As I told you, I want to introduce you the planes stored and maintained at MeierMotors. So, at first my favorite plane at EDTG …. how should I say, the plane “talks” to me. It´s a bit special I know. There are not many planes which talk to me, but this one does. Perhaps its the history, I dont know. Its everytime a special moment when I am alone with this ship.
Of course I invite you to share this thread with me, will say, post all informations and pictures you have concerning 44-72773 in this thread. Since I met the Lady I am researching the history of that fighter, but there are not many pictures of her life before, especially her combat life.
okay some newer history ……
This aircraft belonged to „The Real Airplane Company“ (England, Yorkshire) and was sold to MeierMotors in 2007. On 30th of September 2007 the ferryflight from Great Britain to Freiburg Airfield was announced. Die plane was baptized “Susy”, later “Darlin Ann”.
In the year 2009 the plane was sold to the new owner Christoph Noethiger, and this one gave that beautiful bird the new idendity “Lucky Lady VII”.
…. and here´s the vita << thanks to Mustangsmustangs.com for your help
Construction Number 122-39232, USAAF Serial 44-72773
13.02.1945: accepted by the USAAF
16.02.1945: delivered to the USAAF
02.03.1945: arrived at Newark/ New Jersey
12.03.1945: ferried to South Italy >> any pictures ?
16.03.1945: action over Italy (??)
28.08.1945: ferried back to the USA, „surplus“, storage 4108th BASUT
03.03.1947: ferried to Kelly Field, storage 4121 BASUT
09.09.1951: 131st Fighter Bomber Wing, George AFB, Victorville/ CA
07.06.1953: Air Material Center at Norton AFB, CA
14.02.1954: 182nd Fighter Bomber Squadron, Texas ANG, Brooks AFB in San Antonio
31.05.1958: sold as surplus
31.05.1958: Fuerza Area De La Guardia Nacional De Nicaragua reg. GN120
08.07.1963: new owner Will Martin, Palos Park/Illinois, civil RegNr. N12066
The Mustang had at this “second” 805:25 flighthours
15.07.1963: Aero Enterprises Inc.
03.12.1963: Appliance Buyess Credit Coroporation
13.04.1964: new owner D.C. Barratt
15.12.1964: new owner Variety Motors Aircraft Sales
15.12.1964: new owner Alvin B.Celcer
15.06.1965: sold to J.N.Buchinall Jr., Texas
23.04.1983: sold to Robert L. Ferguson, Massachusetts
18.06.1987: sold to Charles Church, G-SUSY
1990 : new owner Paul Morgan, “Susy” later July 2006 „Darlin Ann“
2007 : new owner MeierMotors GmbH
2009 : sold to Christoph Nöthiger (Switzerland), “Lucky Lady VII”, Crew Chief: Stefan Hangartner (Switzerland)
The aircraft got rid of the colours in December 2008. The plane was polished by the MeierMotors-Team and shows now a bare metal skin.
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A North American P-51 Mustang in pure shape.
As the plane was polished, all those historic scars were kept and not restored. So this fighter plane kept is historic up to the smallest scratch.
This pure elegance was also emphasized through the new idendity “Lucky Lady VII” .
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By: trumper - 12th December 2012 at 11:10
🙂 Nice to see so much expertise in youngsters
By: Rocketeer - 11th December 2012 at 22:27
very very nice!
By: Matthias Dorst - 11th December 2012 at 22:14
10 hours control November 2012
Mustang rulez 😀
Patrick at work
Mr.Merlin, Felix Ohlhoff
Erik doing some hydraulic tests
Teamwork
By: Matthias Dorst - 11th December 2012 at 22:09
some impressions
….
blacknwhite
By: Matthias Dorst - 11th December 2012 at 22:07
some updates
finalworks end August 2012
By: Matthias Dorst - 11th December 2012 at 22:05
some updates
End 2011 Lucky Lady VII suffered an engine damage. The Merlin was revised by MeierMotors engine partner Vintage V12´s Tehachapi/CA
June 2012 , the Lucky Lady got her new heart and a revised propeller
stock-exhausts 65mm
and those glass-sparkplugs for dehyrdating the engine while transport
By: The Blue Max - 26th February 2011 at 08:55
Good to see the old girl again. I spent many a happy hour or two in the back seat when Paul owned her. She will always be SUSY to me im affraid and she will always have a place in the hearts of those at Sywell who remember her days their with dear much missed and never forgotten Paul Morgan.
