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The North American P-51 Mustang
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P-51 Mustang Survivors
44-74829 ZK-TAF "Rudolph"
Graeme Bethell, Christchurch NZ
P-51 Survivor 44-74829 ZK-TAF
Status: Flying
NAA Type: P-51D-30NA
Serial #: 44-74829
Registry: ZK-TAF
.. past:   N8675E
  N169MD
  N769MD
  N6125C?
  P-51 Mustangs Survivors  
History: 44-74829 ZK-TAF "Rudolph"

1945: July 3, c/n 122-41369 USAAF delivered

1951: Jan 10, RCAF 9265, 402 Squadron Uplands, Ontario
1959: May 14, RCAF SOC
1959: Feb 27, N8675E, James Defuria / Fred Ritts / Intercontinental Airways
1960: Jun 18, N8675E, Aero Enterprises, Elkhart IN
1960: Aug 18, N169MD, Burns Byrum, Marengo IA
1967: Apr 06, Burns Byrum, forced landing at night, Des Moines IA
1973: Jan 11, N769MD, John Dilley, Muncie IN
1976: Jan 10, N769MD, Max Ramsey, Johnson KS, stored Chino
1979: rep. used in rebuild of 45-11558
1981: N769MD, Fort Wayne Air Service, Fort Wayne IN, rebuilt using TNI-AU P-51
1984: Mar 28, N769MD, reg, Fort Wayne Air Service, Fort Wayne IN
1984: Nov 13, first flight
1984: N769MD, Tim Wallis / Alpine Helicopters Ltd, Wanaka NZ
1984: May 27, ZK-TAF, "NZ 2415", Alpine Helicopters / Alpine Fighter Collection, Wanaka NZ
1985: Jan 23, first flight
1988: ZK-TAF, NZ Historic Aircraft Trust, Auckland NZ
1996: Sep 06, ZK-TAF, Graham Bethell / P-51 Syndicate, Ardmore NZ
2012: Oct 25, ZK-TAF, Strikemaster Ltd, Auckland NZ

Some refer to this P-51 as "Canterbury's Finest"

The Last of the Wild Horses

P-51 Survivors book featuring images from Dick Phillips and John Dienst, with Mark Phillips. To order, goto The Last of the Wild Horses. You can order online. Price is $100 for pages and pages of P-51 Survivor history and photos. Over 2,500 photos! The late Dick Phillips shared hundreds of his P-51 images with us at MustangsMustangs over the last 25 years. If you can, help support his life-long passion. I recently ordered my copy.

Thank you!
Curtis Fowles, MustangsMustangs

29 Images of   44-74829   ZK-TAF   "Rudolph" on file
Images of   44-74829
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Image Credits:
  Phillip Treweek   Kiwi Aircraft Images  
  Alex Mitchell   Warbirds over New Zealand  
  John Parker   website pics  
  Rob Neil    
  Gavin Conroy   Airliners.net  
  Dave Welch Collection   Dave Welch Collection  
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