P51 Mustang replica down near Santa Clarita

Very sad... it hits a little close to home :(
I recently started chatting with him on FB. He had an awesome plane and car collection and a very colorful life (aviation races, photo of him and Shelby together, customizing celebrities' cars, etc). He invited me over to his hangar but our schedules didn't work out so I never met him in person. What a loss!
Thoughts and prayers to his family.
 
I wonder if it had the Falconer for power (V-12 engine)? "I can't see anything" ... oil on the canopy? That could have made a successful landing difficult.
69 kts stall speed in landing config, so ~90 kts approach, making the contact speed with the pavement pretty hairy if using a road filled with cars as a runway. From witness statements it may have departed controlled flight.
I always wanted one, but couldn't justify it (and still can't, probably end up with a 210 or similar.)
 
I flew one a couple of times. About a year after I flew it, the engine came apart and killed the owner.

By far the best looking P-51 replica is the Thunder Mustang in my opinion, but the engines scare me.
 
Lowflynjack said:
I flew one a couple of times. About a year after I flew it, the engine came apart and killed the owner.

By far the best looking P-51 replica is the Thunder Mustang in my opinion, but the engines scare me.
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yep. As I recall, they were having trouble a few years back with a partial or complete loss of oil pressure that was happening without any obvious explanation. Not sure if they found what was causing it.

Very cool airplanes and engines, but they’ve lost several.
 
Used to have one in my group of hangars. The pilot moved to Nevada but was talking about selling the plane. I wonder....
 
Sadly ironic that he was the cover photo on Plane & Pilot magazine, featuring a story titled "LOST ENGINE! How Will You React?"

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