MustangsMustangs
The North American P-51 Mustang
MustangsMustangs
P-51 Who?   Case # 28
44-73423     N31248     Closed
Solved by: T.J.Johansen, MM.com, DP
P-51 Who 28
Case#: 28
Date: Jul 19 1999
By: Lowell Thompson
Photo: 44-73423 - 44-73216
Status: Closed
Serial: 44-73423
Registry: N31248
P-51 Who? Viewer Responses
T J Johansen
07/20/1999 14:51
This is N31248, ex N5465V 44-73423 owned by Jerry Miles. It later became N51DJ, N51KJ, and N3278D before crashing and killing new owner Wayne Meylan in 1987.
MustangsMustangs
07/01/2000 10:00
N31248, Jerry Miles, Fred Sebby 44-73423, later N51DJ, N51KJ or is it N3278D, 44-73216? same P-51?

OK. This one is a bit strange, but here goes.
(with the help of TJ and a little book work of my own -no guarantees)

As stated above this mustang does carry numerous N#s and 2 serial numbers. It started out as N5465V, 44-73423 owned by George Bliss. The aircraft bellied in during early 70's and the project was then sold and completed as N31248 (Jerry Miles not listed as owner, but was certainly involved in this aircraft.) I believe as pictured above it was reg. Fred Sebby owner in '80 as N31248 The P-51 changed numbers and paint and in 1982 finally adopted the serial # of a destroyed P-51 (44-73216, N6302T- cr.dest.'71). 1980 Rick Brickert listed as owner flew this P-51 in Reno as #51 "Mustang Fever" and finished 2nd in the Bronze. 1981 Brickert was back at Reno in #51 "Sunshine" who DNF the unlimited Bronze on Sunday. In '82 it was N51DJ "Sunshine" (Diane Dejacomo). In '83 it was N3278D "Sunshine", (Jerry Owens). Fred Sebby raced in #38 "Sunshine" in '83, and in '84 it was N3278D painted in the RAF scheme coded "FB" until its end.

In 1987 Wayne Meylan took ownership and in June '87 he was killed in this mustang when it crashed and was destroyed. It was still on USCR in '96, but this N# is not registered anymore.
MustangsMustangs
07/04/2000 10:00
As for the paperwork loose ends ...

N3278D does not exist anymore as well as the serial #'s 44-73216 and 44-73423.

N51DJ is now reg. with sn 44-61449 (not a P-51 #) as a North-American-Miles (Jerry Miles). Year manufactured - 1976. Is this paper transferred to another project? or just paper or related to 44-74469? (N51DJ is believed to be 44-74469 x:Tally Ho II, without the camo paint. This P-51 was reported to be built using several different components from different sources.) It is reg. to Aero Craft Services in Las Vegas as of 3/99. It was previously reg. to Classic Air Parts of CA and FL.

N51KJ is now reg. with sn 44-12962-A (adopted sn). Registered in '82 (the year 44-73423 was transf. to 44-73216) to Jerry Owens and is also a North-American-Miles. (not sure that this is an aircraft)

Another Miles P-51 (which might have some bearing) is 44-74469, N7723C. It was restored in '87 and flew as "Tally Ho II". In 1992 it was reg. to Classic Air Parts and rumors say it was reported destroyed in hurricane Andrew '92. It was struck off the USCR in '93. But other rumors have it as not being destroyed and then changed identity to N51DJ or N51KJ or even N515J. Interestingly, N515J began its reg. in '92.

Out of all of this we had 4 serial #s, 7 or 8 N#'s, 2 mustangs that crashed/dest. and another that was reported destroyed. It is believed that there is only one P-51 that survives all of this but I don't know for sure how much is metal or paper. Someone out there knows the real story and the current status.

Questions that need answering:

Is N51DJ the old "Tally Ho II" 44-74469?
Is N515J 44-74262 just paperwork?
Is N51KJ 44-12962A just paperwork?
Was there anything left of 44-73423 when it crashed as 44-73216 in '87?
And if so, is it tied to one of the above N#'s?

Please help tie up the loose ends!
MustangsMustangs
02/05/2001 12:00
At the time of the above photo, the P-51 has been positively identified as N31248, 44-73423.
MM.com
Marcia Sebby Winborne-Graven
01/11/2011 11:33
Regarding the Mustang "Tally Ho" that my brother Fred Sebby used to fly. Fred told me once that particular mustang was not easy to fly. He said it was sold to 2 airline pilots and at the time he predicted they'd crash it because "they had no respect for how you fly a mustang". Sure enough, a few months later, they did crash it. According to Fred, they overloaded the plane and tried to do a roll on takeoff. He said it killed them both and destroyed the plane. I have a clipping of that accident that Fred gave me, which, unfortunately, doesn't have the year. But, it does say, "...Meylan and a passenger were killed in the crash of this aircraft on 26 June when the mustang apparently failed to recover from an aerobatic maneuver."

