Fighter Aviation Engineering's recently purchased Mustang, 'Jersey Jerk', now registered as GJERK on the UK Civil Register, completes its second UK flight arriving from Sywell, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 5th May 2024, during the Duxford VEDay Flying Day. It is then seen departing following the show.
This Mustang is a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) machine constructed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Melbourne, Australia with constructors number 1435. It was restored by Ed Field who set up the Mustang Fighter Trust, at Caboolture, Queensland, Australia during the 1990's and had its first post restoration flight on 24 January 2002.
It was a composite restoration project that had been purchased from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA as a Mustang airframe parts collection which had sections and parts from different aircraft that had been acquired and stored, including. During 1994 these parts and the project were purchased by Australian airline pilot Ed Field with the aim of operating a twin control Mustang commercially. The parts were delivered in mid 1995 and restoration and began, incorporating also some newly made parts. In 1997 the restoration was added to the Australian Civil Register as VHMFT and identified as a CAC CA18 Mustang Mk.21 constructors number 1435, based on paperwork supplied with the application for registration. CA18 c/n 1435 was RAAF Mustang A68110, which was damaged in a taxying accident at RAAF East Sale on 19 July 1955, and then transported by road to RAAF Tocumwal, New South Wales. It was authorised for disposal on 6 February 1957 as a stripped airframe shell and sold for scrap to R.H.Grant Trading Co, which at that time was carying out large scale scrapping on the airfield at RAAF Tocumwal. Parts of this aircraft, perhaps the whole airframe shell, had found there way to Florida, USA after it had been scrapped and were included in the project purchased by Ed Field.
On 19 March 1999 ownership changed to Warplanes Pty Ltd at Caboolture, due to changes with the ownership syndicate, with Ed Field continuing as the operator.

The resulting aircraft, which was given twin seats and dual controls, had its first post restoration test flight at Caboolture on 24 January 2002. It was painted up as ex RAAF airframe A68769/FA, named 'Snifter' and included a stencilled USAAF data block under the cockpit as "P51D25NT 4484502", which corresponded with the original 'Snifter' airframe. It remained at Caboolture, Queensland, Australia until sale by its 11 strong ownership syndicate to Fighter Aviation Engineering,UK in 2023. It arrived at Sywell, UK during November 2023 and was reassembled and put into this new colour scheme by Air Leasing who maintain and operate the aircraft on behalf of Fighter Aviation Engineering Ltd.

The Mustang's new paint scheme represents the mount of Major Donald A. Strait, the commanding officer of the United States Army Air Force's (USAAF) 361st Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, at Martlesham Heath in Suffolk during 1944. Mustang 4415152 QIT was christened 'Jersey Jerk' in reference to the state he grew up in, and after the name he had originally wanted 'Jersey Bounce' had already been taken by another pilot. He was originally opposed to the word "jerk" in the name, but changed his mind when his crew chief said to him, "Sir, let me tell you why we want to name it that. Any guy that would take off in a single engine airplane, cross the North Sea in the winter time and take a chance of getting his ass shot off by the Luftwaffe or by antiaircraft fire, has got to be a jerk!"
During two combat tours, Major Strait flew 122 missions and had 13 and a half victories, to become the 356th Fighter Groups top scoring ace, with 10 and a half victories while flying a P51 Mustang. During late 1944 he became commander of the 361st Fighter Squadron and after World War 2 continued to serve with the New Jersey Air National Guard, in which he had enlisted prior to World War 2, where he became a Squadron Commander, Wing Commander and Commander of the New Jersey National Guard. He was decorated 9 times and retired as a Major General in 1978.
Powered by a V12 Packard Merlin V16507, fitted with a twostage twospeed supercharger producing 1,590hp (1,185kW), the aircraft remains twin seat and dual control and will be utilised by Ultimate Warbird Flights for regular commercial passenger joy rides and for pilot training.




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