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The North American P-51 Mustang
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P-51 Mustang Survivors
44-72446 N12700
Don Knapp, Ft.Lauderdale FL
P-51 Survivor 44-72446 N12700
Status: Crashed/Dest. 1990
NAA Type: P-51D-20NA
Serial #: 44-72446
Registry: N12700
.. past:   N6164U
  P-51 Mustangs Survivors  
History: 44-72446 N12700
1944: 9th AF, 370th FG, 485th FS
1944: 8th AF, 355th FG, 354th FS "WR P"
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1945: Swedish AF as Fv26139, dismantled transported by rail to Sweden from Nuremberg Germany
1955: rep. total 910 hrs
1955: export, Nicaragua as GN 76 FAN
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1963: N6164U, MACO Sales / Will Martin (Maco/FAA docs show N6164U as 44-78246 NOT a P-51 SN)
1963: Jul 25, N12700, 44-26139 (not a P-51 SN), import, from Nicaragua, Maco Corp, Palos Park IL
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1963: Jul 25, ferry flight from Las Mercedes airfield, Managua Nicaragua
1963: Jul 26, forced landing, over-heated engine, on the beach near Poza Rica Mexico, impounded by Mexican government
- painted in FAM colors
1965: Aug 17, N6164U, Letter to FAA from MACO Corp, listed as scrapped, w/ serial# 44-78246
1972: released from Mexican impound after "storage fees" paid by Will Martin, trucked to US
1972: N12700, parts, delivered from Mexico damaged from chain tie-down
1973: Oct 18, N12700, sale, Will Martin, Palos Park IL, restoration Midway Airport Chicago
- merlin engine from Budweiser racing boat team
1975: Feb 20, N12700, first-flight, "El Gato Rapido"
197?: one-wheel landing, gear stuck - Will Martin - repaired
1981: Apr 04, N12700, sale, Don Knapp / DK Precision Inc, Ft. Lauderdale FL
1981: Sep 25, N12700, reg, Don Knapp / DK Precision Inc, Ft. Lauderdale FL
1990: Jun 23, N12700, crashed, Dyess AFB TX, stalled base/final - Knapp killed

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

4 Images of   44-72446   N12700   on file
Images of   44-72446
P-51
P-51
P-51
P-51
Image Credits:
  David Lednicer    
  Glenn Chatfield    
  Dave Welch Collection   Dave Welch Collection  
  Dick Phillips   Warbird Images  
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