c/n 122-40949 Built 1945 with the full US military serial number ‘44-74409’. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1950, where she served with the serial 9235. Retired and stored in 1954 and sold off in 1958. Remained airworthy and after a series of private owners she was donated to the RAF Museum by Robert Tullius in 2003. She is painted to represent the Mustang flown by Captain Donald R Emerson of the Debden based 336th Fighter Squadron, part of the 4th Fighter Group. She is now on display in Hangar 5, which was previously known as the Bomber Command Hall. RAF Museum London. Hendon, Greater London, UK 3rd October 2020

The following info on 44-74409 is from Joe Baughers indespensible website:-

“1945 to a 3rd Air Force unit of USAAF Air Training Command Mid 1950 Struck off USAF charge and assigned to the Military Aid Programme. 1950 Assigned to Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as 9235, Dec 6, 1950 Brought on RCAF charge ex Pacific Automotive Corp, Burbank, California. Assigned to No. 417 Squadron (Central Air Command Composite Flight,Trenton, Ontario – a Tactical Fighter training unit, unit codes CB). Later assigned to No. 403 City of Calgary Squadron at Calgary (unit code AD, later PR). Nov 23, 1953 Reassigned to No. 402 ‘City of Winnipeg’ (FB) Squadron (Auxiliary) at Stevenson Field, Winnipeg, Manitoba, also a tactical fighter unit with the code AC on the rear fuselage. Sep 31, 1954 Placed in storage at Lincoln Park, Calgary. Sep 26, 1956 To APDAL (Aircraft Pending Disposal) at Lincoln Park, as final withdrawal of the P-51 from RCAF service approached. Dec 30, 1958 Struck off RCAF charge. Dec 1958-1960 Registered as N6319T to James H Defuria and Fred J Ritts of Intercontinental Airways, Canastota, New York. Defuria and partners purchased 71 of the 87 surplus RCAF P-51s bought by civilians from the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation c.1958-1961; Oct 20, 1960 Transferred to Aero Enterprises, Elkhart, Indiana. Jul 14, 1961 To James H Cunningham, Lexington, North Carolina. Aug 19, 1962 Sold to Dean J Ortner, Wakeman, Ohio. Jul 1963 Lake Aircraft Company of Michigan City, Indiana removed the rear fuselage fuel tank and installed a rear ‘buddy’ seat in the aircraft. May 15, 1968 Sold to aircraft broker (dealer) Joe Bruce Jr, Palm Springs, California. Jun 3, 1968 Sold to Trans Florida Aviation, later the Cavalier Aircraft Corporation, Sarasota, Florida; they may have customised/soundproofed the cockpit area, but did no structural work to the aircraft. Bob Tullius reports that Cavalier actually began to prepare the aircraft for sale to a South American air force and had already painted it in a camouflage scheme. Apr 11, 1969 Foreign sale did not go ahead; instead sold to Clint R Hackney, Friendswood, Texas. Jul 4, 1970 Inadvertently landed gear up by pilot Darrel J. Ward during a ‘Confederate Air Force’ air show at Galveston, Texas Scholes Field. The aircraft was repaired at Galveston, the prop and scoop being the only areas damaged. Nov 2, 1971 To Frank D Strickler of Fox 51 Ltd, Denton, Texas. Named ‘Forget Hell’. Dec 30, 1977 Re-registered as N4409 by Frank D Strickler, now of Grapevine, Texas. 1981 Sold to Peter Bottome, Caracas, Venezuela. Jan 1981 Re-registered N555BM to Gordon W Plaskett, King City, California and rebuilt at King City. From King City it was flown by George Roberts to Mike Bradshaw’s Golden Horn Aviation, Fort Pierce, Florida for preparation for repaint. Painted as Barbara M IV and coded PE-E of 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, the individual aircraft of Lt Col John C Edwards. 1982 Re-registered YV-508-CP to Peter Bottome, Caracas, Venezuela; ferried to Caracas on internal fuel tanks by George Roberts. Dec 1990 Returned to US in its Venezuelan markings, ferried by Jack Shaver of Classic Air service, Cape May, New Jersey, and renovated by his company, having flown only 75 hours in the previous decade, with only 1,200 hours total time on the airframe since new. Mar 1991 To racing driver Robert C Tullius, Winchester, Virginia. Apr 9, 1991 Re-registered N51RT to Robert C Tullius/Group 44 inc, Winchester, Virginia: Flown in the markings of the Debden based 336th FS, 4th FG aircraft ‘413317’ of Capt Donald R. Emerson, who was killed Dec 25, 1944 over Belgium. Apr 19, 1999 Transferred to Robert C Tullius Trustee, Sebring, Florida. In 2003 aircraft donated to RAF Museum by Robert Tullius following the end of the 2003 air show season. 18 Nov 18, 2003 by road to RAF Museum Hendon. Put on display at RAF Museum, Hendon Dec 2003. (N51RT)