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View Full Version : A warbird (almost) in the neighborhood.



downwind
June 7th, 2020, 18:14
I was very excited today to discover that a P-51 D in excellent flying condition is based at an airport about six miles from my home, in Indiana. This plane passed over my house yesterday, at a decent pace, at what I would guess as 4000 ft. After doing some Google searching, it appears that the owner also has a restored and flyable F-86. There is also a bi-plane that I see frequently over my area. That could belong to the same individual who, fortunately for him, runs an aircraft servicing business in Indianapolis.I am wondering if someone here could do a repaint of this Mustang? I have the Mustang Tales P-51D from Warbirdsim. I will search for some paint scheme references. There is a video of the plane in the Indianapolis 500 honor flight.

Bomber_12th
June 7th, 2020, 18:46
That would be the P-51D 44-74878 N6306T, which belonged to the late Tom Wood and still operated on behalf of his family (along with his F-86 and F8F Bearcat). Personally, I think it has the ugliest paint scheme worn by a Mustang today, but that is just my own feeling. It's definitely a late 70's/80's era take on a WWII scheme.

FlyingsCool
June 7th, 2020, 20:29
That would be the P-51D 44-74878 N6306T, which belonged to the late Tom Wood and still operated on behalf of his family (along with his F-86 and F8F Bearcat). Personally, I think it has the ugliest paint scheme worn by a Mustang today, but that is just my own feeling. It's definitely a late 70's/80's era take on a WWII scheme.

I assume you're talking about the color green it's painted with?
I love the markings it's meant to represent.

downwind
June 8th, 2020, 03:19
I agree with Bomber that the scheme is not up to the standards of the best restorers today. On the Tom Woods Aviation FB page they claim that the P-51 is nearly in original condition, but that scheme is certainly not up to what Aero in Danville, IL turns out for their customers. I think I have almost all of John's repaints for the P-51D's active in my FSX at this time; and magnificent they are. I'm going to see if I can stick my nose into the Woods' shop some day and take a peek. They do have an occasional open house (pre-Covid). At any rate, that 'Stang cruising across the sky (you hear it long before you see it) makes me want to yell "Cadillac of the sky!" when it passes over.