Cavalier Mustang

[deltapike]

The "humpbacked" canopy is not out of place on this a/c as it was standard fitment on the dual-control T(F)-51D. "Crazy Horse", a current warbird regular on the airshow circuit, is so-equipped. The taller fin and rudder was a trainer mod, too, I believe. I'm surprised there's no aftermarket trainer conversion available for plastic modelers....but I'm getting close to thread-thievery. Justice through strength & courage. Out.

[airdave]

The "humpbacked" canopy you refer is the "Dallas" canopy.
Dallas built P51Ks had them.
Not a trainer thing. Just more headroom.

Taller Tail fin came in with P-51H...just a stability improvement.
I belive the H actually had a longer fuselage.

This plane is a Cavalier Mustang.
Its a private(civilian) luxury transport...two seater...
thats why it uses the Dallas canopy.
Got nothing to do with trainers.

The US Army tried them out as chase planes.

Its supposed to have a "humpbacked" canopy.
The issue is just that Rich's canopy was a little bit too "humped".
Thats all.

...
I'm not aware of T(P)51s? trainer Mustangs?
Crazy Horse was a regular P51D converted to a two seat, two control aircraft.

[looker]

TF-51 Dual Control Mustang at War Eagles Air Museum

[milenio3]

Ah! Looker, you stole my idea to post the Santa Teresa, NM, War Eagles Museum's P-51.
The museum is really near El Paso, TX, and Juarez, Mexico.
I quote:
"The War Eagle's TF is the only original TF or TP still flying. "

Dave, a good idea for a repaint? I promess you a model-on-top-of-wing for this one too.

And I really liked this model.

Having my hands on Dave's designs, I bet is one great model to try.

[airdave]

oh wow, cool ...thanks Gerardo...
I never really knew anything about the trainer Mustang...only ten built.
thats probably why!

According to their site, the address is "Doña Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa, New Mexico"

anyway...


Seems Cavalier may have built two dual-sticks as well.

A repaint?...you mean do a model of the Friendly Ghost?
I can think about adding it to the list of things-to-do,
but that list just keeps getting longer.

The problem with the trainers is the Dallas canopy.
I can't seem to form a good one in paper.
Even the normal canopy looks a little odd in paper.

The Army Chase Plane Cavaliers look okay with a more normal looking canopy
but a Mustang that is specifically a two-place trainer needs that bigger canopy.

[Vermin_King]

Wow, that shape does not look like it could easily be done in paper. I do think that the real-life canopy looks good. Was the original canopy one-piece glass? At least over the back? Or was it plastic? That would be a bear to mold in glass

[airdave]

I thought they was all plastic since ww1?
Canopies, windscreens, windows, bubbles...
but then again, what do I know.

[looker]

Come now Gerardo, surely you meant anticipated not stole.
Would I also be stea... err ... anticipating if I were to mention the Dart powered Turbo Mustang III/Piper PA48 Enforcer as yet another possible task for Dave.

Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylic/perspex, was developed in 1928 in time for it's use to be sufficiently developed to meet the requirement for enclosures at the higher speeds of WWII.
Poly methyl methacrylate

[Don Boose]

Perhaps it would not be amiss for me to repost here an entry I made in another thread on this design of Dave's.

These F-51s were used by the U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity (AAEFA) at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) as chase aircraft for the Cheyenne helicopter test program. Originally, the Army used T-28Bs bailed (essentially, on loan from) the U.S. Navy for the Cheyenne program, but they were not agile or fast enough, so the AAEFA acquired three F-51s. The first, O-72990, was an F-51D modified to two-seat configuration, but externally similar to the F-51D except for the canopy.

The Army then ordered two more extensively modified F-51Ds (Cavalier Mk. 2s), serials 68-15795 and 68-15796. These had a taller vertical stabilizer and wing tip tanks.

I have been doing research on Army chase aircraft. John Bowden has revised and recolored Aaron Murphy's T-28 Trojan to replicate the AAEFA T-28Bs (one as originally delivered in Navy blue and one in the standard Army gloss olive drab and white, as was used on the F-51s) and those flown by the Army Airborne and Special Operations Test Board (ASOTB) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as parachute delivery system chase aircraft. They were in Navy gloss white and high visibility orange-red. Eventually, I will say more about the Army T-28Bs in a separate thread.

Many thanks to Dave for developing the models of the Army F-51 chase planes and kudos to Rich for his superb 1/24 version.

the U.S. Army has flown some interesting aircraft, including Lockheed P-2 Neptunes as electronic intelligence aircraft in Vietnam, a Lockheed C-121 Constellation as an airborne missile tracking platform, and a couple of Italian Fiat G.91R-3s evaluated for possible use as forward air controller and tactical reconnaissance aircraft, just to name three.

Don

[willygoat]

Originally Posted by looker

Come now Gerardo, surely you meant anticipated not stole.
Would I also be stea... err ... anticipating if I were to mention the Dart powered Turbo Mustang III/Piper PA48 Enforcer as yet another possible task for Dave.

I too was thinking about the PA-48 Enforcer while checking this thread. You do kinda have to love the thought of a turboprop Mustang, even if it does mess up the beautiful nose a tad.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/fac...eet.asp?id=614