20-NT by North American at Dallas, Texas, USA.

Circa 1944

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-13016.

4 July 1945

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Australian Air Force with s/n A68-674.

Circa 22 May 1946

Assigned to RAAF Benalla, VIC for storage.

Circa 22 December 1948

Struck off Strength/Charge from the Royal Australian Air Force.

1949

Disassembled.
Stripped for components. The wings were sent to RAAF Stores Dept at Dubbo NSW for use by Aeronautical Research Laboratories, Melbourne.

1949

Transferred to Victor Coish, Benalla. VIC.
Sent to Mr. Coish for disposal of the fuselage.

Dumped on the farm of Mr. Choish along with RAAF s/n A68-679.
For more information about this other airframe see this Airframe Dossier

From 1966 to Circa 1982

To Warbirds Aviation Museum/Pearce Dunn, Mildura, VIC.

From 1982 to Circa 1984

To Vincent Thomas, Geoff Milne and Alan Lane, Albury, NSW.
Stored dismantled.

From Circa 1982 to Circa 1987

To Vincent Thomas, Albury, NSW with new c/r VH-CVA.

1984

Transported by ship.
Shipped to Shafter, CA, with the intent to restore.

21 December 1987

To King City Aviation Inc, King City, CA with new c/r N9200N.

From Circa 1990 to Circa 1992

Restored.
The work was carried out at King City.

1992

First flight.

Finished in spurious RAAF camouflage.

9 July 1992

Certificate of airworthiness for N5551D {2} (P-51D, 44-13016) issued.

From Circa October 1996 to Circa 1997

To Spirit Wing Aviation/Calvin Burgess, Guthrie, OK keeping c/r N9200N.

From Circa April 1997 to Circa 2002

To Spirit Wing Aviation, Edmond, OK with new c/r N5551D {2}.

Markings Applied: Dove of Peace, LH X, 413016

24 April 1997

To Spirit Wingaviation Ltd, Edmond, OK keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

Circa 8 April 1999

Photographer: David Leininger
Notes: Photographed at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in Kissimmee, FL.

Circa 8 April 1999

Photographer: David Leininger
Notes: Photographed at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in Kissimmee, FL.

2002

To Holland Holdings Llc, Las Vegas, NV keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

From Circa 3 December 2002 to Circa 2004

To US Technologies Holdings Inc/Ray Williams, Canton, OH keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

2004

To Paul Besterveld, Camarillo CA keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

Circa August 2004

To Holland Holdings Llc/Paul Besterveld, Las Vegas, NV keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

14 September 2004

To Holland Holdings Llc, Las Vegas, NV keeping c/r N5551D {2}.

4 November 2004

Civil registration, N5551D {2}, cancelled.
Exported to New Zealand.

From Circa 5 November 2004 to Circa 2022

To Robert Borius-Broek/Jet Flight Wanaka Ltd, Mustang Flights Wanaka Ltd, Wanaka with new c/r ZK-SAS.

November 2004

Transported by ship.
Shipped to Auckland, NZ.

Reassembled.
The work was carried out at Auckland-Ardmore.

22 February 2005

First flight. Flown with markings applied: Dove of Peace, LH X, 413016

Markings Applied: Dove of Peace, LH X, 473060

By 23 October 2009

Civil registration, N5551D {2}, cancelled.
Exported to New Zealand.

To Jetflights Wanaka Limited, Wanaka keeping c/r ZK-SAS.

Markings Applied: Dove of Peace, LH-X

21 October 2015

To Mustang Flights Wanaka Limited, Wanaka keeping c/r ZK-SAS.

26 March 2016

Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: At Wanaka

26 March 2016

Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: Attended the 2016 Warbirds over Wanaka Airshow, Otago, New Zealand

14 June 2022

Civil registration, ZK-SAS, cancelled.

14 June 2022

To Precision Airmotive Pty Ltd, Whorouly, VIC with new c/r VH-LUI.

Circa 18 July 2022

Ferry flight.
Arrived at Wangaratta on delivery flight from NZ.

18 August 2023

Photographer: Mick McKean
Notes: Precision Airmotive North American P-51D-20NT Mustang VH-LUI performing a solo handling display at Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2023.Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

19 August 2023

Photographer: Mick McKean
Notes: Precision Airmotive North American P-51D-20NT Mustang VH-LUI performing a solo handling display at Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2023.Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

20 October 2024

Photographer: Reinhard Jost
Notes: Mustang LH-X as a lucky Bf-109-pilot may have seen it, at Warbirds Downunder 2024, Temora, QLD