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The North American P-51 Mustang
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P-51 Who?   Case # 421
44-72902     N335     Closed
Solved by: Bill Lamb, Roger Baker, William Yoak
P-51 Who 421
Case#: 421
Date: Sep 01 2014
By: Don Vance
Photo: Early 70's
Status: Closed
Serial: 44-72902
Registry: N335
P-51 Who? Viewer Responses
Bill Lamb
09/07/2014 16:23
I believe this is E.D. Weiner's N335,44-72902 with its STP sponsorship paint job. Glad to see a new case,it just showed on my screen today
Roger Baker
09/27/2014 16:26
I believe it is 44-72902. I know that the photo was taken out in front of Vern Barker's hangar at Long Beach. Just like old home week.
William Yoak
09/27/2014 17:53
This is in fact the late E.D. Weiner's former cross-country racer N335 (S/N:44-72902). It was painted in a black and white checker-board scheme from 1965-1967. He won the Harold's club Transcontinental Trophy dash in 1965 and 1968. It was painted in a yellow and white checkerboard scheme in 1968 as was his pylon Racer N335J (Race#49), when he obtained sponsorship from Bardahl for both aircraft. He obtained sponsorship from STP prior to Reno in 1969 for N335 (race#14). Unfortunately, he was unable to compete due to having a heart attack during race week, and he died approx. one week after the races in a Reno hospital.

This aircraft is currently in storage in Mesa AZ. It has been known in recent years as the "American Dreamer". It is still under the ownership of E.d.s widow -- Valery Bonzar.
dean murphy
09/30/2014 00:09
I believe that is Paul Mantz' Excaliber(44-14097 n1202) at orange county some time in the 70's. The 'duck' in the background is obviously from murphy's war,and still in movie dress with ripped fabric!
pete hodgdon
11/10/2015 23:57
I agree it is Ed's red STP racer....I used to hang around Long Beach Airport in the early 1970's and I saw it at Vern Barker's Pylon Air hangar as it was a steady guest there for 2 or more years....

Maybe you can solve my P-51D mystery...at around the same time frame early 1970's Vern had a light green P-51D crated up against the fence around his hangar that was in pieces...I asked him about it and at that time he said he would deliver to my house for 5 grand.."my wife didn't want thatjunk" I have a picture not very good but it shows it all crated up...I often wondered what happened to it...maybe you can solve my mystery...thanks
Old Thud Man
11/27/2016 21:13
Saw this Mustang in 64 or 65....at McCarren Field....on west side in front of old terminal building.....Was there for air race at Boulder/Henderson airport.......Pretty livery.
Case Closed!
P-51 Mustang

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