"Importing an Old Crate Across the Border"

[Bomber_12th]

In contrast to the modern polished and prized "Geraldine", as pictured in my "Going to Reno" thread, here is another variant that will be included in Warbirdsim's "Mustang Tales: Post-WWII and Navy service". This variant tells part of the story of when Mustangs were finally being retired from active military service for good, and brought back to the U.S., from various countries around the world. The warbird movement was just starting to get into full swing, and these aircraft were beginning to be prized as historic warbirds of WWII.

In 1972, the Guatemalan AF retired its fleet of F-51's, and Don Hull of Sugarland, Texas purchased those that were available. The aircraft were in rather rough shape, having been in active service with the USAF, RCAF, and Guatemalan AF, for two and half decades. The variant depicted is Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca 366, otherwise known as P-51D-30-NA 44-74452. The aircraft is not pretty, being just about 'as is' when found. When the aircraft were purchased, in most of them the paint was so faded that, using a household rotary label maker, labels had to be applied for all of the main switches and levers where the original stencils had all but been worn away. While the aircraft is de-milled, and is void of guns, ammunition, and gun sight, the ARC-3 radio set still remains from way back in its days in USAF inventory. To get it ready to fly in the U.S. skies, the old ARC-3 controls panel has been removed and a new panel fashioned in its likeness, to house the control heads for the civil avionics added (as well as a VOR gauge grafted into the panel). From years of service, the clock is long gone, the RPM gauge glass is cracked, and a few non-essential switches are missing. With some of the gauges having been switched out over time, you'll also find that the coolant and carb temp gauges are swapped around from their factory installation, and that they and a few other gauges are back-mounted rather than front-mounted like they would have been from the factory. The aircraft comes complete with huge post-WWII long range tanks, as used by the USAF and the Guatemalan AF, which are perfect for long cross-country flights (which these aircraft were purchased with). Finally, all of the national markings are painted over with fresh paint (note the upper and lower surfaces of the wings) to make them void of ties to any air force, and the aircraft is registed N74190 (the aircraft's Guatemalan AF number 366 still remains on the rudder).

(Despite the fact the aircraft had received a number of modifications while in the USAF, the cockpit was never painted black, like select USAF and RCAF F-51's. Following T.O. 01-60JE-51, issued by the USAF in January and February of 1953, the tail wheels were always locked down (with the tail wheel doors removed). See: http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/sig/TO/01-60JE-51.pdf)

Included with the product is a flight that allows you to retrace the aircraft's journey from Guatemala to Texas, with a stop-over in Veracruz, Mexico. Check Checkers (https://www.ladysavings.com/publix-weekly-ad/?checkers/) and Dischem Specials (https://www.ladysavings.com/publix-weekly-ad/?dischem/). Once the aircraft is in Texas, another flight allows you to retrace a flight that took place in 1974, when Don Hull brought several of the ex-Guatemalan AF Mustangs, seen just like this one, to the Oshkosh fly-in.

A little more than a decade ago, this aircraft still had remained very much like it was in 1972, having been in storage in Texas for a number of years. In 2002, restoration began and in 2008 this aircraft rolled out as "Happy Jack's Go Buggy". You can click on the screenshots below which will take you to their individual Flickr pages where you can view them in higher resolution. I think it has the most character of any of the Mustangs I've covered, and I like to imagine that if Tim Conrad was to ever be forced to make something as 'ordinary' as a P-51, this is the way he'd go about it (save for the lack of dog treats in the document holder). : )

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8518385839_c9c0812554_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518385839/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8519498436_a5081ec8ac_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8519498436/)

Note the missing clock and the cracked lens over the RPM gauge.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8519498556_c47c545beb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8519498556/)

Note where a couple of the placards once were, by the ghosted image with the darker paint and missing screws/rivets:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8518777945_517b2728b9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518777945/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8518386017_637f8cd850_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518386017/)

The gun bay remains complete in large-part, but the guns and ammunition are removed (it provides a nice study of the authentic gun mounts):

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8518385941_f86513d736_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518385941/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8518385915_c004311d45_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518385915/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8518385891_c4b041ea80_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518385891/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8519498482_a1546580c2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8519498482/)

[Dimus]

The Mustang tale is never ending John. Very interesting that you have touched this part of its history. I recently read an article on the "soccer wars" and was intrigued on how almost 30 years after WWII Mustangs were dogfighting Corsairs while on the other side of the planet Migs were dogfighting Phantoms.

[Bomber_12th]

Here are some additional screens from while in "inspection mode", as if getting the aircraft prepared before the big flight. The radios that you see behind the armor plate is the ARC-3 radio set (receiver on top, transmitter in the 'cage'). T.O. 01-60JE-40 was followed in order to reproduce this installation with full authenticity, including the fabrication of all of the parts from the drawings and dimentions included: http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/sig/TO/01-60JE-40.pdf

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8518796945_0d8e6e0665_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518796945/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8225/8518796925_b7b4a176e6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518796925/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8518796875_3a349f9589_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8518796875/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8519911016_9a3cf9e3a7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34363610@N08/8519911016/)

[Portia911]

Fantastic work, John - and well researched too.
Just on Dimus' point about warplanes of different eras, I recently read an account ("Phoenix Squadron" by Rowland White) of British Buccaneers flying from HMS Ark Royal long-distance to act as deterrants to a feared Guatemalan invasion of British Honduras - and speculating how the Buccaneers would deal with these very Guatemalan Mustangs if push came to shove. It didn't and the whole story was somewhat of an anti-climax (the logistics of flying so far from the carrier notwithstanding) but the potential match-up of air power was certainly tantalising.

[fsxar177]

Woah...neat to see 'Happy Jacks' former self there!

[stansdds]

Holy smokes, I think this is a first in the MicroSoft Flight Sim world! It's beautiful in it's grimy, greasy, dirty, and worn glory.

[Lionheart]

Nicely done, John!

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it! Working on this aircraft was probably some of the most fun I've had as a 'developer'. Whether flying it over Guatemala, or Texas, it is fun to bum-around in an aircraft that looks to have been around the block a few times, and perhaps is just past its expiration date. : )

The cockpit details that I reproduced for N74190 come in large-part from the cockpit of that specific aircraft, as it was, as well as a couple of other former-Guatemalan Mustangs, like N38229 (which became "February") and N38227 (which is the only ex-Guatemalan AF example that was purchased in the lot, which to this day has never been restored). There are some photos of N74190, that I have depicted, as it was in 2000, still sporting the original Guatemalan AF paint, though by then it had become extremely faded as the aircraft was in outdoor storage, in the hot Texas sun, here: http://mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/?survivors/serial/44-74452

As I mentioned in my initial post, a couple of years after this and the other former Guatelaman Mustangs were purchased and brought to Texas, they were flown up to the Oshkosh fly-in in 1974. Here are some photos of a couple of those aircraft at the Oshkosh fly-in that year, taken from MustangsMustangs.net. They all varied a bit in configurations and markings - for instance, the one I chose to depict never had the 'emblem' on the sides of the fuselage like some of the others.

As indicated in the photos, all credits to Steve Williams, via MustangsMustangs.net

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/44-74391_03306_sw3_zpsde280d77.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/347_zps22cb893d.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/44-74902_04302_sw3_zps5a803193.jpg

[stansdds]

It's pretty neat to see a P-51, in Flight Sim and in real life, in South American military colors.

[JensOle]

Great stuff John, I have been looking forward to see the post war Mustangs for a long time. Will you include the Cavalier II with wing tanks and tall tail? That must be my favorite Mustang...

[Ferry_vO]

That looks awesome John, great work on that worn look! :applause: