What is the history of N251RJ before her recent restoration?

I looked her up on the Warbirds Registry but there’s not a lot there: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/p51-4484847.html

Perhaps someone else can enlighten us but I’m thinking that it may have been a roughly P-51 shaped pile of aluminium that was rebuilt with a lot of new components and parts. I could be wrong of course, and either way it won’t make me enjoy the end results any less :rolleyes:

Interesting post on Excalibur III by the way. Somewhere in my collection there’s a Smithsonian issued book about this airframe and its history, but I’d forgotten that bit about her! I need to reread that one I think.

This morning in the local (Amsterdam edition) Metro newspaper, on the front page:

Commotion about stunting fighter plane

Amsterdam police received hundreds of phone calls yesterday afternoon about a stunting airplane over the Amstelstation. The Spitfire performed all kinds of manouvres, like loopings, in the airspace over the station. Frightened and concerned locals thought that the airplane, a British fighter plane from WW II, would end up in the station, according to a police spokesperson. The police however didn’t know that the Dutch CAA had given permission for the performance, they had forgotten to report it. The display was an advertising stunt for a football tournament.

(my translation)

You’d think that people could appreciate a display from such a wonderful piece of historic technology, but apparently we’re all just a bunch of frightened cowards these days! 😎

Your office must be real close to mine then!

Yeah, I saw the same thing, definitively MK732 showing its stuff. There is an event held at the football fields between the Gooiseweg and Duivendrecht and I’ve got a feeling this was related: European Controllers cup 2007

Correct. On the Dutch register, safely in a hangar at Gilze Rijen Airbase and operated by the Dutch Airforce Historical Flight (http://www.skhv.nl – website in Dutch, click on ‘vliegtuigen’ in the main menu for pictures).

I think a Meteor T.7 – isn’t the framing the nose undercarraige attachment framing?

Indeed it is the nose gear support of a T.7. I think this airframe was previously on display at Twenthe Airbase, I’ve got some old photos of it there.

Edit: found the photos.

Boomer jr. I’ve sent you a PM. I think I may have a photo for you.

Floatplanes can be landed on grass theoretically, and in practice it happens as well. Usually done when a plane needs to be hangared for maintenance, or is stored during the winter. Getting them off the ground again can mean disassembly and transportation by road, or flying them off a car-pulled dolly. See two video’s on this page: http://www.alexisparkinn.com/water_aviation_video.htm

i’d like to see an airworthy HP-42, or maybee an Airspeed Ambassador/Elisabethan.
there was another rather gorgeous airliner out in the 50’s as well, 4 engined, low wing, 4 slender faired engines twin fins, and i can’t for the life of me remember its name…..anyway would love to see one flying!

Did you mean this one?

(De Havilland Dh.91 Albatross)