Sywell welcomes another Mustang

Once again our local correspondent at Sywell aerodrome, Nigel Harrison reported the arrival of a P-51D Mustang, new to the United Kingdom. The warbird, registered as N51VF was taken out of its shipping container last week on 9 October 2024.

N51VF is actually former USAAF 45-11553 (c/n 124-48306) but is painted as Mustang ’44-72934’ ‘VF-T’ named ‘Shangrila’. This P-51D was flown by Major Don Gentile during his war bond tour after he returned to the US in April 1944.

Don Gentile had earlier flown a Mustang named ‘Shangrila’. This was a P-51B, that he flew during his time with the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group at Debden during World War II. On 13 April 1944 Gentile was flying this P-51B when he inadvertently flew his Mustang too low coming across the airfield at Debden. The propeller hit the ground. He got airborne again as the propeller slowed down. He passed over the 336th dispersal and made a wheels up landing in a field west of Howe Wood.

P-51D 45-11553 was declared surplus in 1947 and was snapped up to become N5415V. Racing at Reno from the early '60s, it was reregistered as N713DW and later as N22DC, N51T, N51TZ.

In 1977 the Mustang was registered as N5415V and carried on racing from 1988 with race #553. It had several names in those days, such as ‘Restless’, ‘No Business’, and ‘Miss Fit’.

After several re-builds over the years and a major conversion in 1993 adding a rear seat and dual controls, the fighter became N151GP and finally N51VF ‘Shangrila’ in 1997.

It is currently still unknown who the plane’s new owner is.

Photos: Nigel Harrison (top) and Gert Jan Mentink

Source: Scramble likes to thank Lance Kuhn for his additional information on Major Don Gentile.