472218 'Big Beautiful Doll' - North American P-51D Mustang

'BIG BEAUTIFULL DOLL'

472218 'Big Beautifull Doll' - P-51D Mustang, Abingdon 2009 ©Nigel Key

Princess Elizabeth | Nooky Booky IV | Ferocious Frankie | Moonbeam McSwine | Miss Velma | Tall in the Saddle | Big Beautiful Doll
Originally ‘Big Beautiful Doll’ was one of the Australian built mustangs manufactured by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1951 and entered service with the Australian Air Force.

After only achieving 4 hours of flying time the mustang was put into storage until 1958.

It was then sold to a private owner and ended up in the Philippines in 1969.

In 1973 the mustang had a major engine failure on its first test flight and suffered a forced landing.

The aircraft was placed in storage as a write-off and then shipped to Hong Kong where it was sold to Ray Hanna.

Ray and Mark Hanna had the aircraft restored by the Hong Kong Aeronautical Engineering Company and it was shipped over to the UK and registered as G-HAEC taking to the skies once more in February 1985.

The mustang was regularly seen at British Airshows and during this time it appeared in movies such as “Empire of the Sun” (as Missy Wong), “Cadillac of the Skies” (in the airfield attack), “Memphis Belle” (as 'Ding Hao'), “Saving Private Ryan” (in the ending battle sequence) and “Red Tails”.

In 2001 G-HAEC adopted the “Big Beautiful Doll” paint scheme, serial number 47-2218 and was an airshow favourite for a decade.

A mid-air collision between North American P-51D Mustang (D-FBBD) and Douglas AD-4NA Skyraider (F-AZDP) occurred at Duxford Airshow on 10th July 2011.

The accident happened over agricultural land at the end of the flying display.

The Skyraider hit the back of the Mustang suffering damage to its starboard wing, though the pilot was able to regain control and land the aircraft safely.

The Mustang had control surface damage and the pilot had to bail out after ensuring the aircraft would come down in a field away from building and people.

No members of the public were involved in the incident and no one was seriously hurt, though the pilot of the mustang suffered minor injuries when he bailed out.