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"Precious Metal"

           
Serial #: 44-73518
Construction #:
  122-39977
Civil Registration:
  N5483V
  N6WJ
Model(s):
  P-51D
  Modified Racer
Name: Precious Metal
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2002
   History:
Edward G. Fisher Jr, Kansas City, KS, 1963-1972.
- Registered as N5483V.
Gary R. Levitz/Western Aircraft Leasing, Scottsdale, AZ, 1974-1976.
- Trucked to Scottsdalem, 1974.
- Rebuilt as racer.
-- Clipped wings, racing canopy, P-51H tall tail.
Whittington Brothers Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL, June 1976-1994.
- Modified racer.
-- Fitted with Rolls-Royce Griffin engine with contra rotating propellors, 1988.
- Flew as race #09/"Precious Metal".
- Crash landed and badly damaged, Reno, NV, Sept. 17, 1988.
- Rebuilt using new fuselage and standard mainlplane, Ft. Lauderdale.
- Ditched in sea near Galveston, TX, Jan. 24, 1990.
-- Salvaged.
Don Whittington/World Jet Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, June 21, 1994-2001.
- Registered as N6WJ.
- Rebuilt with Griffon 58 engine and standard tail.
- Flew as race #38.
- Fitted tall tail after 1995.
Ron Buccarelli/Lake Air Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2001-2002.
- Flown as race #38/Precious Metal.
The ID of this aircraft is tentative at best, there are several conflicting reports as to its identity.
Source(s):
Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989.
Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-4th Edition, 2003.
 Photo Source(s):
Chuck Gardner - Warbirds Resource Group, www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org, 2003