P51-D Mustang G-BTCD Ferocious Frankie
built at the North American Aviation Factory at Inglewood California and accepted by the USAAF on 27 02 1945 One month later she was sent to the 8th Air Force serving at Leiston in Suffolk among other stations She stayed in England for only 11 months returning to US in January 1946 stored until moving to the Royal Canadian Air Force 9568 on 18 04 1947 and operated in Suffield Alberta In 1953 with 433 flying hours she was completely overhauled in Winnipeg On 4 01 1954 after futher 81 hours she was stored in Carberry Manitoba sold in 1957 into private hands and registered as N6340T The aircraft was bought for 5 400 in 1962 and had a total of 511 airframe hours In 1974 she flew in the Unlimited race at Reno finishing second with an average speed of 384mph effectively a stock original aeroplane Sold April 1980 flew across the Atlantic to The Fighter Collection She was re sprayed and known as Candyman Moose from the name on one side of the fuselage and the Moose s head on the other The Mustang was first displayed in the UK at Biggin Hill in 1981 flown by Ray Hanna In 1989 after filming in Memphis Belle the aircraft was given a complete overhaul by The Fighter Collection at Duxford The airframe was remarkably free of corrosion and damage but a full strip down and component overhaul was undertaken An overhauled original flying panel was installed The rear fuel tank in the fuselage has been removed and a 1944 wartime modification made to fit a dickey seat A special 1720hp Merlin engine now powers the aircraft OFMC acquired the aircraft early in 1999 and photograph carries the colours of Wallace E Hopkins Ferocious Frankie named in honour of his wife coded B7 H of the 374th Fighter Squadron 361st Fighter Group
Size: 5137px × 3425px
Photo credit: © Seescanner / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -btcd, 1945, 2nd, 413704, aerodrome, aeronautic, aeronautics, aeroplane, aeroplanes, aerospace, air, aircraft, airfield, airplanes, american, aviation, british, btcd, combat, defence, display, eghr, england, english, fast, ferocious, fighter, flaps, flight, force, frankie, gb, goodwood, hangar, historic, history, kingdom, merlin, military, museum, mustang, north, p51, p51-, p51d, packard, plane, planes, powerful, prepare, prop, propeller, rolls, royce, squadron, states, sussex, uk, united, usaf, v12, vintage, war, warbird, warplane, west, wing, world, ww2, wwii
