Precious Metal (aircraft)
| Precious Metal (P-51XR) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Precious Metal during the 2014 Reno Air Races | |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | World Jet Inc. |
| Designer | Don Whittington |
| First flight | 1988 |
| Introduction | 1988 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | North American P-51 Mustang |
| Career | |
| Construction number | 87-4488 |
| Registration | N6WJ |
| Fate | Damaged in ground fire, under repairs |
Precious Metal is a custom-built racing aircraft based on the North American P-51 Mustang.
Design and development
The P-51XR was built by World Jet Inc., a company owned by Don Whittington, in 1988.[1] Its fuselage, acquired from Tallmantz Aviation, was from a P-51D. The P-51XR was fitted with stock P-51 wings, and its powerplant, a Rolls-Royce Griffon 57A driving contra-rotating propellers, came from an Avro Shackleton. In its original form, the P-51XR was fitted with the P-51H tail from Whittington's original Precious Metal aircraft.[1]
History
.jpg)
Precious Metal made its first flight on August 10, 1988.[1] It made its debut at the Reno Air Races on September 12 of that year. The plane shared its name with Whittington's other P-51 race plane, leading many to believe that it was the same aircraft.[2] During a qualifying run, the aircraft achieved a speed of
Awards
Other Precious Metal aircraft
Two other P-51 Mustangs have carried the Precious Metal name.
Precious Metal (N5483V)
Precious Metal II
Specifications (P-51XR)
See also
References
- ^ a b c "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.com. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- ^ "P-51 Mustang Survivors - MustangsMustangs.com". www.mustangsmustangs.com. Retrieved 2020-07-07.