28 FLYPAST May 2015PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE TP-51C MUSTANG
As things turn out, Jim is
needed at the B-24’s controls at
the time of the sortie, and I am
scheduled to fly with Mark Murphy.
Knowledgeable and likeable, Mark
has over 500 hours in P-51s - his
family owns one - and indicates
that he’s happy for me to try a
take-off and landing from the back
seat.Walkround
Betty Jane has been safely
ensconced in a hangar overnight
and as she emerges into the
warm morning sun, the principal
difference between a P-51C and
the later D-model is obvious.
Whereas the latter has a large
bubble canopy, the former is fitted
with a multi-pane arrangement
that wouldn’t look out of place on a
contemporary Luftwaffe aircraft.The ‘razorback’ Mustang also
has some more subtle differences.
For example, the leading edge of
the fin, where it joins the fuselage,
is very different to the ’D, which
just has a small dorsal fillet.
As we start the pre-flight, Mark
showed me the critical things
to check on a Mustang, along
with other interesting features.
I noted that the undercarriage
has a reasonably wide track, as
it retracts inwards. It’s actuated
hydraulically, as are the brakes
and flaps, and when retracted it is
completely covered by clamshell
doors. The tailwheel also retracts.
The wings are fitted with large
slotted flaps while the one-piece
tailplane carries large elevators
which are fabric covered, as
is the rudder. The ailerons are
metal-covered, and all the control“The heart of the Mustang is one of the fi nest – and most famous – piston
engines ever made; the Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12”North American’s P-51 Mustang is indisputably one of the world’s most iconic
aircraft, but – as World War Two fi ghters go – examples are not exactly in
short supply. More than 350 still survive, with approximately 150 remaining
airworthy.
As many as 95% of the airworthy examples are D-models; the majority of the
rest being ’Cs or ’Bs. Of these, a very small number are two-seaters, and only
the Collings Foundation’s TP-51C Betty Jane is airworthy. As the TP-51C was a
fi eld modifi cation, the number produced is not known – although it is widely
believed that at least fi ve were created.
Ostensibly intended for training purposes (the rear cockpit contains a
complete set of controls and instruments), I doubt that the TP-51C was used
for tuition, as the view from the back seat really is rather poor. Instead,
they were sometimes employed as high-speed VIP transports and General
Eisenhower fl ew over the Normandy beaches in an example – aptly named The
Stars Look Down.
Mustang 42-103293 was built in 1942 at North American Aviation’s Dallas plant,
and is currently painted to represent Colonel Charles M McCorkle’s Betty Jane,
when he was the commander of the 31st Fighter Group.Field-Modifi ed ‘Betty Jane’ ‘Betty Jane’ ‘Betty Jane’
The cockpit is mostly stock, and even
contains all the original placards.The TP-51C’s canopy is an
interlocking ‘clamshell’ design and
consists of four separate parts,
excluding the windscreen.26-31_Mustang_fpSBB.indd 28 13/03/2015 11:18