Who Case: 152
Just checking in again!










































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Just checking in again!

Who Case: 433
The Cavalier Tail wasn't developed by TransFlorida/Cavalier.
It 1st appeared on a P-51B late in WWII as North American worked to improve Very High Speed Stability on the Mustang. The Triangle Dorsal Fillet was a previous improvement incorporated.
NACA incorporated the Tall Tail Mod on a Fleet of P-51s used for R&D High Speed Research. Was used as a flying Wind Tunnel by bolting Test Items to the top of the wing over the Gun Bay. This area had alum plates shaped and bolted onto the top of the wing over the gun bay. At A/C speed of Mach .8-.82 the airflow over that part of the upper wing would go Supersonic. The Tall Tail helped with stability at the very high speeds.
The NACA P-51s were sold surplus in 1958 IIRC. Lindsey ended up with one and copied the tall tall mod as an upsale item. That Airframe was the 4th P-51D-5 produced and was kept by NAA for developement work. It ended up with NACA.
There are 2 othe NACA P-51D survivors I know of. One is also flying up in Idaho. The other ended up with Mike Couches and today is in storage with his son.
This who case may then be one of these I mentioned. Of them, two went to Civil Buyers in the late 50s. The one in Idaho was displayed at Reading Airport and then Pittsburgh before being acquired in a trade in the early 90s and restored.

Who Case: 406
I worked with Ray Hughes (who had planes at Olympia Airport and who had a son that worked at Olympia Airport), Ray got me into taking flying lessons back in early 1977 and he took me and my father (who also used to work with Ray) out to the airport and set up a deal where I was going to spend an entire weeks paycheck (I was a Carpenter Apprentice at the time) to pay for the fuel so I go could go for a ride in that P51D. I got to go look at it and was allowed to climb up into it and set in the pilots seat - talk about a rush. Anyway, I was supposed to go for a ride in it in about two weeks and unfortunately before I got to go for my ride it was crashed at the Olympia Airport. Rays son seen the crash. Anyway, always have had memories of that plane - if anyone has photos of the plane and copies of the newspaper article about the crash I'd sure be appreciative if they could email me copies?

Thanks,
George

Who Case: 331
I lived near the Amana, Iowa, airfield. We always knew when Doc was flying!

Who Case: 130
Can confirm this plane’s appearance in Bunny Yeager’s Nude Camera, 1963.

Who Case: 433
It looks like it has the taller Cavalier tail on it. Did the tall tail exist or was it common in 1959?

Who Case: 141
Earlier this evening, I happened upon a website concernng the North American P-52 Mustang. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Vern Peterson while living in Texas in the mid 1980’s. We drove to his hangar near Gainesville on the East side of I35. He was a very personable and kind man. My then husband was taken up for a ride and Mr. Peterson did a front roll with him. They landed and he was green. I was excited to ride in his P51 and had the most thrilling flight of my life. He did a side roll and it was such a wonderful experience, we came down with a wide smile on my face that just didn’t go away for a long time. A few years later, when I was a Used Car Title Clerk for Huffines Chevrolet in Lewisville on I35, I processed a trade with his name on the title. I was curious and was told his widow had traded the truck, I believe. The story shared with me was that he’d been flying his P51, experienced a heart attack, but managed to land safely without damage to the aircraft, and dying. This fine gentleman was an absolute rock, calm, steady, gifted and most experienced pilot who, I was told, flew the Hawaii flights for American Airlines. I’ll always remember that most wonderful day and exciting flight that still puts that smile on my face. Thank you, Mr. Peterson, for giving me an unforgettable day. If ever I could have one wish for a power or ability, it would be flight. I erroneously remembered his surname as Anderson. Thank you all for correcting my mistake.

Who Case: 327
I flew with John Steinmetz in the early’70 out of Gainesville, GA. I was crammed in the back of his P-51. He was an Eastern Airlines pilot based in Boston
We flew into ATL and I got off on EA ramp for my connecting flight
Was a memorable trip

Who Case: 436
This is 44-84857, N7343C. It is also the same photo as in case # 213.

Who Case: 104
I was an instructor at OXC in the early 80s and learned to fly there in 73. I helped push his Bearcat in and out of the main hanger. One of the great sights was when he came in with about 5 other Mustangs and a Corsair. The last one in to park was the Corsair. It got to the row to park saw it was to tight…. folded the wings and parked. When the canopies opened some of the most beautiful woman got out of the back seat.

The best though was a lineman and friend Al Amato called me and said would you give a biennial check to George in the P-51. It was a ride of a life time. George briefed me that if the plane had an issue he’d jet the canopy so I could bail out. I said I’d stick with him. I was an A-10 pilot at RAF Woodbridge in the Uk when Al let me know he died. Good guy I did a slow roll in his honor.