Mustang '325' at Swartkops, 1999

Serial Number 44-72202 was delivered to the USAAF in September 1945

12/21/46: Delivered RSwAF 26112 F4, later F16
1952 Dec: Delivered Dominican AF FAD 1917
1984: (Johnson Av.)
1987: SAAF Historic Flight -restoration
1993: SAAF Museum -restoration
1998: Flying again as SAAF 325
2001: suffered a wheels up landing (repairs began)

The airframe was acquired for the SAAF Museum by Lt Col Tony Smit in 1987 from the USA and
it was shipped to Cape Town. It was found to be very corroded and stripping commenced immediately
after the crated aircraft arrived at AFB Swartkop. It is recorded that bad luck, missing parts, stretched
cables and a lack of funds resulted in the restoration taking some 12 years of work.

The aircraft had a mishap when one side of the undercarriage failed to rotate and  the aircraft was damaged. The pilot was Lt Col N. Thomas.

General Characteristics

Length of 9.8 metres, wingspan of 11.28 metres, height of 4.08 metres.

Powerplant is a Packard V-1650-7 liquid cooled supercharged V-12.