P-51 Mustang's Postwar Service Tweet

[Todd Carrison]

Part 6 - Postwar Service

By 1950, the USAF had transferred many of its Mustangs to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, each of which operated F-51s throughout the 1950s. The last USAF Mustang was retired from service in 1957. As the Air Force transitioned to new aircraft, numerous Mustangs were surplussed to the civilian market, where they could often be purchased for as little as $1,500.



In 1957, David Lindsay formed Trans Florida Aviation Inc. with the goal of refurbishing surplus P-51s for sale to civilian buyers. In 1967 and again in 1972, the USAF purchased remanufactured Mustangs from Lindsay’s company, which was then known as the Cavalier Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Many of these Cavalier Mustangs were sent to Asian countries (primarily Indonesia) as part of the Military Assistance Program (MAP). Several others went to Latin American nations that were part of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. Under this treaty, postwar Mustangs were sold for just $1.



The U.S. Army was the last American military branch to operate the Mustang. In 1968, the army purchased an F-51D for use as a chase plane in its Lockheed YAH-56 Cheyenne helicopter program. The Army was pleased with the F-51’s performance and ordered two additional Mustangs for use as chase aircraft. After the Cheyenne project, the Mustangs were kept at Fort Rucker and used in additional Army programs.

Next Week, Part 7 - Learn about the P-51's continued use in Civil Aviation.

Get notified on Facebook and Twitter or download our Android App so you don't miss when Part 6 is posted.