If you read this blog much, or even if you don’t, you could probably guess that I love P-51s. While there are definitely other aircraft that tickle my fancy, there is just something special about watching a P-51 fly. I imagine there is something special about actually flying one, but the money and flying a P-51 arcs haven’t yet come together on the graph that is my life. So what exactly is it about a P-51 that makes it so special? For me it is a combination of how gracefully a P-51 flies and the (most-likely) Merlin-powered soundtrack.
To that end, today’s post features a pair display from Duxford in 2009. The aircraft in the video are the Old Flying Machine Company‘s P-51D Mustang ‘Ferocious Frankie’ and MH434, a Spitfire MkIXB. The video was put together by Blue Foam Airshow Video and, on the off chance that you were worried, features only the ambient soundtrack. In other words, there is no music; only the sound of two finely-tuned Merlins.
Histories of the Featured Aircraft
Ferocious Frankie spent a brief period making the rounds in Canada after WWII before being sold and registered as N6340T. After some lucky soul bought N6340T for $5,400 in the Sixties, she placed second in the Unlimited class of the 1974 Reno Air Races. After this brief period in the US, the mostly stock P-51D was acquired by The Fighter Collection and was flown back to the UK where it was repainted and the fuselage fuel tank replaced with a seat. During the 80s Ferocious Frankie was known as Moose and racked up a number of movie credits before changing hands again in 1999.
MH434 spent a period of time after WWII in the Netherlands and Belgium before returning to British hands in the 1950s. It was registered as G-ASJV and spent a brief period of time being flown for pleasure (what a novel concept!) before racking up quite a collection of movie roles. It was last sold in the mid 80s, and continues to appear in films for which it is often repainted.
All in all, these are two really nice aircraft that are likely to have appeared in a movie you’ve seen considering their decades of credits. I highly recommend cranking the volume, setting the video to high def and playing it on the largest screen available (as usual) for maximum enjoyment.