Hello there,
I have recently discovered a photo of a P-51D Mustang, that was taken on 26th February 1967, at Harewood, NZ.
The partial registration of the aircraft is ZK-Cxx.
Does anyone know if she still survives today, and if so where?
Many thanks in advance!
Mark
By: stringbag - 29th August 2004 at 09:57
That’s it! Thanks guys!
By: LaurentB - 29th August 2004 at 06:53
The March 1977 issue of Air Classics had a very good article on that Mustang.
The paint scheme on your picture should look like this, Mark:
HTH,
Laurent
By: Dave Homewood - 29th August 2004 at 03:47
I think I’m right is saying that P51D ZK-CCG was the only Mustang to fly in New Zealand between the time the type was retired in New Zealand till Tim Wallis imported his first one in the 1980’s (which is now based at Ardmore).
Most of the P51D’s that left RNZAF service were broken down when they were sold off for scrap, and components turned up all over the place. In the Nelson-Motueka area several wheels became trailers and the Merlins were mounted onto the trailers with prop and all, and they towed the engines running at full tilt between the apple tree rows in the orchards there, blowing the frost off them. I have this info firsthand from my Dad who worked on an orchard in the area and remembers the early-morning sounds of Merlins in the valleys. There’d probably still be a lot of Mustang parts around that region if someone bothered to look.
By: crazymainer - 29th August 2004 at 00:19
Yak Fan,
If its Kermits plane which it appears to be, it was owned at the time of the photo by Ron Fechney and Jack MacDonald from Aylesbury. They sold it to John Schaffhausen of Spokane WA. Kermit bought it from Gene Stocker in 1979.
I beleive this was one of Kermits first warbirds.
Cheers Crazymainer
By: Yak 11 Fan - 29th August 2004 at 00:01
Sounds like Kermit Week’s aircraft 45-11507 ex ZK-CCG & RNZAF2417
By: Consul - 29th August 2004 at 00:01
Ex NZ P-51
ZK-CCG perhaps, which went to the US as N921 and I recall seeing it in the museum at Tamiami FL, the airframe being painted as Cripes All Mighty 3rd or something similar. That Museum was hit by a hurricane in the early 90s but the machine was restored again and I assume is still owned by KW.
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August 28, 2004 at 11:42 pm