David,

Thank you for the reply. I don’t think now that it was an exported plane, but an attempt to perhaps uphold British honor against the possible F-82 record setter from 1947. It seems that the F-82 entered could have been the same plane as the record setter, although I think everyone looked at the DC-6 and eventually saw that grand lady couldn’t be beat. I wonder if DH took on the project with “Slick”‘s promotion or if it was the other way around? ….A shame there are none left….Thank you for your efforts to bring one back!

F-82 Info…

“On 27 February 1947, P-82B 44-65168, named Betty Jo and flown by Colonel Robert E. Thacker, made history when it flew nonstop from Hawaii to New York without refueling, a distance of 5,051 mi (8,129 km) in 14 hr 32 min using 1,816 US Gallons of fuel. To this day, it remains the longest nonstop flight ever made by a propeller-driven fighter, and the fastest such a distance has ever been covered in a piston-engined aircraft.”

Incidentally that is an 872 minute flight at 5.79 miles per minute, or 347.54 mph average…at 2.78138 miles per gallon…or 2.0817 gallons per minute. Meaning each Merlin engine consumed 1.0409 Gallons per minute at that speed. The engines apparently were V-1650-23 and 25 engines of which only 40 were made of each type. Simply an amazing flight.

Graham,

The two seaters are “factory” TEMCO built aircraft that were built and flown during 1951 to provide high performance tailwheel training to transitioning “Jet Only” pilots that were having trouble coming to grips with the Mustang. There were 15 built during 1951 at the factory in Dallas (Great Plains) Texas that had been the NAA P-51 factory during the second world war. The factory chose a fairly tight group of stored? P-51D-25NT’s to convert. They were all done by Mid 1952 as far as can be determined. Of the 15 there are currently three survivors… The plane is a full two panel two seat aircraft with a different canopy that was unique.

I am hoping to do a book on the TP/TF Mustangs, along with the subsequent Cavalier builds/conversions and finally all of the conversions done by several restoration shops over the years currently flying.

The “Temco” plane is little understood, and has been certainly a difficult research project. On many websites they are misnamed “Tempco” or treated as NAA factory TP-51D’s but are in fact different from those ten as well. To muddy things here is a turboprop conversion that lived briefly in Florida…note the distinctive double bubble canopy. By the way, each canopy is subtly different, and TF builders in the 1990’s felt that you needed to blow 3 to get the one you liked. Some are sleeker than others…

would anyone have a South Korean contact who may have access to some ROKAF docs or info?

The single seaters in the USA as far as I can determine on the USCR….

MIG15 N115MJ 03274 MIKOYAN/HANSEN ALBERT C MIG 15 BIS HUNTER JOHN C St. George Utah Jet Museum, overall red color, currently static
MIG15 N15MG 1411 MIKOYAN MIG-15BIS KLIMOV VK-1A EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC Red Tailed Mig 15 at EAA Museum, Oshkosh Wi, currently static
MIG15 N90589 2292 MIKOYAN MIG-15BIS KLIMOV VK-1A WESTERN AEROSPACE MUSEUM Oakland numbered 1170 this Mig 15 is at Oakland Airport Museum red lightning bolt
MIG15 N51MG 1961 MIKOYAN MIG-15BIS KLIMOV VK-1A NASW FOUNDATION NAS Wildwood NJ Museum numbered 23 static display, donated Jim Beasley
MIG15 N15YY 1B01016 MIKOYAN/Polish built? MIG-15BIS KLIMOV VK-1A COMBAT AIR MUSEUM INC black jet #1016 on static display Forbes Field Topeka KS Steve Craig
MIG15 N7013N 81676 CHINA/SESSLER MIG 15 BIS deregistered 18 May 2011, assembled Chino 1988, still exists?
MIG15 N7013L 81072 CHINA/SESSLER MIG 15 BIS USMCAS El Toro Museum, now at NAS Miramar Museum, static Govt Musem
MIG15 N996 122071 STATE AIRCRAFT FACTORIES MIG 15 KLIMOV VK-1A KLINGELE TERENCE G For Sale Courtesy, $55,000 ex Chinese Navy now “996” ferriable
MIG15 N87CN 910-51 STATE AIRCRAFT FACTORIES MIG 15 AIR MUSEUM Planes of Fame North Korean AF 1051 Airworthy
MIG15 N567KT 1A07014 MIKOYAN GUREVICH SB LIM-2 RICE JAMES L III ex N70040, unknown if aircraft exists
MIG15 N5136T 1A11014 MIKOYAN GUREVICH SB LIM-2 SW FLORIDA DEFENSE ANTIQUITIES MUSEUM INC alleged to unknown owner in Wilcox, AZ, extant?
MIG15 N416JM 1B01416 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG 15 MACGUIRE JOHN assembled Reno 88 and last seen aprox 1990, John MacGuire, storage?
MIG15 N621BM 1B01621 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG 15 MACGUIRE JOHN ex Polish, “1621” static display Kalamazoo Air Museum,
MIG15 N614BM 1B01614 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG 15 MACGUIRE JOHN Black Painted static display NAS Fallon aircraft park, display only
MIG15 N629BM 1B01629 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG 15 MACGUIRE JOHN ex Polish, registration current, Theresa MacGuire, stored?
MIG15 N13KM 1B01013 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG 15 WAR EAGLES AIR MUSEUM static displayed as “1013” War Eagles Museum NM