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Papa 51 Thunder Mustang
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The Thunder Mustang is a modern, composite-shell, 0.75-scale kitplane replica of the American P-51 Mustang fighter of World War II, with performance comparable to the original P-51. As the fastest and most-powerful piston-powered kit aircraft available, it is the leader of pack of the various piston-powered, high-performance P-51 replica kits[1][2] -- which include the Titan Aircraft T-51, (a welded steel airframe with secondary monocoque aluminum shell), and the all-aluminum Stewart S-51D -- though outrun by the full-scale, turbine-powered Cameron P-51G.
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Design and development
The Thunder Mustang is a 3/4-scale composite kitplane replica of the P-51 Mustang, powered by a modern, 640-horsepower, normally aspirated, water-cooled Falconer V-12 piston engine, enabling speeds approaching that of the original P-51 fighter.[1][2][3] It is a low-wing, monocoque design, with retractable, conventional (tailwheel) landing gear.[2]
It is currently in renewed production stages. Production ceased in the fall of 1999. The Thunder Builders Group LLC of Richmond, Texas[2] owned the assets required to manufacture the airplane in September 2010, when they sold the assets to Dean Holt of Mount Vernon, Washington.[4] Dean is currently in the process of manufacturing all the necessary components for complete kit offerings, which will be available in late fall 2011.
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Operational history
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There were a total of 37 complete or partial kits produced, including the prototype. Of these 37, 27 were delivered as complete kits including the Falconer engine. Two have Walter turbines installed and presently flying.
Four Thunder Mustangs have competed at the Reno Air Races. John Parker has recorded lap speeds of more than 355 mph on the racecourse using the normally aspirated Falconer engine in his Thunder Mustang Blue Thunder II. Parker perished in a landing incident at Reno Stead on May 1, 2018. George Giboney posted lap speeds of 397 mph with his supercharged version of the Falconer engine during the 2010 races, with level flight top speed of more than 415 mph.
On January 4, 2020, a Thunder Mustang crashed in Santa Clarita, California, killing the pilot.[5]
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