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“Sharkey” lost its teeth
Well known North American P-51D Mustang G-SHWN has a new livery. Since March 2015 the fighter was flown in RAF 112 Squadron camouflage colours as KH774 with code GA-S. The Mustang was adorned with a large shark-mouth painting, hence its nick-name “The Shark”.
But now the shark has lost its teeth. G-SHWN is registered after its owner SHaWN Patrick, and operated by the Norwegian Spitfire Foundation. Patrick recently decided to change the exterior of his Mustang. It now flies as USAAF 44-13779 with code WD-C as it was once flown by Donald (‘Don’) Blakeslee.
Blakeslee, initially flying for the RCAF and later in the RAF, became the most decorated US Army Air Force fighter pilot in WW II. He flew Spitfires at first, later to switch to the P-47 Thunderbolt, and gained fame in Mustangs while flying bomber escort missions over Germany.
It is definitely not the first time that this Mustang received a new ‘suit’. Built for the USAAF as 44-73877 it did not see action in WW II. It was sold to Canada in 1951 where the machine was flown with serial 9279 until 1958. It was then sold on the civilian market as CF-PCZ in 1963. The aircraft became N167F in 1968. It was repaired after colliding with another Mustang in September 1969. N167F had a very long list of consecutive owners and a variety of colour-schemes too. Well known were those of “Detroit Miss” and “Old Crow”.
From 2010 “Old Crow” was based in Scandinavia and the registration LN-AKS was reserved, but not taken up (Scandinavian Historic Flight Ltd, Oslo). It was bought by its present owner in 2011 and operated by Nordic Warbirds at Vasteras, later the Norwegian Spitfire Association. It is also known for its appearance in movies like “Memphis Belle” and “Red Tails”.
Sources: UK Airshow Review, Geoff Goodall, Wikipedia
