THE AIRFORCE - AIRCRAFT - P-51D MUSTANG (MUSEUM)
Aircraft Stats:
P-51D Mustang (Museum)
The P-51D Mustang served with 5 Squadron during the Second World War.
During the Korean War, 2 Squadron also flew the F-51D Mustang, although the aircraft were on loan from the USAF.
The SAAF Museum brought a Mustang in the USA in 1987 and it was shipped to Cape Town where it arrived 14 November 1987. It was found to be corroded, and stripping commenced as soon as the crated aircraft arrived at Lanseria (the SAAF Museum base at that time). Bad luck, missing parts, stretched cables and lack of funds, have made its restoration a long and laborious task, but after 12 years the labour of love is complete and flying. It first took to the skies on 13th of October 1998
The aircraft was restored and painted in the colours of aircraft 325 of 2 Squadron, Korea. It is the third time a Mustang bears this number. The first 325 - named "PAPPASAN" - crashed in Korea, and instead of writing the aircraft off , the SAAF ground personnel rebuilt the aircraft from components salvaged from various wrecks. The resulting hybrid was again numbered 325, (PAPPASAN II)
The aircraft suffered propellor, engine and other damage when it landed gear-up on 6 May 2001 after all attempts to safely deploy the undercarriage failed. It is intened for the aircraft to be fully restored.
09/01/1945 Delivered USAAF
21/12/1946 Delivered Royal Swedish AF as 26112 of F4, later F16
01/12/1952 Delivered Dominican AF FAD as 1917
1984 Johnson Av
1987 SAAF Museum -restoration
1993 SAAF Museum -restoration
1998 Flying again as SAAF 325
06/05/2001 Landed wheels-up
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