| Status: | Flying |
| NAA Type: | P-51D-30NA |
| Serial #: | 44-74829 |
| Registry: | ZK-TAF |
| .. past: | N8675E N169MD N769MD N6125C? |
S/N 44-74829 C/N 122-41369
--------
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, Canastota NY
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
- pax bailed out at 3000 agl, minor injuries
- Burns Byrum piloted the stricken P-51 to a belly landing in a farm field, minor injuries
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, N769MD, 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
2025: Aug 31, ZK-TAF, active/flying, YSCO Scone Australia
Some refer to this P-51 as "Canterbury's Finest"
--------
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, Canastota NY
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
- pax bailed out at 3000 agl, minor injuries
- Burns Byrum piloted the stricken P-51 to a belly landing in a farm field, minor injuries
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, N769MD, 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
2025: Aug 31, ZK-TAF, active/flying, YSCO Scone Australia
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
Image Credits:
Curtis Fowles Collection
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
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
Need to use any of over 9000 P-51 Survivor images at MustangsMustangs? Please read our Image Use Guidelines.