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P-51 Who?   Case # 285
44-63481     N6341T     Closed
Solved by: Dick Phillips
P-51 Who 285
Case#: 285
Date: Mar 05 2004
By: Marco Lavagnino
Photo: via Marc Koelich
Status: Closed
Serial: 44-63481
Registry: N6341T
P-51 Who? Viewer Responses
Curtis Fowles - MustangsMustangs
03/06/2004 21:34
Can you identify these men and time frame of the photo? The P-51 reg is N6__4_? Good luck.
john steinmetz
03/08/2004 14:50
the n number is probably 6340T which might have been dick kessle's or? look up the onwer of 6340t around 1965 - 1970 and that will be the answer
Norm Shea
03/11/2004 20:10
Could this be N651D (44-73857) in an early paint scheme before the stars were put on the wings. I can't quite pick out the antena bump in the black and white photo that you can see on photo in the Survivors list (44-73857 was unfortunately lost so is in the Misc section).
Dick Phillips
03/18/2004 11:03
There are several "near miss" guesses in the above answers, but I'm 99.9% certain this is N6303T, 44-63481, when owned by Dick Kestle. It is white over gray, with black stripe. I've no idea who the people are. None of them are Dick Kestle, but I'd bet it was taken at Sarasota, since there is a Canadair Northstar airliner in the background.
Randy Haskin
03/21/2004 03:58
Dick's info would seem to make sense. I have it that N6303T received some minor Cavalier conversion work (although not a full-on Executive Mustang or Cavalier rework) at Sarasota in 1967. '67 is also when Cavalier purchased a batch of Northstars surplus to use their motors for building up engines for Cavalier Mustang IIs.
Randy Haskin
03/21/2004 03:59
Dick's info would seem to make sense. I have it that N6303T received some minor Cavalier conversion work (although not a full-on Executive Mustang or Cavalier rework) at Sarasota in 1967. This seems to be prior to the rework, since there is not a plenum box for the Cavalier cockpit air system visible in the photo. '67 is also when Cavalier purchased a batch of Northstars surplus to use their motors for building up engines for Cavalier Mustang IIs.
T J Johansen
05/10/2004 02:57
Any chance this could be N6341T when owned by Bill Sullivan of Kentucky? T J Johansen Oslo, NORWAY
Marc Koelich
05/12/2004 20:07
Hi T J , N6341T was on my 'suspects' list, and ownership by William Sullivan would be the proper time frame, but I don't have a clue on the paint scheme at that time, or if this Mustang ever passed through Sarasota. By the way, I've seen N6341T associated with 44-74474 and with 44-74774, which one is the 'proper' one? Another possible suspect was N6347T, 44-73458, ex-RCAF. This Mustang did eventually end up with FAS, but the registration was changed to N554T in 1963, which would make it too early, unless of course N554T was not used. As for N6341T, I have no clue regarding the paint scheme at the time. Cheers Marc
T J Johansen
05/27/2004 13:51
Hi Mark, I have a feeling that it isn't N554T, as the photos I have seen of it shows it as being white with a confederate star/bar flag. N6341T was white over bronze like in the photo at the time of Sullivans ownership, but I don't know about the Sarasota connection. As far as the correct s/n, maybe Dick Phillips have the answer! T J Johansen Oslo, NORWAY
Dick Phillips
06/07/2004 19:55
As for the serial mixup on N6341T, the correct number is 44-74474. There was a typo error in the paperwork way back at some point, and the wrong number of 44-74774 was perpetuated for some time.
Curtis Fowles
07/28/2004 21:13
Hello gang! I do not know the exact identity, but if you look behind the right arm of the man in the white shirt, it certainly looks the left side of a "4" which would be the third number in the registration. Dick has it as N6303T, but I don't see parts of the "3". I know it is very tough to conclude anything, so please send us some info. Thanks to all for what we already have. Curtis
Howard Austin
07/31/2004 12:27
The photo was made at Cavalier in Sarasota in the late 60s. The man in the white shirt is Gerry Tyler, plant manager at Cavalier. The aircraft is Gerry's personal Mustang, forget the number, which he sold to Georgio Billi (sp?), an Italian business man. That could be Georgia in the dark suit. No idea who the Air Force types are, we checked out a few occasionally to ferry aircraft to Latin America. Howard Austin
Marc Koelich
08/07/2004 05:09
First of all, many thanks for all your replies. Could this be the ill-fated I-BILL, 44-74694? The name of the new owner would explain the registration. If not mistaken, I-BILL was N6851D while still at Sarasota. The Air Force guys might well be Salvadoran pilots, either training or visiting in preparation of the arrival of their cavalier MkII Mustangs. Anyway, this photo comes from El Salvador.
Dick Phillips
12/20/2004 08:11
Well, there have been several ideas thrown out on this one, but I'm sticking with the fact that it is N6303T. Howard Austin had some good information there about it possibly being N6851D, which did indeed become I-BILL, but the photos I have of 6851D do not match up as well on the trim lines of the paint scheme as 6303T does. The photo might well have come from Dominica, and those guys in flight suits might well be FAD pilots, but they might have been looking at Dick Kestles N6303T, when the photo was taken. One thing that leads me to believe it is not N6851D is the black item at the back of the cockpit, behind the back seat. See the photo of 6851D. I can see what could look like a "4" behind Gerry Tyler, but I think it is his arm. If you draw a line along the top of the N6, you will see that what looks like a "4" extends too high to be a number. I'm sending photos of N6303T and N6851D to Curtis to post with this note. I have no idea how to post photos with these notes. Dick Phillips
Curtis Fowles
02/12/2005 10:48
Thanks everyone for their work, great posts!
David E. Hammonds
06/22/2010 20:44
I have an additional photo of Dick Kestler's N6303T while in it's "Miss Royal Crown Cola" colors. Parked in my Dad's maintenance hangar in Columbus Ga. Late 60's to early 70's I think, considering the plane and Kestler passed on in '72. Any way I can upload the photo I have?
Jon Lofgren
10/08/2011 11:25
Hello. My name is Jon Lofgren The photo says it all N6341t was owned by my father Al Lofgren It also had a different paint job with 2 geese on the tail. If anyone knows the were a bouts of tell me I have not seen the plane since I was a kid.
Jon
Case Closed!
P-51 Mustang

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