| Status: | Flying |
| NAA Type: | P-51D-25NA |
| Serial #: | 44-72811 |
| Registry: | D-FBUN |
| .. past: | N268BD N251RC N471R |
1944: S/N 44-72811 C/N 122-39270
1945: 8th AF 361st FG 374th FS
--------
195?: NJ ANG, 119th FS
1955: Universal Studios, Hollywood CA
--------
1980: recovered mainplane from Universal Studios w/ parts from Israeli P-51, Pete Regina / Ascher Ward
1981: photo of N268BD at CAF Harlington (Oct) in bare metal, no markings
1983: N268BD, Phil "Buck" Dear, Terry MS, restoration at Chino. Flew as "Big Beautiful Doll"
1987: N268BD, Bob Byrne, Bloomington MI, "Checkered Mustang"
1988: N251RC, Bob Converse, Sister OR
1989: N471R, Bob Converse, "Huntress III"
--------
From Dick Phillips:
44-72811 was retired from the the 119th FS NJ ANG in May 1955 and sold to Universal Studios, and was later used in the film, BATTLE HYMN. The center section of the fuselage was rescued from the movie backlot in the 1970's and mated to wings and other components from a mustang obtained from Israel by the Regina Brothers. While under restoration, the aircraft was sold to Phillip Dear of Terry, MS who completed the work. It was finished as "Big Beautiful Doll" and registered as N268BD, for his nickname, "Buck Dear". In 1987, Bob Byrne of Bloomfield MI bought it and changed the paint to "CHECKERED MUSTANG". In 1988, Byrne sold it to Bob Converse of Sisters, OR and it became N471R and repainted as "Huntress III".
--------
1995: N471R, movie work, "Tuskegee Airmen"
2006: Aug 21, N471R, Bob Hannah Aviation LLC, Caldwell ID
2007: N471R, sold to a group in Germany
- assembly, repaint, Meir Motors, Freiburg Germany
2010: D-FBUN, Stephan Bungarten, Germany
2025: D-FBUN, photo, bare metal, star and bars
1945: 8th AF 361st FG 374th FS
--------
195?: NJ ANG, 119th FS
1955: Universal Studios, Hollywood CA
--------
1980: recovered mainplane from Universal Studios w/ parts from Israeli P-51, Pete Regina / Ascher Ward
1981: photo of N268BD at CAF Harlington (Oct) in bare metal, no markings
1983: N268BD, Phil "Buck" Dear, Terry MS, restoration at Chino. Flew as "Big Beautiful Doll"
1987: N268BD, Bob Byrne, Bloomington MI, "Checkered Mustang"
1988: N251RC, Bob Converse, Sister OR
1989: N471R, Bob Converse, "Huntress III"
--------
From Dick Phillips:
44-72811 was retired from the the 119th FS NJ ANG in May 1955 and sold to Universal Studios, and was later used in the film, BATTLE HYMN. The center section of the fuselage was rescued from the movie backlot in the 1970's and mated to wings and other components from a mustang obtained from Israel by the Regina Brothers. While under restoration, the aircraft was sold to Phillip Dear of Terry, MS who completed the work. It was finished as "Big Beautiful Doll" and registered as N268BD, for his nickname, "Buck Dear". In 1987, Bob Byrne of Bloomfield MI bought it and changed the paint to "CHECKERED MUSTANG". In 1988, Byrne sold it to Bob Converse of Sisters, OR and it became N471R and repainted as "Huntress III".
--------
1995: N471R, movie work, "Tuskegee Airmen"
2006: Aug 21, N471R, Bob Hannah Aviation LLC, Caldwell ID
2007: N471R, sold to a group in Germany
- assembly, repaint, Meir Motors, Freiburg Germany
2010: D-FBUN, Stephan Bungarten, Germany
2025: D-FBUN, photo, bare metal, star and bars
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
Image Credits:
John Jeffers
James P. Church
Curtis Fowles MustangsMustangs
Mark Kallio
Jochen Thoma
James P. Church
Curtis Fowles MustangsMustangs
Mark Kallio
Jochen Thoma
Need to use any of over 9000 P-51 Survivor images at MustangsMustangs? Please read our Image Use Guidelines.