P-51B "Berlin Express" to Cross Atlantic Ocean

[Bomber_12th]

The restored P-51B "Berlin Express", recently purchased by Dan Friedkin/Comanche Fighters, has left from Eagle Pass, TX this morning on a journey that will take it across the Atlantic Ocean and into Duxford, England next week, ahead of the Flying Legends airshow. The aircraft is being piloted by Lee Lauderback, owner of Stallion-51, who is recognized as the world's most experienced P-51 pilot. The flight will take them from Texas to Kentucky, to western New York, to Maine, then onto Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and finally Duxford, England, which they are planning to arrive on the American holiday of July 4th.

Having left at 10:00am Central Time this morning, currently the aircraft is enroute/flying its first leg, from Eagle Pass, TX to Paducah, Kentucky.

Progress of the journey can be followed here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/f...eL3GSYEqrNuj4Y
Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/pursuit.aviation/?hl=en

Throughout the journey, the aircraft is being escorted by a King Air 350i support aircraft (3 mechanics and a video producer among the crew).

(One of the owner's other Mustangs (of eight in the massive collection), "Frenesi", is already at Duxford having arrived in a shipping container for the Flying Legends and RIAT airshows.)

Photos by Ed Shipley:

(Flying at 11,500ft - 190kts indicated, 230kts ground speed)



(Photo taken yesterday following a successful test flight, checking various items including the (post-WWII) working external tanks - the same drop tanks used on the TF-51D "Miss Velma" when it made the same journey exactly 10 years ago. If it is the same as it was then, they are capable of being released from the aircraft in-case of emergency.)

[IFlySWA]

That cockpit is going to be pretty cramped when the pilot wears his immersion suit.

Brian

[Bomber_12th]

Yeah, and I liked what Ed Shipley said when he was asked if he was going to piloting "Berlin Express" on this journey, as he had done with "Miss Velma" in 2007 - "no...done that before...checked that box."

[Victory103]

Great story and something I wouldn't mind being a part of, I fly either!

[Bushpounder]

Very cool. I wish they would have flown it into Roanoke. Bill Overstreet lived in Roanoke for many years before he died. He was a personal friend of mine. Great guy to talk with.

Don

[MustangL2W]

Thank You John for sharing the pictures. I just heard about this transaction/trip yesterday and here they are already in transit! Incredible story...and a spectacular Mustang. Really a shame we will lose it over here (For Now) and I am so glad I got to see it and appreciate it when I did. I still think you should paint that one up for Warbirdsim Mustang B/C pairs version you mastered. If your version of "Berlin Express" came out like your version of "Frenesi" did, I can only imagine the Screen shots you would be spoiling us with flying over Duxford for the Flying Legends Airshow next weekend!!!! Thanks for the info...and Pray that Lee and "Berlin Express" safely make that Atlantic crossing. I've never tried the crossing in the A2A Mustang, but have simulated missions over Germany and back in it. (No, I can't imagine doing that in the real airplane) I'd like to hear Lee talk about it when its all over. A real Aviation Odyssey!

[Bomber_12th]

Very cool. I wish they would have flown it into Roanoke. Bill Overstreet lived in Roanoke for many years before he died. He was a personal friend of mine. Great guy to talk with.

Don

Don, it is a great shame that the restoration wasn't completed/flying until after Bill Overstreet passed away, as he did visit the plane while it was under restoration and befriended those involved, and he signed one of the gunbay doors (I think he passed away only a year or two before the restoration was completed). As one person commented on Facebook, while the aircraft is in England (either temporarily or permanently - one doesn't quite know, considering the owner of the aircraft has warbirds based in both the US and England), that it should be flown over Paris so that some photos may be taken of it flying around the Eiffel Tower, as a tribute to Bill Overstreet and his famous dogfight that took him underneath the Eiffel Tower (though it was a different plane he was flying that day, compared to the one this restoration portrays).

Once over there, this will be the first time a Malcolm-hooded P-51 has flown in England since the end of WWII.

[Bomber_12th]

Jim, as I recall there already is a repaint available of "BE" for the existing Warbirdsim P-51B/C - to do a repaint of this aircraft, I'm waiting until I'm done with the new P-51B/C models "V.2".

[Bomber_12th]

"Berlin Express" left Dunkirk, New York early this morning, now on its third leg of the flight, and it is currently nearing Bangor, Maine, where it will land before making the next leg to Goose Bay, Newfoundland.

