Westenair North American P-51D Mustang “Miss Albuquerque”
MODEL BY:
R. Eminger
Model Scale:
1/48
MODEL ADDED:
09/07/1991
historical significance
First Albuquerque Visit: 1974
Additional Information:
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is a long-range, single-seat fighter used extensively during World War II and the Korean War. The Mustang prototype was unveiled on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and the first Mustang flew in October.
Albuquerque’s Westenair, owned by Carl Ettinger and Dick Durand, purchased this North American P-51 Mustang, N2116, aircraft in1971. Ettinger and Durand were in business buying, selling, and trading all types of aircraft including former warbirds. They owned this aircraft from 1971 to 1972 and flew it as #88 named “Miss Albuquerque” in the Reno Air Races. Pete Ettinger, Carl’s son, had soloed at sixteen and ferried aircraft cross-country for his father while in college, was given the chance to race her at Reno in July of 1971. The plane was based at Albuquerque’s Coronado Airport.
The aircraft was eventually sold to Don Plumb of Spitfire Inc, based in Widsor, Ontario. The aircraft, registered as CF-USA, crashed and was destroyed near Big Spring, TX, October 16, 1975 killing the pilot Don Plumb.
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