10/31/2008. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "These three aircraft are registered to the Commemorative AF (CAF) American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland, Texas, USA, and the P-51Ds are still operated at various locations of the CAF.
P-51C N61429 (coded A4-2), view also photo 2101.
P-51D N10601 (coded VF-G) was produced at Inglewood, California, as a
P-51D-25NA, and was delivered to the USAAF in April 1945, s/n 44-73843. It served in Florida with the 388th Base Unit at Page AAF, Fort Myers, for five months, and for two months with the 336th Base Unit at Sarasota AAF. In November 1945 it was stored at Hobbs AAF, Texas, being moved to San Antonio Air Material Center, Kelly AAF in 1947.
On January 11, 1951, it was transferred to the RCAF as a Mustang TF.Mk.IV, s/n 9271, nearly six years later, on December 4, 1956, the aircraft was struck off charge. Owned by Stinson Field Aircraft, San Antonio, Texas, it came on the CAA Registry in October 1956 as P-51D N10601.
Only a year later it was registered to Mustang and Company of Mercedes, Texas, owned by Lloyd P. Nolen, one of the founding members of the CAF. In 1977 the aircraft was transferred to the CAF.
P-51D N5428V (coded CY-U) was delivered to the USAAF as a P-51D-25-NA in March 1945, s/n 44-73264. After service with several units, including the ANG, the aircraft went to Sacramento AMA (Air Material Area), California in October 1956 and was struck off charge in the following September. It appeared in the FAA Registry in 1963 as N5428V, and subsequently changed hands several times.
Reportedly it flew combat missions in El Salvador from 1973, returning to the USA in 1977. On June 17, 1981 it was substantially damaged when the aircraft made a ground loop on landing at Council Bluffs, Indiana, the pilot and his passenger escaped injuries. The aircraft was been rebuild, named Gunfighter, and carries the CY-U code of an aircraft of the 343 FS, 56 FG, 8 AF, USAAF. The aircraft is usually flown by its sponsor, Brig.Gen. (ret.) Regis Urschler."