Miss Velma

[GregP]

Here's a pic of Miss Velma's first startup. Steve Hinton in the cockpit. Now resides in Great Britain.

View attachment 221865

Here's the cockpit during restoration.

View attachment 221866

 

[Thorlifter]

I'm unfamiliar with the plane. Is this just a new engine or a newly restored P-51?

 

[GregP]

When it was restored, it wasa freshly restored plane with mostly new parts.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Beautiful!

 

[Erich]

I wonder if the WW 2 pilot of the 55th fg knows about this ? good luck a long way to go for restoration ..........

 

[mike siggins]

did all the p51 s have a wooden floor every one ive looked at i couldnt see the floor

 

[Njaco]

Thats the Home Depot option. You could get it in Maple or Cherrywood.

 

[Crimea_River]

Duxford, Sept 2010. I'm sure Gary (Geedee) has more and better...

 

[Njaco]

So, those first pics by Greg are several years ago?

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm assuming..,,,unless there's another Miss Velma. The post says it's now in England.

 

[GregP]

Yes, I took them several years ago. Interestingly, the original pilot of "Miss Velma" came to the museum and brought his wife, Velma. It was a neat visit.

The standard P-51 does not have a wood floor, but the TF-51 does. It has dual controls so the person in back can fly the plane, too. That's the reason for the high tail ... the added side area of the larger canopy on the TF-51.