(BTW, I've read a number of people comment about how much they like the looks of this aircraft with these particular drop tanks fitted, and that they would like for it to still be wearing the tanks during the Flying Legends airshow (which it won't be). Personally, while I acknowledge that the owners/operators feel that these are the best tanks to use for this job, I can't get over/overlook the fact that these particular tanks/design weren't developed/used until after WWII (commonplace only in the late 40's and 50's). So, while they're doing their job, from a historical-accuracy standpoint, it's just not there. I suppose, however, if one squints hard enough, one can imagine these being the 108-gallon "paper" tanks.)





One of the owner's other Mustangs (of eight), "February", is currently residing in Pennsylvania for the summer, so on the trip into New York yesterday, it found them and formed up for some formation flying along the way, before it head back to PA last night. The Mustangs in Dan Friedkin's/Comanche Fighters' airforce of flying warbirds includes an A-36, P-51B "Berlin Express", P-51C "Princess Elizabeth", P-51D "February", P-51D "Double Trouble Two", P-51K "Fragile but Agile", F-6K/P-51D "Frenesi", and the TF-51D "Bum Stear". Among the large collection are also six flying Spitfires - two Mk.I's, two Mk.V's, a Mk.IX and a Mk.XIV - three are based in Texas and three are based in England.

[Victory103]

Hoped to track on Flightradar24, but did find the B350 based on the Spot info as they descend into Bangor.

[Bomber_12th]

There might be some reports about this flight on the news tonight, with CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX affiliates currently interviewing the crew at Bangor.

[Fishbed]

I'm pretty sure that you already working on repaint

[Bomber_12th]

No, not at this time (saving it for my new B/C product/models), but I will have a new/revised version of my "Frenesi" repaint, as well as repaints of some of the other Mustangs that will be participating at Flying Legends, released before next weekend.

[Fishbed]

No, not at this time (saving it for my new B/C product/models), but I will have a new/revised version of my "Frenesi" repaint, as well as repaints of some of the other Mustangs that will be participating at Flying Legends, released before next weekend.

you are best

[Bomber_12th]

Following along on this journey with Ed Shipley's reports on Facebook, they're currently on their way to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, with Lee using the fuel from the drop tanks, switching back and forth about every 15 minutes (as was typical during original wartime use, since in the Mustang there is no way of monitoring the quantity of fuel in either tank). Dodging some thunderstorms by the sound of it.

The distance covered on the current leg, from Bangor, Maine to Goose Bay, is 607.3 nautical miles. The estimated flight time is 2:35 and with a fuel burn of 156 gallons (I don't know if the 85 gallon fuselage tank on BE works, or if they would even intend on using it, but the internal wing tanks hold 184 gallons combined, with the drop tanks adding another 150 gallons).

[Bomber_12th]

An article about the flight with some superb photographs of "BE": http://vintageaviationecho.com/berlin-express/

[Bomber_12th]

Here's a photo shared by the team, taken today en-route to Goose Bay. At first I thought it was a flight sim screenshot(!) - with the way flight sim has been going, it has been getting harder and harder to tell the difference at times.

[Bomber_12th]

"BE" is currently on its way this morning to Narsarsuaq, Greenland, over nothing but ocean. 674.2nm and an estimated 3-hrs and 8-minutes of flight time on this leg.

[Bomber_12th]

Just landing now in Greenland. As was the case with "Miss Velma" back in 2007, "BE" is picking up some great exhaust stains with all of this flying.

[Bomber_12th]

Just about to land in Iceland now.

Here are some photos shared by the team taken in Greenland yesterday:

[Bomber_12th]

Safely landed in Iceland. Only one major water crossing remaining, flying to Wick, Scotland tomorrow.

A spectacular photo overflying Greenland icebergs: https://www.instagram.com/p/BWDe162HypJ/

[Bomber_12th]

Just landed in Wick, Scotland. As long as the weather cooperates, she'll be landing at Duxford tomorrow.

[Bomber_12th]

Landed at Duxford this morning, right on schedule. Some early photos of the arrival here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64209520@N05/

[Fishbed]

Safely at Dux

[AussieMan]

Job well done. Those white walls would have Willy positively drooling.

By the way, for those wishing to emulate this flight is there a flight plan available please.