So who fancies a Mustang?

N.Wotherspoon I think you have established, that the parts for sale are not from 44-13593.

I guess the seller just wanted to “attach” a bit of history to the bits, or perhaps had beem told this when he acquired them himself.

If there are no serial numbers (other than pencil marks, which we can all make) then its a stretch to identify parts as belonging to a specific aircraft, unless you have dug them out of the ground on a known crash site.

I can see some general interest in the instruments (why on earth didn’t he make a metal panel?) and grip, but the rest have very little charm outside the circle of dedicated collectors, and i guess they would find the price too high (unless it was a famous bird, like “Glamorous Glennis”).

I mean if the 1944 crash investigation removed it from the site, it could have ended up in private hands along the way.

Yes the remains were removed to Warton for examination – However They didnt just give bits away! Burtie was very popular on the base & his loss felt very deeply, they would not have wanted the bits ending up as souveniers.

In the case of the Freckelton disaster they went to great lengths to dispose of the remains of the aircraft so this would not happen & I would feel the same probably happened in this case.

I recall the seller mentioning in an email to me some time ago, that the “serial” no is marked somewhere on the inside of the canopy frame – I may not recall correctly but I think “in pencil” was mentioned? – I was not convinced as the damage is not consistant with the force of the impact + the starboard wing folded in flight and struck the canopy with considerable force, probably killing Burtie at that point.

Finally there was an intense fire at the crash site, which was difficult for emergency vehicles to access, so the fueslage was completely destroyed before it could be extinguised – our dig certainly produced exvidence to support this.

Could he have gotten the items from other sources?

I mean if the 1944 crash investigation removed it from the site, it could have ended up in private hands along the way.

I just love this bit:

“If you are a capable Engineer and would like a challenge this project is for”.

THB i wouldnt mind the bits, but the asking price is a bit steep.

PS. Tangmere1940, do you have my “Valdemar Atterdag” Spitfire 🙂

P-51 Mustang

Whilst I agree with most that has been said here, it wouldn’t be the first time that a warbird has been (is being!) rebuilt from not much more than this. 😀 Mind you, if it were an Airfix kit I’d be mightily peeved to open the box and find so many bits missing!! I hate to think how many rain forests would need to be felled to provide me with all those missing part slips I’d need to send to tell Mr Airfix that I seemed to have only the canopy, the wheels and a few bits of mangled sprue. Seems this does not even have anything of substance identity-wise, no radio call i/d plate from the panel etc etc etc. Hardly “…a robust and continuing provenance”. :diablo:

Ahem!!!

Please see: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/P-51%2044-13593%20article.htm

I have corresponded with this guy a couple of times & have to say I really cannot see how he gives this collection its identity – what happened to this aircraft is well documented and the BAD2 association were surprised that we managed to find anything, as the destruction was so complete and the post crash investigation so thorough. I also have a reliable witness account of how those first on the scene of the crash tried to hack through the partly shattered canopy to drag poor Burtie out, but were beaten back by the fire.

“This was to be a rebuild to a taxiable condition but has now grown to big for my workshop and will now have to go”.

Normally when a project is too big this means a built fuselage or wing sections has outgrown its garage. In this case I think there are too many box’s of bits that the missus has told him to get rid!!
I think if there was any aforementioned large pieces, why not have a picture of them?

I think that where it says “taxable” this really means in the box’s and on a trailer :rolleyes:

Brian.

You just redefined taxiable.

Maybe not a Smithsonian level restoration, but if the wheels go round, they go round.

Hard to see how this is a warbird project, but might be nice for someone who want a bit of a cockpit type setup, but taxiable?.

Its got a pair of wheels thus it can be made taxiable :p

Im lead to believe the first lump of metal is the base of the control collum so theres a bit. Although the top is wrong.

Hard to see how this is a warbird project, but might be nice for someone who want a bit of a cockpit type setup, but taxiable?.

I have no idea about the price, but i guess the canopy edge is worth a few bob.
Nothing else seem of any value (at least not £4000 worth). Instruments seem to go for £30-50 when i have seen them on Ebay, but there might be rare ones among this sale (enter the Mustang avionics evaluater please).

I would be very interested to see where they got the weight estimate from. Has anyone got any idea how much a canopy edge bit would be worth? Thats proberably the most valuable bit there by the looks.

So the vendor has some gauges, some wheels, bit of a canopy, errr…. a few other bits…. and it’s the chance to build a taxi-able ‘stang.