By the way, I don't think Fred ever owned the gray mustang in the other photo, but that's him flying it. I have several photos like that one.

Bruce McEwen
06/20/2011 19:47
I was visiting Luddington , Michigan on July 21, 1987 and witnessed the flight of two mustangs. The first was "Gunfighter II" and the second was "Tally Ho".

they were both stored at the local airport and were warming up when I came by. "Tally Ho" had a noticable rough engine compared to "Gunfighter".

They both took off and I photographed them periodically. After a while they returned to the airport and I got several more shots of them on arrival and after landing.

Several days later there was an article in the Cleveland Ohio "Plain Dealer" regarding the accident, which killed a former Cleveland Browns player and an airport employee. There is an accident report on the FAA website that describes the crash.

I have since seen the "Gunfighter at the Columbus, Ohio air show.

Cordially,
Bruce McEwen

k collins
09/02/2013 14:43
I had the pleasure of flying in "Tally Ho" (N3278D), behind Gerry Miles in 1986, one year before it crashed. It was painted in the British "FB" colors and it was immaculate. We flew out of Chino, CA and crossed Lake Mathews at about 50 feet at over 300 mph. A chandelle on the other side of the lake produced 3.5 g's in the climb. It was a spectacular ride and Gerry Miles was both a nice guy and a heck of a pilot. He always spoke highly of Fred Sebby whom he considered a close friend.
Charles Irvin
01/08/2015 03:11
Isn't this the same P-51 that Fred had to do an "entertaining" dead-stick landing in??? (dodging powerlines, cars, buildings, and pedestrians)I believe it was in Kern County somewhere.

I recall seeing the newspaper article in his hangar at the Compton Airport. The photo jarred my memory: with the exception of the Air Races, I haven't been near any Warbirds since about the time of Fred's passing, but I remember seeing pictures of this plane.
Charles Irvin
07/18/2015 04:52
I just re-visited this site, and stumbled across the photo of this aircraft as "Tally Ho II": last time I saw Fred in a P-51, it was this aircraft, in that color scheme. However, it was before the name Tally Ho II, the number 51, or the nose art had been added. He flew it into/out of Compton Airport the day that I saw it. (I kind of recall that he had it there for a few days)

On a side note: there's a park at the west end of Compton Airport, that has tennis courts. The courts are located right at the eastern end of the park, along Central Avenue, across the street from the west end of the 25 Runways. Fred loved to buzz them as he departed the airport - so low, that he often had a majority of the P-51 in-between the light poles at the tennis courts, as he flew over the park!

I may know a little more info on this aircraft. As Fred's sister mentioned above, I don't know if Fred ever actually owned this aircraft, though he was known for being a "wheeler/dealer" in P-51's and parts, I know that several passed through his hands.
jerry miles
10/16/2015 01:48
I can answer ant questions regarding any mustang I owned and fred flew all u have to do is ask fred was my best friend the brother I never had he loved thre thinks in life great sexy wiman, p 51, and 67 or 69 cougars to sell and P T 19,his passon was flying Reno, and Oshkosh he was close friends with Pall poberenski, im older but not senile email me with any questions regarding all p 51 I owned
joseph orbi
04/12/2017 04:54
Trying to get Jerry Miles email address. Have questions for him.
Stacy Zimmer
03/15/2018 10:17
If Bruce McEwen still has photo's of Tally Ho and Gunfighter taken at the Ludington airport I would love to see them. Wayne Meylan was my uncle, and I still remember getting the call on the day of the crash. He was an amazing man.
Mark Talcott
01/15/2023 21:28
Worked for Jerry in the auto leasing business in the 80's in Fountain Valley. Everytime I hear the words P51 I think of him, he loooooved the P51 and would talk about his in Chino alot for the short time I knew him. I was his star salesman, I leased 1 car. Hope he reads this and is still on earth.
Ryan Stewart
03/29/2023 20:21
I know the whole story on the airplane. Kept it in my hangar in Hays, Ks in 1982 and part of 1983. Send me an email if you want that info. I knew Fred and Jerry well.
Ryan
Justin Keogh
10/30/2023 13:54
My cousin, Sam Detwiler (1979-2013) witnessed the crash. His father, who also witnessed it, relayed the story to me. Sam was close enough to clearly see the canopy as it went over him inverted, and he said that it appeared the pilot was pressed against the canopy, as if he had come detached from the seat, or the seat itself had detached. I searched the NTSB site to see if this is addressed in the report, but have not found it.
Case Closed!
P-51 Mustang

Send in Your Response
Name:
Email:
Enter "mustang" backwards:
Response:
   
Name and Response are shared with all readers. Email is private and never shared.