NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG

C/n 122-41367, USAAF No 44-74827

The RNZAF received 30 Mustangs in 1945 from the United States as part of the planned replacement of the Corsair fighter aircraft. It was intended that the RNZAF receive a total of 370 Mustangs however this did not eventuate. The 30 initially delivered were placed into storage at Hobsonville after the war until 1951 when the Territorial Air Force was reequipped with them. The majority were withdrawn from service in 1955 and sold for scrap, although a small number remained active for a further eighteen months as drogue towers.

This aircraft was produced by North American Aviation at Inglewood, California, and rebuilt to Cavalier standards by Cavalier Aircraft Company in the early 1970s for supply to the Indonesian Air Force under the Mutual Aid Programme in 1972. The aircraft was exchanged for a Vampire T.11 in 1985 and was rebuilt to P-51D standards at RNZAF Base Ohakea.

The aircraft is displayed as NZ2410 which served with No 4 Squadron, Territorial Air Force at Taieri from 1951-55.