Test your P-51 memory, knowledge
and research ability!
Jim Church:
All right, case #70 has been up here long enough, so here goes. It shows
P-51D, s/n 44-74469, ex-Dominican Air Force FAD1919, that was brought back
along with the rest of the bunch they operated (except for one which remains
'in country' on display) in 1984 by Brian O'Farrell. Before 'going south' it
had been registered N7723C. Jerry Miles bought it from O'Farrell, and rebuilt
it, and again registered it as N7723C. More recently it was purchased by
Classic American Aircraft, of Poland, Ohio, who instigated yet another
rebuild. It has been offered for sale on the BARNSTORMERS web site, and in
Trade-A-Plane recently for $945,000. That price includes a '0' time
cuff-bladed prop, a relatively low time -7 Merlin with -9 heads that has
70hrs SMOH, and a nicely updated cockpit. It is currently in bare metal
finish (pick your own paint), and is available for inspection to prospective
buyers at Chino, California. The airframe is said to have less than 2,000hrs
TT, and with the prices of today's Mustangs usually well over the $1M mark
lately, this seems like it could be a pretty good deal. Anybody out there
want to lend me $945,000? :-)