Case#: | 23 |
Date: | May 27 1999 |
By: | Howard Chilton |
Photo: | N651__ |
Texas, early 60's | |
Status: | Closed |
Serial: | 44-74012 |
Registry: | N6519D |
To add to the confusion, this P-51 has been identified as N651D because the reader recognized the paint job as his own design (Bill Brownell) in the late '50s. If you look at the photo and check the history of N651D, it is possible...
Another possibility was N6517D, 44-74423 ...
The owner of this aircraft said it was N6519D (which one I'm not sure). The chief pilot and paint designer at the time for Trans Florida Aviation believes it is N651D.
So, the final word? DO SOME MORE DIGGING!
Martin: N6517D was reg N182X in 1959 so time from of pic does not work.
Sully: N6519D, 44-74012 - plausible - owned by Aero Ent. at that time.
Scheil: N6518D, 44-63872 - maybe: reg as N6518D in Apr 1960. Owned by Gerald Walburn. This pic is only as "early 60's" so ... maybe but probably too early.
Pearson: Joe Truhill comes up as owner of one of the P-51s (N835J) in that line. If he owned the others, they were not registered in his name.
So the best guess is to go (stay) with N6519D.