North American P-51D Mustang, G-SIJJ / 122-31894, Peter Alexander Teichman
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: G-SIJJ
Construction Number: 122-31894
Code Number: 44-72035
Model North American P-51D Mustang
Operator: Peter Alexander Teichman
Airport: North Weald (EGSX), UK - England
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 14/06/2012
Date Submitted: 31/12/2012
P-51D 'Jumpin' Jacques' receiving some pre-season maintenance outside of her hangar at North Weald. She is a P-51D-20-NA model, constructed at North American's Inglewood factory in California. Taken on charge by the USAAF on the 21st December 1944 she was intended for service with the Eighth Air Force in England but this was changed to the 15th Air Force based in Italy. She began her journey on the 4th January 1945 with a ferry flight to Newark, New Jersey followed by transport, by sea, leaving on the 24th January 1945. She was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, the famous 'Red Tails', this unit was the first African American Fighter Group and have since became famous as 'The Tuskegee Airmen'. After the war she returned to the USA on the 10th October 1945. She was placed into storage until January 1947 when she was overhauled prior to service with the Air National Guard. She served with the 125th Fighter Squadron, Oklahoma ANG then later the 192nd FS, New Mexico ANG based at Reno. She was retired from active service on the 12th March 1953 and was once again placed into storage at the Sacramento Air Material Area in October 1956 pending disposal. Just under a year later she was sold to Whiteman Enterprises of Pacoima, California and registered N5411V. She remained in the ownership of Whiteman Enterprises for twenty-four years until she was sold to Humberto Escobar of Bogota, Colombia on the 4th December 1981. After eight years in Colombia, in August 1989 she was exported to France where she was operated by Jacques Bourret of Aero Retro based at St. Rambert. Peter Teichmann registered her as G-SIJJ on the 20th March 2003 and she now flies as part of the Hangar 11 collection at North Weald. Her colour scheme represents an aircraft flown by Lt. Jacque E. Young of the 3rd Fighter Squadron, 3rd Air Commando Group, a unit that operated out of the Philippines.
Picture ID:1382080