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Constructed as a P-51D-20-NA by North American at Inglewood, California, USA. |
Circa 1944 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-63576. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Al Chute
Notes: This photo was discovered this past April. It was with a large amount of archive material that Al Chute and his brother Bob had acquired over the years. This is a picture of George Wheaties Welch. It was in the archives from the Cleveland National Air Races office that were given to Al Chute by Ben Franklin when he closed the office in the 1960s. This photo shows Welch on the wing of a VLR Mustang. Notice his flying shoes! |
1946 |
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Photographer: Emil Straser
Notes: Another intriguing photo from the Al Chute material from this April. Wheaties Welch is the cockpit of I assume the same Mustang. He is talking to Ron Freeman. Ron Freeman would be the owner of the Mustang that eventually became Wraith/Jay Dee. Again not sure of the significance of this photo and why it would be included in the files. Again this is from the Al/Bob Chute Collection. |
Circa 26 June 1946 |
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Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Army Air Force.
Sold as surplus. |
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To Ron Freeman with new c/r N37492. |
From 30 August 1946 to 2 September 1946 |
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Raced as #37.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Thompson Trophy Reciprocating Division race. The primary pilot was George Welch. Qualified in 2nd place with an average speed of 394.304 mph. Started the B Feature race, but did not finish. Out on second lap with a cracked cylinder head. |
Circa 30 August 1946 |
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Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the National Air Races at Cleveland, OH. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Pete Bowers
Notes: North American test pilot George Wheaties Welch was entered in this stock looking Mustang at Cleveland in 1946. Photos of this airplane in 1946 seem to be relatively rare. Pete Bowers captured this image. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Pete Bowers
Notes: Another photo from the Bruce Fraites collection of the George Welch Mustang. This Mustang was owned by North American rep Ron Freeman. It would become Wraith in 1947 and be flown by Paul Penny Penrose. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Harold G. Martin
Notes: A very rare photo of the P-51 Mustang that was flown by George Wheaties Welch in the 1946 Thompson Trophy. This has been one of the more difficult post war Unlimited aircraft to document as it appeared in 1946. This Mustang was later named Wraith and flown by Paul Penrose in 1947. It was sold to J.D. Reed in 1948 when it was flown by Charlie Walling. It was renamed Jay Dee by J.D. Reed. It was flown in 1949 by Ken Cooley and James Hagerstrom. |
By 10 January 1947 |
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To unknown owner with c/r N37492. |
From 10 January 1947 to 12 January 1947 |
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Raced as #37, named Wraith.
Competed in the Miami All American Air Maneuvers event. The primary pilot was Paul Penrose. Raced in the One Mile Course race. Finished in 1st place with an average speed of 307.605 mph. |
1947 |
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Photographer: Pete Bowers
Notes: Paul Penrose was the pilot in 1947 of Ron Freemans Mustang named Wraith. This was the same Mustang flown by Wheaties Welch in the 1946 Thompson Trophy race. Like Welch, Penrose would be a DNF in the 1947 Thompson. The victim of supercharger surging. |
From 30 August 1947 to 1 September 1947 |
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Raced as #37, named Wraith.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Thompson Trophy Reciprocating Division race. The primary pilot was Paul Penrose. Qualified in 10th place with an average speed of 390.948 mph. Started the B Feature race, but did not finish. Out on the 8th lap with engine problems. |
Circa 30 August 1947 |
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Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the National Air Races at Cleveland, OH. |
30 August 1947 |
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Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the National Air Races at Cleveland, OH. |
1948 |
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Markings Applied: Jay Dee |
1948 |
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Photographer: Charles N. Trask
Notes: A very nice left profile shot of Jay Dee at the 1948 Cleveland Air Races by Charles Trask. Pilot Charlie Firewall Walling is in the cockpit. |
1948 |
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Photographer: Charles N. Trask
Notes: Charles Trask was one of the many non-professional photographers at Cleveland in the 1940s. In 1948 he took a roll or two of color slides of some of the race planes and air show participants. He was very generous in sharing these photos and would make a set of duplicate slides if asked. In the 1980s I obtained a set of these. Scanning technology was not available then but I made a series of Cibachrome prints from these slides. I no longer have the slides as they are with a friend for another project but I do have the prints I made. I will try to scan these later at a higher resolution but these photos of Jay Dee are very nice and provide color documentation of racing in this era. |
From 4 September 1948 to 6 September 1948 |
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Raced as #37.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the SOHIO class. The primary pilot was C C Walling. Raced in the B Feature race. Finished in 3rd place with an average speed of 316.877 mph. |
From 4 September 1948 to 6 September 1948 |
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Raced as #37, named Jay Dee.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Thompson Trophy race. The primary pilot was Charles Walling. Qualified in 6th place with an average speed of 381.469 mph. Started the One Mile Course race, but did not finish. Out on lap 18 with a supercharger surge. |
1949 |
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Raced as #37, named Jay Dee.
