A68-1: first Australian built P-51 Mustang. Built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fishermans Bend, Melbourne.
1945: Apr 29, First Flight!
1945: Jun 04, RAAF, BOC, systems flight testing
1945: used for developing fire-bombing and crop-dusting techniques
1948: Dec 14, minor landing incident - tail wheel retracted on landing
1949: RAAF Tocumwal for disposal
1952: Oct 07, stored, RAAF Tocumwal NSW
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1953: Mar 31, SOC, flown to Emu SA, south Australian desert
1953: Oct, testing, used in atomic tests (w/ 5 other P-51s) then left in the desert - the P-51 was placed less than 1 KM from the blast
1953: Oct 15, bombs, Totem 1 then Totem 2, detonated
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1967: Bid for 6 surplus P-51s from Stanley Booker of Stans Aircraft Sales, Fresno CA, was accepted.
- Booker highed Toney Schwerdt and others to remove the aircraft from the test site. Payment was they get to keep the best P-51!
1967: surplus, Peter Hookway / Hookway Aviation, Clayton VIC
1967: recovered, from desert, Tony Schwerdt, Adelaide-Parafield Australia
1967: Oct 31, recovered, Schwerdt fixed and flew it out of Emu to Cooper Pedy
1967: restoration, restored and named "Desert Rat" registered VH-EMU but assigned VH-EMS.
Registration was a big problem for Schwerdt. It took over 2 years and finally he had to sell A68-1 to a Stan Booker.
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Less than a few weeks after it was sold, the registration was approved!
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1968: Apr 15, sale, Stanley Booker / Stan Air Inc, Fresno CA, Bill of Sale from International Air LTD. / Peter Hookway / Tony Schwerdt
1968: Sep 30, N7773, reg, Stanley Booker / Stan Air Inc, Fresno CA, FAA listed as P-51C
1968: Oct 07, N7773, import, Stanley Booker / Stan Air Inc, Fresno CA
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No other FAA Registry records of N7773 after 1968
No airworthiness certificate issued
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1969: N7773, sale, Ed Jurist, NY
1969: Jun, N7773, A68-1, shipped, to USA (deck cargo). Aircraft was damaged during shipment, considered at the time worthless. Also rep. missing parts.
1970: N7773, sale, Randy Sohn / Roger Baker / CAF, Harlingen TX
1973: N7773, moved to Harlingen TX
197?: N7773, sale, John Sandberg, Robstown TX
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197?: parts collecting, Darrel Skurich, restoration
1980: Oct 08, FAA stamp, undated-sale, N51WB (44-15757) from Carl Pederson (paperwork), Darrell Skurich, Fort Collins CO
1980: restoration, Darrel Skurich / Vintage Aircraft Ltd, Fort Collins CO
1980: Sep 26, N51WB, adopted, 44-15757, Darrel Skurich, Fort Collins CO
1980: Aug 04, N51WB, sale, Whittington Bros., Ft.Lauderdale FL
1980: Nov 03, N51WB, Airworthiness Certificate - first on record
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1981: Sep, N51WB, Reno Air Races #38 "Levitz Mustang" - Qualified 18th @ 339 - Silver 4th @ 343 - Gary Levitz
1981: Sep 15, N51WB, sale, Gary Levitz / Western Aircraft Leasing Co, Dallas TX
1982: Sep, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Kangaroo" - Qualified 19th @ 343 - Bronze 1st @ 356 - George Roberts
1982: Sep 17, N51WB, sale, Wiley Sanders, Troy AL
1983: Sep, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Qualified 24th @ 334 - Medallion 2nd @ 358 - John Putman
- forced landing from runaway prop, repaired
1985: Sep 15, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Finished 1st in Bronze at 355 mph - Wiley Sanders
1986: Sep 14, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Finished 1st in Silver at 403 mph - Wiley Sanders
1987: Sep 20, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Finished 1st in Bronze at 375 mph - Ron Hevle
1988: Sep 18, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Finished 3rd in Silver at 399 mph - Ron Hevle
1989: Sep 17, N51WB, Reno Air Races #96 "Jeanie Too" - Finished 1st in Silver at 398 mph - Ron Hevle
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2019: March 27, Wiley Sanders passed away, he was 78.
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