Mustang Survivors

By Paul Coggan
Midland Publishing, ©2003
ISBN 1-85780-135-0
Softbound, 174 Pages

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The number of books written on the P-51 Mustang is large, easily being one of the most written about aircraft out there.  With that in mind, it would be unlikely that a new title would offer anything new, but this one does.  Rather than focus on the operational service of the Mustang, this book takes a look at what happened to them after military service.  Considering how many Mustangs survive, it is surprising that a book like this has not appeared sooner.

This book is broken down into several sections, the largest of which is the histories of the surviving Mustangs.  This section takes up more than half of the book and provides a small history of every surviving Mustang.  These small histories generally start with what military service the Mustangs flew with (many were former RCAF aircraft), and then they follow private ownership up to the most current.  In addition to the text, there are lots of photos showing a wide variety of these Mustangs, both in current schemes and from ages past.  There are some interesting schemes worn by civilian Mustangs, and there’s more than one that I’m thinking of applying to a Tamiya kit.

The other sections of the book cover some of the lesser-known aspects of owning a Mustang.  Chapters on where the planes came from, the Mustang restoration industry, powerplants, and even Mustang insurance are covered here.  A section on what it’s like to own and fly a Mustang is also included, providing a glimpse into a world that few of us will ever get a chance to be in.

This is an interesting book that covers a common plane in an uncommon manner.  If you are interested in Mustangs, this is one book you definitely should check out.