July 4th P-51 Mustang Pics!

[Dubsvalk]

This is a picture of "Misbehavin" A 1944 P-51.

This is a pic of us flying inverted over Norris Lake

This is a pic of us diving straight dow toward the lake

This is a Steerman that followed us from the Knoxville Airport to the Sevierville Airport and the Air Museum located on the field.

A hard right turn

Our friend Neil flying formation with us in his P-47 Thunderbolt

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Dubs

[T-Bird]

Great pictures Bernie....   

[..]

This is a picture of "Misbehavin" A 1944 P-51.


I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Dubs

That is one of the sexiest shaped planes ever built. 

[Jess from VA]

Thanks for sharing Dubs.   

[BigChris99]

Two months ago my 17 year old son and I went to see the USAF Thunderbirds at March ARB here in Southern California. As much as I liked watching the T-Birds, it was all the old WWll planes that really captured my attention. I LOVED hearing those radial engines! I couldn't even imagine what it must have sounded like with a sky full of them flying overhead. Great machines from a great era gone bye.

[Dubsvalk]

The P-51 has a Merlin 12 cylinder water cooled engine cranking out 1600 H.P. at 3,000 RPMs.  The P-47 has a radial, air cooled engine which I don't have the specks for.  Wes is taking the P-51 to Osh Kosh shortly.  He also owns a T6 trainer around a 1933/34 year model.  The P-51 does not have controls for the rear seat but the T6 does and it is fun to fly.
Dubs

[3fan4life]

Flying in one of those old warbirds has got to an AWESOME experience.

That is something that I would love to do someday.


Thanks for sharing. 

[rainman]

GREAT PICTURES 
BUT I DONT THINK I COULD HANDLE FLYING INVERTED MIGHT MAKE ME A LITTLE MORE DIZZIE 

[Grumpy]

The P-51 has a Merlin 12 cylinder water cooled engine cranking out 1600 H.P. at 3,000 RPMs.  The P-47 has a radial, air cooled engine which I don't have the specks for.  Wes is taking the P-51 to Osh Kosh shortly.  He also owns a T6 trainer around a 1933/34 year model.  The P-51 does not have controls for the rear seat but the T6 does and it is fun to fly.
Dubs

the P47 had a  Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59 twin-row radial engine, 2,535 hp, but the mustang was faster, the p47 was a very heavy fighter.

[Dubsvalk]

Grumpy, you are right, it is a twin row radial engine.  They have one on display at the museum that was found in the Equador jungle.  Ane the P47 is a very big fighter plane.  Neil was about 3  feet off our wing tip as we flew in formation.  It is amazing how close they fly at those speeds.  I was OK with the aerobatic maneauvers; it was the hard tight diving turns with tremendous negative gees that finally got me.  Still, a once in a lifetime experience for me.
Dubs

[donaldcc]

  Cool. a 68 yo airplane that looks great.  you are a fortunate guy to get that experience! 

[The Anvil]

While the P47 was designated as a "fighter" (or for "pursuit" back in the day) and was capable of dogfighting where it really excelled was as a ground attack aircraft. There are stories of P47's returning and landing under their own power with entire cylinders missing after being hit with light AA. They were tough hombres.

As to what a large bomber formation sounded like: it sounded just like a large group of HD's rolling by. That what the guy who taught me all about airplanes told me and he would know.

[Jess from VA]

Yep, it is negative Gs that makes the stomach (or its contents) try to enter the mouth.  

In my F16 ride, even though the crew chief strapped me in so tight I got claustrophobic (plus the hookups to Gsuit, O2, and comms) negative Gs still let you hang in the harness, briefly.  Because I heard all the stories about barfing, I ate nothing 12 hrs before the flight, just some water.  Though I had/have never had motion sickness, and did not during my flight, I still almost blacked out one time.

It was still disconcerting when the pilot (wing commander) told me as we rolled out "listen, if you have to puke, turn your mike off, I hate listening to that crap."  Yessir ~ thinking, now which one of these million switches is the mike again?

The other thing that got to me a little was that the Lt Col who got a ride just before me literally fell out of the plane with a completely soaked flight suit, with the little hair he had sticking straight up and appeared a little psychotic and non responsive.

I'd do it again anytime.    

[BigAl]

P-51 Greatest Plane Ever.

Wes has a nice plane.

DId you get your high speed wobble figured out?

AL

[GreenLantern57]

    

[f-Stop]

Pretty darn cool! 

Thanks for sharing!

 

[john]

                    

[RP#62]

Really enjoyed the pics thanks.  I spent a lot of time maintaining R2800's on Convairs and Martins.  Nothing like standing a few feet away during a power run.   Round motors are pretty amazing.  I did a road trip once to investigate a rough running engine.  The pilot said it made good power, but ran real rough at idle.  I opened the chin cowl and part of a cylinder head fell out.  The part with the exhaust valve.  Another time I was doing on-call maintenance for a Martin 404 outfit.  I was called up to the terminal to have a look at an oil leak.  What was causing the leak was a cylinder that had blown off the engine and was sticking part way through the cowling.  Again, still made good power.  Oh, and if you think straight pipes on a bike are loud, you should hear them when each cylinder is 155 cubic inches.
-RP

[BnB Tom]

This is a picture of "Misbehavin" A 1944 P-51.


I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Dubs

 
That is one of the sexiest shaped planes ever built. 

This is my '57 Chevy BelAir - 2 door hardtop.. of airplanes!! 

[Dubsvalk]

Big Al, Just been riding a bit and teachin most weekends.  So I haven't taken the time to investigate what caused the wobble.  I will look into it this winter.  For now I will ride a little slower which seems to work fine. 
Some great stories relating to airplane engines.  I was a jet engine mech. in the air force with run up and taxi license on most of the aircraft I had the pleasure of working on.  That is what made me want to learn to fly.  Still love to fly but riding my Valk is really close to the same experience.
Dubs

[BigAl]

I am stil riding a motor on a bike that was patterned after that old radial engine,,

fast enough for me and keeps John Law off my tail.

For slowing down.

The P-51 Mustang did not rock till they fabbed in the production line with a British Rolls Royce Merlin Engine out of the Spitfire.

Then it was the total package.

It is not a radial by any means and is water cooled.

[hairyteeth]

Anyone can fly one if your healthy enough physically and financially through  http://www.stallion51.com/out of Kissimee FL. Crazy Horse and Crazy Horse II, beautiful facility and really nice people!
Hairy

[Patrick]

Nice pics,, the history of the Mustang is pretty interesting.. Time in one is on my bucket list..
The T-6s I've seen all had some form of P&W 1340s in them..

[BigAl]

1st Engines for the P-51 were built by Allison

1250 hp

 The Allison engine relied on Turbo-Charging that used highly sought after alloys that could not be sustained in supply during war time.

Then married to the Rolls Royce Merlin engine the plane attained it's true place at 437mph at 25,000 feet.

Rolls Royce Engines were also built by Packard.

Thus the Packard Merlin Engines were born and powered the mighty fighter into the WWII Theatre of battle.

[JimmyG]

Great pics. Glad you got that ride. My favourite WWII plane is the F4U Corsair. Just looks like it wants to fight sitting on the tarmac or a carrier. Not the fighter plane the P51 was, but still a great plane.