Sohio Trophy Race 6th at 373 mph. This was the last air race for this Mustang. |
1949 |
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Photographer: Malcolm Gougan Collection |
From 3 September 1949 to 5 September 1949 |
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Raced as #37, named Jay Dee.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Thompson Trophy Reciprocating Division race. The pilots were James Hagerstrom, Ken Cooley and. Qualified in 9th place with an average speed of 378.841 mph. Raced in the B Feature race. Finished in 6th place with an average speed of 372.719 mph. |
From 3 September 1949 to 5 September 1949 |
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Raced as #37, named Jay Dee.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the SOHIO class. The primary pilot was Ken Cooley. Qualified in 5th place with an average speed of 378.841 mph. Raced in the B Feature race. Finished in 5th place with an average speed of 373.437 mph. |
From 1950 to 1970 |
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Stored dism. |
From 1963 to 1966 |
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To Edward G. Fisher, Kansas City, KS keeping c/r N37492. |
From 1969 to 1972 |
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To John E. Dilley, Muncie, IN keeping c/r N37492. |
From 1974 to 1984 |
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Restored.
The work was carried out at Chino, CA. |
From 1977 to 1981 |
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To Max I. Ramsay, Johnson, KS keeping c/r N37492. |
1977 |
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To Max Ramsay, Johnson, KS keeping c/r N37492. |
From February 1981 to 1984 |
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To Consolidated Airways, Fort Wayne, IN with new c/r N51DH. |
1984 |
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First flight.
Flown at Chino. |
11 June 1984 |
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Certificate of airworthiness for NL51DH (P-51D, 122-31302) issued. |
From January 1985 to 1986 |
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To Fox 51 Limited/Frank Strickler and Lewis Shaw, Denton, TX keeping c/r N51DH. |
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To Evergreen Heritage Collection/Evergreen Vintage Aircraft/Del Smith, Marana, AZ keeping c/r N51DH. |
June 1985 |
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Restored.
The work was carried out at Chino. |
From 1986 to 2008 |
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To Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, OR keeping c/r N51DH. |
1986 |
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To Lewis Shaw keeping c/r N51DH. |
1986 |
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To Evergreen Heritage Collection, McMinville, OR keeping c/r N51DH. |
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Displayed at McMinnville. |
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Markings Applied: N2 S, 463573 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
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Placed on display with Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute, McMinnville OR.
GL-X |
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Based at Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, McMinnville, OR.
 View the Location Dossier |
From 2002 to 2017 |
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To Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute, McMinnville, OR keeping c/r N51DH.
Markings added: GL X |
September 2007 |
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Markings Applied: Skytalker |
1 January 2011 |
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Certificate of airworthiness for NL51DH (P-51D, 122-31302) issued. |
23 June 2012 |
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Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 Photo at Evergreen Air and Space Museum |
25 April 2013 |
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To Michael King Smith Foundation, McMinnville, OR keeping c/r N51DH. |
25 April 2013 |
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To Michael King Smith Foundation keeping c/r N51DH. |
July 2014 |
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Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla |
July 2014 |
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Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla |
July 2014 |
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Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla |
17 January 2017 |
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To Falls At McMinnville Llc, West Jordan, UT keeping c/r N51DH. |
16 June 2017 |
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To Black Pearl 51 Llc, Buffalo, NY keeping c/r N51DH. |
