Southern African Warbirds
By André du Plessis

This particular Mustang, FAD1917 (c/n 122-38661) was an F-51D-20-NA originally built as s/n 44-72202. It was delivered to the USAAF on 9th January 1944 and although it was on strength with the 8th Air Force in the United Kingdom in 1945 it is unlikely that it saw combat. In March of that year it was transferred to Flygvapnet ( The Swedish Air Force) where it received the new identity Fv. Nr.26112 and was operated by F16 Wing based at Uppsala. On the 31st October 1952 it was sold to Dominica along with 41 other Mustangs. The fighter squadron operating both F-51Ds and F47 Thunderbolts, Esquadron de Caza Ramfis and later Grupo de Caza Ramfis, saw considerable action against rebels, and during the civil war in 1965 the Mustangs saw extensive combat. The Mustangs were periodically updated and overhauled by Trans Florida Aviation (Later to become Cavalier Aircraft Corp.) of Sarasota, California. In 1967/68 Cavalier Aircraft upgraded the Mustangs but they remained essentially standard

aircraft. Finally the Mustangs were replaced by Cessna A-37Bs and the twelve surviving aircraft were bought by the USA. FAD1917 arrived in Cape Town South Africa on 14th November 1987 and was taken to Lanseria airport near Johannesburg. An inspection revealed extensive corrosion but with the help of South African Airways Technical Section most of this was corrected. Despite difficulties in obtaining spares, the Mustang was finally completed in October South 1998, its first flight in Africa taking place on the 13th of that month with Colonel Tony Smit at the controls. This Mustang has been restored to depict No. 325 of number 2 Squadron based in Korea. The real No. 325 was lost to the South Africans when it was ditched in the sea while being ferried to the front line. The ingenious SAAF technicians, using parts from three unserviceable aircraft, built a perfectly serviceable Mustang, and promptly numbered it No. 325 to replace the one lost.