Dates

Event

Constructed as a P-51D-20-NT by North American at Dallas, Texas, USA.

Circa 1944

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-63864.

Transferred to 83rd FS, Duxford.
Operated with markings: Twilight Tear, HL W

Assigned to Liverpool-Speke for storage.

From Circa 1945 to Circa 1948

Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Army Air Force.
Withdrawn from use at Liverpool-Speke.

From Circa 17 June 1948 to Circa 1953

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Flygvapnet with s/n Fv26158 as a J26.

Circa 9 February 1953

To Henry Wallenburg and Co.
Wallenburg and Company were agents.

Circa 1953

Pre-delivery overhaul at Malmo, Sweden.

Circa 1958

To Israeli Aircraft Industries, Tel Aviv.

From Circa 18 July 1960 to Circa 1962

To Lear Inc/William P. Lear, Geneva, Switzerland with new c/r N251L.

Photographer: Collect-Air Photos

1960

Mods were made by IAI to Lears order including: wet wings, Cavalier tip tanks and a Cavalier canopy.

19 December 1960

Certificate of airworthiness for NL42805 (P-51D, 44-63864) issued.

December 1960

Ferry flight.
Delivered from Tel Aviv via Athens to Geneva.

Circa 19 March 1962

To S. A. Intexport keeping c/r N251L.

From Circa 11 December 1962 to Circa 1970

To William R. Pearce, Fullerton, CA keeping c/r N251L.

Circa 6 June 1963

Ferry flight.
Delivered from Paris via Prestwick to Keflavik.

Crashed.
While enroute to the USA, crashed and burned on landing on the runway at Keflavik, Iceland. The ferry pilot, Roger Arnoult, perished.

Wreck was moved to Keflavik Airport dump.

FAA quotes the identification for this airframe, c/r N251L, as USAAF s/n 44-63864. The same is quoted for c/r N42805. The NAA plate from the wrecked N251L at Keflavik was used to provide an identity for 4X-AIM rebuilt in Israel which had no identity plates.
For more information about this other airframe see this Airframe Dossier

Later had retired USAF F-89s dumped over it.

From 1989 to Circa 1991

To Cham Grill, Central Point, OR.

1989

Recovered.
Crash hulk moved to USA from Iceland.

Circa May 1991

To Cham S. Grill, Central Point, OR with new c/r N42805.

4 March 1992

To Kenneth A. Hake, Tipton, KS keeping c/r N42805.

16 July 1994

Photographer: Ken Videan
Notes: At Flying Legends Duxford (EGSU).

25 August 1996

Photographer: Joop de Groot
Notes: 1996 photo taken at Ljungbyhed, Sweden. Photo displayed with written permission of Joop de Groot

Circa 2003

Stored as planned rest. project.

14 October 2005

To Ron J. Fagen, Granite Falls, MN with new c/r N42805.

Circa 2005

Transported by ground.
Unrestored project moved to Wahpeton, ND for rebuild.

Restored.

By 20 August 2006

Markings Applied: Twilight Tear, HL W, 463864

20 August 2006

Photographer: Reinhard Jost
Notes: Named Twilight Tear at The Fighter Collection, Duxford, UK

8 October 2006

Photographer: Robert Nichols
Notes: Duxford Autumn Air Show 2006

28 September 2007

Photographer: Robert Bourlier
Notes: GML Airshow, Columbus, OH.

Photographer: Unknown

16 April 2010

To N251 Llc, Granite Falls, MN keeping c/r N42805.

16 April 2010

To N251L Llc, Granite Falls, MN with new c/r N251L.

4 April 2011

Certificate of airworthiness for NX251L (P-51D, 44-63864) issued.

7 April 2011

Certificate of airworthiness for NL251L (P-51D, 44-63864) issued.

Operated by Fagen Fighters WW2 Museum/Ron Fagen, Granite Falls, MN.
View the Location Dossier

From Circa 2014 to Circa 2022

Placed on display with Fagen Fighters WWII Museum, Granite Falls.

Markings Applied: Twilight Tear, HL W

1 January 2019

Certificate of airworthiness for NL42805 (P-51D, 44-63864) issued.

27 August 2019

To N251L Llc, Granite Falls, MN keeping c/r N251L.

29 November 2023

Photographer: Max Sabin
Notes: Application of Twilight Tear has been changed.

29 November 2023

Photographer: Max Sabin