Following a brief teaser video released last month, Complete Aircraft Care has offered a new, more in-depth look at the final preparations and test flights of Mustang Flight Australia’s newly restored CA-18 Mk. 21 Mustang “Snifter.”
The Australian-built example of the P-51D (A68-110), was delivered to the RAAF in 1948 and saw little service prior to being decommissioned in 1957. After being sold, it sat for nearly four decades before becoming the focus of a seven-year restoration by Sandora Aviation in North Brisbane, during which it was converted to a two-seat configuration. In 2002 it returned to the air and is now the the centerpiece of the Caboolture Warplane Museum, providing regular flight experiences with the nonprofit Mustang Flights Australia while also supporting local war service commemorations.
The recent rebuild reportedly brought the aircraft to “better than original” condition while keeping it as historically correct as it was when it came off the production line. The exacting work even included minor changes to the livery to make it a better representation of Snifter (A68-769) which served with 82 Squadron in Japan and 77 Squadron in Korea.
The aircraft returned to the air on May 21 and will reportedly be gracing the skies around Australia “giving people the flight of a lifetime.”
Check out the newly released video below.
As promised here is a video of the final preparations and test flying of Mustang Flights Australia CA18 MK21 Mustang.
We hope you have enjoyed this series its been a amazing journey, overhauling this fantastic aircraft and we cant wait to see her gracing the sky's around Australia giving people the flight of a lifetime, and a smile the will stay for a very long time.
Thank you and enjoy.
Posted by Complete Aircraft Care on Tuesday, June 19, 2018
(via Wikimedia Commons)