P-51 - who currently owns rights?

[nuuumannn]

Now as a twist of irony, since it is a matter of historical record that Ford named the T-5 after the aircraft, that whoever still holds the legal rights to the P-51, went after Ford for using the P-51's name without consent or royalties?

I'm not a hunderd percent certain that this still stands, but David Lindsay of Cavalier sold his Enforcer COIN idea to Piper because his firm didn't have the scale of manufacture that Piper did. When Cavalier closed down in 1971, Lindsay worked for Piper on the Enforcer, or the PA-48 as it became under the Piper designation, so is it Piper that currently holds the rights to the P-51?

 

[GrauGeist]

The Enforcer was a heavily modified version of the Cavalier F-51D and it was that, which was sold to Piper, not the F-51D.

So I would imagine that Lindsay still holds the rights to the P-51/F-51, or rather his estate does.

 

[nuuumannn]

The Enforcer was a heavily modified version of the Cavalier F-51D and it was that, which was sold to Piper, not the F-51D.

Strictly speaking it was the Turbo Mustang III, which was a converted Cavalier Mustang II, that became the Enforcer and it was this that was sold to Piper. Lindsay then went to work with Piper - did he become an employee and when he sold the Enforcer concept to Piper, did he hand over the rights to the Mustang, or like you state, Dave, does his estate still hold them?

 

[GrauGeist]

Well, considering that the PA-48 Enforcer was so highly modified from the Mustang design (North American's and Cavalier's), and the fact that Piper's purchase didn't involve anything from the P-51/F-51 designation, he would have had no need to sell his rights.

 

[nuuumannn]

True, so he must still hold them. Can anyone confirm this for certain?