Following on from the recent Warbirds exports of the two Kittyhawks, P40E ZK-RMH and P40N ZK-CAG as well as the 2 seat Spitfire Mk IX ZK-WDQ and the Avro Anson Mk 1 ZK-RRR, the long lived (in NZ) North American P-51D ZK-TAF is also heading off shore.
It will be heading to Australia to join the Hunter Fighter Collection at Scone in NSW. after being purchased by Ross Pay of Pay's Aviation who is also the Chairman of the Hunter Fighter Collection, and it will join two other Mustangs on display there. The Mustang will be flown across the Tasman by Steve Death (who also delivered Mustang ZK-SAS "Dove of Peace" across to Australia in June 2022).
The Mustang was built in late 1945 for the USAF but did not see service with them. In 1951 it was transferred to the RCAF with whom it served until 1959. Then after several US owners it arrived in New Zealand as N769MD in 1984 for Sir Tim Wallis. It first flew here as N769MD on 24/1/85 and became the foundation aircraft for Sir Tim Wallis's Alpine Fighter Collection, being painted as NZ2415 in the colours of the No 3 (Canterbury Territorial) Squadron of the RNZAF . It was registered as ZK-TAF in May 1986. It is photo'd above arriving at the 25th Anniversary Walsh Flying School airshow at Matamata in 1991.
Ownership transferred to Graham Bethell in 1990 and he has owned it all these years for which we should all be thankful as he has flown it in many New Zealand airshows and air displays over that time. Here it is at the still amazing Mosquito airshow at Ardmore on 29 September 2012 along with three other now departed warbirds. Sadly, such is the reality of the modern warbird scene.
Thanks for the memories Graham.
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