History / Previous Identities:


44-63864: Delivered USAAF 12/14/44
WWII Vet: "Twilight Tear" coded HL W,
pilot Hubert Davis, Duxford, England
3 confirmed kills: 2 Me262, 1 Me109

1948 June: RSwAF 26158 F16 coded rD, gK
1953: Sold Israel as IDFAF 3506
1960: Surplus Sale
1960: William Lear Jr., delivered from Tel Aviv via Athens to Geneva, December 1960
1962: sold to William Pearce, Fullerton Ca.
1963: June 6 - Crashed in Reykjavik Iceland during landing on ferry flight across Atlantic, ferry pilot Roger Gaston Arnoult was killed.
Wreckage stored in Iceland until moved to USA
1991 N42805, Cham S. Gill
1992 Kenneth Hake
2005 Ron Fagen

Another P-51 in Israel reported to be 44-63864 was registered 4X-AIM. It was sold to a Swedish owner. Upon arrival in Sweden, the paint was stripped, Swedish markings were reported to be found on the wings and in the tail the placard with the RSwAF number of 26158.

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... some text from a post by Bill Lear:

Indeed, N-251L was my P-51. I bought it from the Israeli Air Force through Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI)who modified it to a two-place, installed all new Lear avionic and autopilot systems, painted it and obtained FAA Limited Category Airworthiness (1960). I flew it from Tel Aviv to Athens across the Med (IFR) and from there to my home in Geneva, Switzerland where I kept it until I sold it to an American buyer (name forgotten)in 1963. I modified the aircraft by installing the Trans-Florida Aviation (Cavalier) tip-tanks and larger canopy.

The American buyer hired a French pilot to ferry the aircraft back to the U.S.. This pilot had never flown a P-51 before. His first landing was at Kevlavik, Iceland after a non-stop flight from Paris Toussus-le-Noble airport. The pilot flared too high and while at low airspeed apparently applied full 61" of noise. The aircraft rotated leftward, the wing struck the runway and the aircraft began to cartwheel down the runway. The engine broke off as did both wings and the aft fuselage leaving the cockpit section intact and on its side. There was no fire. The pilot was alive but during these violent maneuvers his head got pretty busted up. He later died of these injuries. He had worn no crash helmet and the shoulder-harness was found tied in a knot and dropped behind his seat. This was a survivable accident, but some folks know better than others. ...

The data plate from my P-51D, N-251L, which crashed in Iceland, was apparently removed by someone as it is no longer there and, I am told, there is evidence of it having been chiseled off.

What confuses me is that another P-51D has been registered in Europe bearing the same serial number as mine (44-63864). There is evidently some mix-up here but I have a solution to discovering if the recently registered P-51 with the same S/N is indeed my former aircraft.

An examination of the wings should reveal the installation of two-to-three additional spars which were installed to accommodate the extra weight/load the TransFlorida 110 gal (ea) tiptank installation kit required. The wing skins were removed and replaced for this "no-small-job" installation. There should also be evidence of tank brackets, fuel line plumbing and electrical wiring - or the removal of same.

The additional wing spars are the key, however. If they ain't there, then that rebuilt airplane isn't my N-251L S/N 44-63864 - period.
...

William P. Lear, Jr.

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2007: Wings, flaps, ailerons, clamshell doors at Tri-State Aviation for Rebuild
2009: After a long battle, the serial of 44-63864 belongs to this aircraft.
2010: April 16, re-registered N251L
2011: April - This bird is flying again!! Pilot Kevin Eldridge had job of first flights. Congratulations to Ron Fagen and the crew at Tri-State Aviation!
2011: July 30 - EAA Airventure Warbird Grand Champion!

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