North Amercian P-51D Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ | Ultimate Warbirds

  • STATUS: Airworthy
  • LOCATION: Sywell
  • OWNER: Ultimate Warbirds
  • ROLE: Fighter
  • BUILT: 1947
  • LENGTH: 9.82m 32 ft 3 in
  • WINGSPAN:  11.28m 37 ft 0 in
  • ENGINE: 12-cylinder-V-Motor Packard-Merlin V-1650-7, 1649 HP
  • MAXIMUM SPEED:  436 mph 703 km/h
  • RANGE: 1,290miles 2080 km at 258mph 416 km/h (without drop tanks)
  • ARMAMENT: six .50-Browning MG53-2, up to 907 kg bombs, or ten 127-mm-missiles

P-51D Mustang, “Jersey Jerk” was built in Melbourne, Australia under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) as CA-18 Mk.21. Delivered in 1948, it spent most of its RAAF life in store, before being ‘sold for scrap’ in 1957.

Decades later, she reappeared for a composite restoration project via Fort Lauderdale Florida and was shipped to Australia, arriving at Caboolture, Queensland in May 1995. In 1997 it was registered as VH-MFT and restored to airworthy status, the first flight being on 24 January 2002 from her home base at Caboolture, configured with full dual controls for the passenger seat.

After operating for two decades in Australia she was sold in 2020 and was aquired by Ultimate Warbirds to join their flight experiance fleet of warbirds at Sywell, UK. After a repaint she emerged in the stunning colours of P-51D Mustang “Jersey Jerk” / 44-15152, the personal mount of Major Donald Strait of 361st Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group on 5 May 2024.

During WWII, Major Donald Strait was assigned to the 361st Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF. During his two combat tours, Strait flew 122 missions scoring 13.5 victories, making him the 356th FG’s top ace. 10.5 victories were scored in a P-51 Mustang. In late 1944, he became the commanding officer of the 361st FS. After WWII, he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard and became a Squadron Commander and Wing Commander.

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