AIRLINES

After you article on Max Chapman's TP-51C was published in the January issue, I received the attached photograph from Brad Lauderback showing yet another in-field conversion and one that I was not familiar with. P-51B-5-NA s/n 43-6865 was originally assigned to the 486th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group, and was flown by Lt. Joseph L. Gerst with the name Smokey Joe and the coding PZ*X. It then went to a Lt. Mundeil with the coding PZ*M and then Lt. Merton J. Stover with the name Smokey and the same coding. At some point, it was transferred to the 55th FS where it was designated "war weary" and given the code KI*Q. This is probably where the two-seat modification was done. The plane then went to the 435th FS at Wattisham where it was apparently written-off in an accident on 22 September 1945 while carrying the code J2*Q. As can be seen in. the photograph, the modification was unusual in the fact that two Malcolm hoods were utilized.

John Muszala

Idaho Falls, ID

OHIO CARAVELLE

I have noticed the correspondence regarding the SE210 Caravelle in recent issues. I have attached a view of Foster Lane's "Ohio History of Flight Museum" with the Caravelle sitting across from it on Sawyer Road. It was later moved across the road and next to the building. When the museum was torn down to make room for a hotel, the plane was moved to a part of the field off Hamilton Road where it sat for the next few years. Earlier in 2004 it was moved again and is sitting next to the Port Columbus Fire and Rescue Station.

Dwight Brandt

Westerville, OH

MORE CONVERSIONS

After reading the story on Max Chapman's TP-51C in the January issue, I dug through my files and came up with a couple of shots which might interest readers. As John Muszala said, each conversion appears to be different and really shows some "Yankee ingenuity!"

Fred Roberts

Ft. Worth, TX AC