I have many pictures somewhere, will dig them out sometime.
By: T6flyer - 25th February 2011 at 23:12
What a superb photo. Pity didn’t have someone alongside me when had my first flight. But had a good friend on the ground at North Weald that took some lovely photos, which have since had framed and now hang in my study.
Martin
By: PerfectPic Co. - 25th February 2011 at 20:45
G-SUSY air to air JUly 2006
enjoy
By: T6flyer - 24th February 2011 at 08:49
Years ago, it seems N12066 was available to anyone with $1,000 for a Mustang checkout-
see here
Thanks for the link. What a wonderful read into the past life of this very Mustang. Superb stuff indeed.
It’s such a shame that the internet wasn’t around when the history was first being put together. Would have made things happen a lot quicker as sometimes it took weeks for correspondence to arrive from some part of the world.
Martin
By: davski - 23rd February 2011 at 21:08
Taff Smith bought the Mustang from the Morgan family late 2004/early 2005 and based it at Breighton alongside Rob Fleming’s Hurricane and Buchon. The aircraft was renamed ‘Darlin’ Ann’ around July 2007, I guess after Mrs Taff. We had a lot of fun with ‘Susy’, I flew to the Czech Republic in the jump seat with Taff which was the stuff of dreams, especially with Brian Brown flying alongside us in the Hurricane. Happy days.
By: Propstrike - 23rd February 2011 at 21:00
Years ago, it seems N12066 was available to anyone with $1,000 for a Mustang checkout-
see here
By: redvanner - 23rd February 2011 at 20:59
No old pictures, but “new” ones. August 2010 Breitscheid Airshow. All pics copyright by me.
Feel free to browse my other uploaded pics at photobucket.
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/kk208/michaelmlerg/
Michael
By: T6flyer - 23rd February 2011 at 19:54
And here is the other photo!
Martin
We never found any real documentation to say that it did see service in Italy. From what I can remember the transfer codes were on the paperwork, but no reference to any unit was ever given. Will have to have another look soon to jog my memory as havent touched any of it for over 15 years.
By: T6flyer - 23rd February 2011 at 19:40
I knew Paul Morgan in the late 80s-90s and did a lot of work researching the histories of his Chipmunk, T-6G Texan and this very Mustang. Somewhere at home I have a lot of reference material including copies of the USAAF history documents for this Mustang. Will have a little look for them and send them on, as they are no use to me now.
Seeing the old photos, jogged my memory and again somewhere have another old photo of her in American civilian colours. Will have to find that too!!!
Had my first flight in her at North Weald in June 1992. As had only been in Harvards before then, was a bit of a shock to the system, performance wise, but an utterly remarkable experience and one never to be forgotten!!!
Look forward to seeing more here on this lovely old lady.
Best wishes,
Martin Pengelly
Edit: Just found this one in my collection….was not the one I was thinking of!!
By: 92fis - 23rd February 2011 at 00:43
Stunning looking Mustang, good to see it in the colours of the 364th from my local airfield. Love the shot ‘over the Alps’.
One small correction it was still called Susy during the time that Paul Morgan owned it, it was later named Darlin Ann sometime after July 2006 during its time at Breighton.
By: The Bump - 22nd February 2011 at 23:33
Beautiful, great to see a P-51 wearing the markings of one of the lesser known units of the Eighth.
By: mike currill - 22nd February 2011 at 13:27
Mathias vielen dank. Fantastic set of pictures. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying the we look forward to your updates on the progress at MM.
By: ChrisGlobe - 22nd February 2011 at 13:22
What an immaculate finish, a very well done to the MeierMotors team!
By: Matthias Dorst - 22nd February 2011 at 13:22
looking for further information …..
thats it …. this is the story of the “Lucky Lady VII” hope you enjoyed my thread.
Feel free to post your pictures of 44-72773 in this thread. I would be very happy when there are some pictures of the old times, will say times when the fighter was used by armed forces.
here some pictures of 44-72773 in the civil aera
N120066 in the year 1964, source MustangsMustangs.com , copyright Howard Chilton
source MustangsMustangs.com, copyright overthere !
early shot of the Susy
in camouflage … source mustangsmustangs.com, copyright Ben Rogers
I hope you will hijack this thread with information, photos and stories ! Would be fine 🙂
Keep ´em flying !
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February 22, 2011 at 1:13 pm