Dates

Event

Constructed as a CA-18-Mk 23 by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.

12 April 1950

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Australian Air Force with s/n A68-175.

12 April 1950

Transferred to 1 AD.

21 June 1950

Assigned to RAAF Tocumwal, NSW for storage.

20 November 1952

Transferred to 23 (City, Brisbane) Squadron.

8 November 1955

Transferred to Base SQN, RAAF East Sale.

From 13 February 1957 to 1959

Assigned to 1 AD, RAAF Tocumwal, NSW for storage.

7 August 1958

Certificate of airworthiness for NL51DT (P-51D, 44-74950) issued.

By 23 January 1959

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

23 January 1959

To Brian Williamson.

From 23 January 1959 to 1965

To Col Pay, Narromine, NSW.

1960

Ferry flight.
Moved from Tocumwal to Narromine.

Flown occasionally.

From 1960 to 1965

Placed in open storage at Narromine.

From 1965 to 1967

To Skyservice Aviation/Ed Fleming, Camden, NSW.

To Aircraft Museum of Australia.

Transported by ground.
Dismantled and trucked to Sydney.

Placed in storage at the Bendix factory at Kogarah.

To Skyservice Aviation/Ed Fleming, Camden, NSW.
Taken over by Skyservice who was a partner in the failed museum.

Reassembled.
Cleaned and repainted with Skyservice advertising.

January 1967

Displayed at the Roselands Shopping Centre.

Returned to Camden.

Disassembled.
Crated for sale.

1967

To Bob Diemert, Carman, MB.

Transported by ship.
Moved from Australia to Vancouver, BC.

Damaged.
The airframe was damaged during the unloading at the Vancouver docks. The damage included a smashed canopy and windshield.

Transported by ground.
Moved from Vancouver, BC, to Carman, Manitoba.

Restored.
Rebuilt with four four seats using a CF-100 canopy. This required the removal of the fuselage tank and the grafting of the new canopy rails over the main fuselage structure. Also the Rolls Royce Merline 70 engine was replaced witha Packard-Merline 224 from a Lancaster bomber. Mr. Diemert claimed the aircraft was 25 mph faster at low altitudes than a Mustang with a 61 series Merlin. Mr. Diemert also claimed the CF-100 canopy made it more stable in flight.

From 10 April 1967 to 1971

To John C. Kehler, Plumb Coulee, MB with new c/r CF-WWH.

Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection

Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection

Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection

Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection

From 18 May 1971 to 1973

To Roslyn Pines Inc, Roslyn Heights, NY.

May 1971

Ferry flight.
Moved from Carman, Manitoba, to New York.

18 May 1971

To Roslyn Pines Inc/Frank Martucci and Frank Guzman, Roslyn Heights, NY with new c/r N64824 {1}.

Civil registration N5789 reserved but not taken up.

Markings Applied: Miss Behave
Apparently this airframe did fly with the unauthorized registration N5789.

From Circa 1971 to Circa 1975

Assumed the identity of P-51D-30-NA s/n 44-74950 c/r 122-41490 which crashed and was destroyed near Palmdale, CA.

After 1971

Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection

31 January 1973

To Frank Gruzman, West Babylon, NY with new c/r N64824 {1}.
Based at Westhampton Airport, Long Island.

8 November 1973

To John Silberman, Sherborn, MA.

By 1975

Restored.
The cockpit had be returned to stock.

Note that Mr. Silberman also owned the paperwork of USAF USAAF s/n 44-74389 RCAF s/n 9580 c/r N6346T which was apparently scrapped, but likely survived as major components. Mr. Silberman sold N6346T along with the paperwork of this Mustang, A68-175, to Art Vance who went onto restore it as c/r N62824, Million Dollar Baby. Essentially the ID of this airframe was used to register another.

Restored.
The fuselage and tail remains of A68-175 formed the basis of the restoration while the identity of USAAF s/n 44-74950 was adopted.
For more information about this other airframe see this Airframe Dossier

From By 1976 to By 1984

To John P. Silberman, Key West and Tampa, FL with new c/r N20JS.

9 October 1984

To Selby R. Burch, Winter Garden, FL with new c/r N7496W (P-51D, 44-74950).

Circa 1990

Restored.
Restored and finished in the Black Lightning markings of LtCol E.O. McComas, CO, 118th TRS, 23rd FG, 14th Air Force operating in the China/Burma/India theatre. The markings were incorrect as the red outline should have been yellow.

Circa 1990

Photographer: Robert Bourlier
Notes: Valiant Air Command, Titusville, FL.

Robert Bourlier comments (April 2015):Upon attending a 14th AF reunion in Texas, Selby Burch learned of the correct color scheme from former members of the 118th TRS. When Mr. Burch acquired another Mustang, USAAF s/n 44-72438 c/r N7551T he applied the same markings with the correct colours to this other Mustang.

From 1993 to By 1995

To RDT Aviation Corp./Dick Thurman, Louisville, KY.

26 October 1993

Contracted to Stallion 51, Kissimmee Municipal Airport, Kissimmee, FL for work on the airframe.
View the Location Dossier

Restored.
Markings Applied: Slender Tender and TALL, HO, T, 414812
The work was carried out by Peter and Richard Lauderback from Stallion 51. Finished in the markings of the 352nd FG of the 8th Air Force.

From 22 May 1995 to By 1999

To Vintage War Birds Inc/Dick Thurman, Louisville, KY with new c/r N51DT.

7 April 1997

Photographer: James Eubanks
Notes: Sun-n-Fun Fly-In, Lakeland FL

25 August 1999

To Spitfire USA Ltd/Thomas Blair, Potomac, MD keeping c/r N51DT.

1999

Markings Applied: Slender Tender and TALL, HO, T, 41481

8 April 1999

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

8 April 1999

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

25 August 1999

To Blair Tom, Potomac, MD keeping c/r N51DT.

1 January 2007

Certificate of airworthiness for NL51DT (P-51D, 44-74950) issued.

25 June 2007

To Spitfire USA Ltd, Rockville, MD keeping c/r N51DT.

27 September 2007

Photographer: David Miller
Notes: A Gathering of Mustangs and Legends, Ohio 2007

6 August 2010

To Spitfire USA Ltd, Easton, MD keeping c/r N51DT.

26 January 2012

Photographer: Robert Bourlier
Notes: Photographed at Stallion 51 in Kissimmee, FL.

22 November 2013

To Open Cockpit Llc, Santa Fe, NM keeping c/r N51DT.

February 2015

Civil registration N352ST reserved but not taken up.

14 June 2016

To Merlin Magic Llc, Wilmington, DE with new c/r N51DT.

8 April 2022

Photographer: Reinhard Jost
Notes: Slender, Tender and Tall without external tanks at Sun n Fun 2022, Lakeland, FL