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P-51 Mustang Survivors
43-6859 N5528N "Thunderbird"
Warren Pietsch, Minot ND
P-51 Survivor 43-6859 N5528N
Status: Flying
NAA Type: P-51B-5NA
Conversion:
P-51C
Serial #: 43-6859
Adopted:
43-6859
Registry: N5528N
.. past:   NX5528N
  P-51 Mustangs Survivors  
History: 43-6859 N5528N "Thunderbird"
1944: 363rd FG, 382nd FS
1944: Aug 4 - Crashed 2mi S of Coutance France - engine failure.
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P-51B/C from salvaged parts
SNs 43-6859 and 43-6822 - both P-51B-7NA - have been thrown around, but there are no known documents linking those SNs to this aircraft.
The 1953 sale from Stewart to DeBona lists aircraft as an F-51C
Warren Pietsch and Air Corps Aviation list the P-51 as P-51C
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1948: Feb 11, Leland H. Cameron, North Hollywood CA, purchased P-51 from J. Quaine
1948: Apr 05, N5528N, Leland H. Cameron, Chicago IL
1948: Apr 15, N5528N, Joe DeBona Racing Co., (reg w/ non P-51 serial of 2925)
- Joe DeBona Racing Co was a partnership between Jo DeBona and Jimmy Stewart
- Many race modifications were made prior to 1948 Bendix Trophy Race
1948: Sep 04, NX5582N, "Thunderbird" #90, Joe DeBona, Bendix Trophy Race from Van Nuys to Cleveland
- entered race but ran out of fuel 50 mi short of finish
1949: NX5528N, - Bendix Trophy Race #90 from Rosemond Dry Lake Bed to Cleveland
- 1st Place, 470 mph race record, Joe DeBona pilot
1949: Dec 19, NX5528N, sale, Jacqueline Cochrane
- record set in Desert Center CA, 437 mph, Jackie Cochrane pilot
1951: Apr 09, record set in Indo CA, 464 mph on 100km course, Jackie Cochrane pilot
1953: Jan 29, N5528N, James Stewart, Hollywood CA
1953: "Mr. Alex", repainted black/yellow
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Sponsored by CBS to fly the film reels of the UK Coronation Coverage. The film would be flown from UK to Labrador by a Canberra jet bomber. From there, the networks would have to get the film to Boston. The reels needed to get back to the CBS headquarters to be aired asap. NBC, not to be outdone, hired Paul Mantz's Mustang NX1204 to fly their reels back. ABC? tried to beat everyone by hiring a Canberra, who's pilot scratched the flight for political reasons. The two P-51s raced and it is rep. that CBS won the flying race, but was not first with the coverage. NBC convinced ABC to share its feed from CBC and both networks aired before CBS.
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1954: Sep 01, N5528N, F-6C, Sale, Jimmy Stewart to Joe DeBona
1955: Mar 18, N5528N, Sale, Jim Cook, Jacksboro TX
1955: Jun 22, crashed, near Scotts Bluff NE, pilot Jim Cook bailed out because of a gear problem

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Thanks to John Terrell for his extensive research
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1999: Parts from wreck in Nebraska
2007: Sep 24, N5528N, reg, Warren Pietsch, Minot ND, (restoration)
2020: July, delivered to AirCorps Aviation for restoration.
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2023: Jun 05, First Flight! Congratulations to AirCorps Aviation, Warren Pietsch, and pilot Bernie Vasquez
2023: July 20, Paint Complete! Wow. Stunning! Painted by Custom Aircraft Refinishing Inc
2023: Oshkosh
2023: Reno Air Races - Stunning restoration

The Last of the Wild Horses

P-51 Survivors book featuring images from Dick Phillips and John Dienst, with Mark Phillips. To order, goto The Last of the Wild Horses. You can order online. Price is $100 for pages and pages of P-51 Survivor history and photos. Over 2,500 photos! The late Dick Phillips shared hundreds of his P-51 images with us at MustangsMustangs over the last 25 years. If you can, help support his life-long passion. I recently ordered my copy.

Thank you!
Curtis Fowles, MustangsMustangs

19 Images of   43-6859   N5528N   "Thunderbird" on file
Images of   43-6859
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Image Credits:
  Howard Gribble   Flickr - Kid Deuce  
  San Diego Aerospace Museum    
  Larry Smigla    
  Warren Pietsch    
  Aircorps Aviation   Aircorps Aviation  
  Custom Aircraft Refinishing Inc   Custom Aircraft Refinishing Inc  
  Curtis Fowles   MustangsMustangs  
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