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P-51 Mustang Survivors
44-73423 N3278D
Wayne Meylan,
P-51 Survivor 44-73423 N3278D
Status: Crashed/Destroyed - 87
NAA Type: P-51D-25NA
Serial #: 44-73423
Adopted:
44-73216
Registry: N3278D
.. past:   N5465V
  N31248
  N51DJ
  P-51 Mustangs Survivors  
History: 44-73423 N3278D
44-73423

1958: Jan 13, N5465V, Albert Boughey / Al's Laundry, Ontario CA
1958: May 13, N5465V, Albert Boughey / Robert Love, Upland CA
1965: Dec 30, N5465V, Albert Boughey, Upland CA
1966: Jan 03, George Bliss Jr., Los Angeles CA
1969: Jul 02, Edward Bliss, San Diego

1971?: belly landing - no NTSB report exists
1972: Feb, repair work at Aerosport, Chino CA
1975: Sep 29, N5465V, sold to Jerry Miles from George Bliss Jr. - not accepted/recorded by FAA
1976: Oct 22, N5465V Edward Bliss, Revoked by FAA for failure to file Registration

44-73423 registered as 44-61449

1976: Mar 24, N31248, Jerry D Miles, Downey CA - Reg as 44-61449 (Not a P-51 Serial#)
1976: Jul 19, N31248, David Tyler, Cleveland OH
1978: Mar 6, N31248, Fred Sebby, Bullhead City AZ
1980: N31248, Fred Sebby - WWII "5E N" paint
1980: Mar 21, Fred Sebby - Applied for N51DJ
1980: Apr 26, N51DJ, Fred Sebby, Bullhead City AZ
1980: Aug 31, N51DJ, Dennis Jilman, Bullhead City AZ
1980: Sep, Rick Brickert flew P-51 N51DJ #51 "Mustang Fever" at Reno - bare metal star/bars #51
1981: May 12, N51DJ, Diane Dejacomo / Jerry Miles, Bullhead City AZ
1981: Sep, Rick Brickert flew P-51 N51DJ #51 "Sunshine" at Reno. Rainbow spinner, Yosemite Sam on nose, PTO paint.
1981: Sep 20, N51DJ, Reno Air Races #51 - Qualified 21st @ 328 - Bronze 7th DNS - Rick Brickert
1982: Sep, Fred Sebby registered to Race #100 but too late to qualify
1983: Sep 18, N51DJ, Reno Air Races #38 - Qualified 23rd @ 348 - Bronze @ 332 - Fred Sebby "Sunshine"
1984: Sep 16, N51DJ, Reno Air Races #51 - Qualified 22nd @ 336 - no race results for #51 - Fred Sebby "Sunshine"
--------
1986: Jan 18, Classic Air Parts Inc, Ontario CA - sold from Diane Dejacome / Jerry Miles - N51DJ, 44-61449
1997: Jun 05, N51DJ, 44-61449, Jerico Investments Inc, Las Vegas NV
1998: Aero Craft Services Inc.
2000: Apr 14, N51DJ 44-61449, Classic American Aircraft Inc., Poland OH
2001: Sep 06, N51DJ 44-61449, Classic American Aircraft Inc. - FAA Deregistration as "Totally destroyed or scrapped"

N3278D registered as 44-73216

1983: (bill of sale not dated) N6302T 44-73216, Jerry Owens / Fighterbirds West, Scottsdate AZ - purchased from R.M.A. Aviation
1983: Aug 16, N3278D 44-73216 registered to Jerry Owens / Fighterbirds West, Scottsdate AZ
1985: Sep, Fred Sebby raced #51 "Simply Smashing" (N3278D) at Reno. Painted up like "Tally Ho" camo with yellow leading edges.
1985: Sep 16, N3278D, Reno Air Races #51 - Qualified 22nd @ 354 - Bronze 3rd @ 337 - Fred Sebby "Simply Smashing"
1986: Aug 11, N3278D, Wayne Meylan / Meylan Enterprises, Omaha NE - "Tally Ho" - purchased from Jerry Owens / Fighterbirds West
1987: Jun 26, N3278D, crashed/dest, Meylan killed
1997: N3278D withdrawn from registry

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

14 Images of   44-73423   N3278D   on file
Images of   44-73423
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Image Credits:
  Steve Sehgetti    
  Gary Maisack   Gary Maisack  
  Jay Sherlock Collection   Jay Sherlock Collection  
  Curtis Fowles Collection    
  Shawn Aro    
  Chuck Aro   Before Chuck became Charlene  
  Dick Phillips   Warbird Images  
  Den Pascoe    
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