Piper PA-48 Enforcer Walk-Around at Pima Air & Space Museum.

Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona

[@whiplash8277]

For a bird that looks like a cross between a crop duster and a P51, it sure is a sharp looking aircraft.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

That would be one heck of a crop duster if it was one ...lol👍😂💯

[@whiplash8277]

@@MARCTOWNUSA Indeed.

[@GuidosDad]

I saw this plane about 30 years ago at a Davis Monthan Air Force Base airshow and I wondered what happened to it thank you for the video!

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Was it flyable when you saw it here at DM?

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@GuidosDad Two of the Enforcer prototypes survive. The other one is at Edwards AFB.

[@gone547]

In the 70s I saw a P51 at Canberra airport in Australia being fitted-out with a Fokker turbine. I was awstruck by the size of the exhaust. I spent a lot of time around the airport because my uncle, an ex WW2 Kittyhawk pilot, was a member of the local flying club and being a small, almost insignificant place, had no security. Saw and climbed over many now rare airplanes including a clipped-wing, four blade prop Spitfire, PBY, F86 to name a few. I believe the P51 couldn't obtain certification in Australia and was eventually shipped to the US.

[@scottyb68]

What a happy little plane.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

It's a beauty 👍💯

[@demoanddestroy]

One of my all time favorite aircraft.. I wish they would have produced it..

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

Love the "Forgotten Ponies". Allison & turbo props. Many thanx 👍👍

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Your welcome!👍💯

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

At about 01:20 in this video, for those that are curious: Those little wire things sticking up above the pitot tube are there to discourage birds from landing on -- and discourage birds from _defecating_ on -- the pitot tube.

[@welshparamedic]

the Mustang's last dying gasp as Piper used it as a basis for a ground attack by totally upgrading it with a powerful alison turboprop and a complete new up to date weapons suite! The RAF used their first mustangs as ground attack as the original alison engined versions found in the first mustangs were great at low altitude but rapidly ran out of power once the aircraft climbed to any significant altitiude, A problem resolved when an RAF engineer and Rolls Royce got together and built a modified original Mustang to recieve a 2 stage blower Merlin as used on the Spitfire Mk9....the rest, as they say is History!

[@robertcieslak1861]

I was on the design team for this aircraft in 1975 in Lakeland, Florida. We obtained the engine from a helicopter and had to modify it to run in a horizontal configuration.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

That sounds pretty crazy how that happened. Thanks for that info

[@captainaxle438]

Somebody should be flying one of these in the Reno Air Races

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Right!👍💯

[@captainaxle438]

@@MARCTOWNUSA I'm sorry actually I just discovered that they did try to start turboprop racing in Reno and it was voted down because the civilian planes were not really made for that high speed. You know like your car isn't really made to go maximum speed all the time. Still though I would like to see the piper Mustang racing

[@johnarnold893]

Not fast enough to race against a Mustang.

[@helicoptersandmore5519]

Wow! I saw they added this one! Awesome you got to see it this early!🔥

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

They just put it out on display a week ago so it's there for everyone to see now 👍✈️💯

[@helicoptersandmore5519]

@@MARCTOWNUSA Yeah I saw that on ther Facebook post!🔥

[@renegadeflyer2]

Dam that looks like a fun aircraft. I didn't know a first if this was some new video games promo or it was a real aircraft. The power to weight ratio must be unreal.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Super turbo propped P-51...lol👍😂💯

[@mrsmith4662]

Quite a plane. I made an RC 80cm span plane of this. It didn't like the wing tip tanks (less stable - replaced with silhouettes).. The repaint on this one seems much more gloss than original. Thanks for the walk around an iconic variant of the P51.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Yeah, never been fond of the gloss paint bit apparently they use it cause it last longer under the sun here I'm Arizona. Thanks for comments and well done on the RC. 👍🏼✈️💯

[@turkey0165]

So why isnt it flown in to air shows like the EAA Fly in at Oshkosh?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

It would have been a great idea to do that but these people don't think.

[@ifitflies5371]

I hope this aircraft will make it inside, it is very rare. It had a great place at the USAF museum in Dayton.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

I hear you. Pima tends to put alot of great relics outside. I could name a few planes that I would put outside to make room for this one right away

[@2011joser]

It was a great try at keeping the Mustang flying but the A-10 was just better at the intended role.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

As a boy I grew up in Vero Beach, where the Piper plant that was building these prototypes was. My father owned a security agency and had security at the Holiday Inn on the beach. One day he was there talking to some people there when one of these flew very low over the hotel and on out to sea. He found out later that the plane had crashed, the pilot ditched it on the ocean and that it was one of two Enforcer prototypes. I never verified his story but I believe him.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Very cool to know that and I believe it. Thanks for sharing!👍🏼✈️💯

[@reinhardlehmann8161]

I thought it was lost ! Seems to be in very good condition !

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

It is in prestine condition as they just painted and displayed it👍🏼💯

[@reinhardlehmann8161]

Wonder how a Me 109 oder a TA 152 would look with Turboprop-engines....

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

They would look definitely savage👍🏼💯

[@sturgeonslaw9287]

Looks like a nice platform but that long nose likely would restrict the pilot's vision for fully effective ground support, and even for landing on small make-shift fields often used for such planes.

[@deanpatterson9036]

It would have been just fine. The long nose is a problem, only on the ground. Once, airborne, the engine in your face, isn't in the way.

[@kaigesekus5159]

What a nice plane

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Definitely a sight to see when your actually there✈️💯

[@frankmccann29]

Perfect for Drone interdiction.

[@kalaharimine]

that looks surprisingly clean and shiny for something left outside forever?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

It was just recently retored and freshly painted and displayed.👍✈️💯

[@emanemanrus5835]

Must be really fun to operate it as a sport plane.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

They should have used it that way . Your right 👍💯

[@paulbakovic7475]

Is that thing real? I don't know..? Touch it and find out!

[@frankanddanasnyder3272]

Yep, it is a tyre...just had to touch it to make sure.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Yup...lol👍😂💯

[@ronaldmontagna5171]

It was sitting at Van Nuys airport forever

[@Nibby12]

It sure does look the part.

[@OM-ike]

it's based on the Mustang, isn't it?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Yes it is but with the attack role.👍

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+@the3daviator54 Some Mustang parts were used to build it, but it is not a direct conversion from the Mustang airframe.

[@danweyant4909]

Inspired by, clearly

[@m.hstudioproductions6642]

This was phased out way too soon! The Piper PA-48 should've been given a much powerful turboprop like the Rolls Royce Tyne(6'100 shp).

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Well this Piper was installed with a Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop. Iam not sure if it's the same one your talking about.

[@m.hstudioproductions6642]

@@MARCTOWNUSA Actually, the Tyne is a lot more powerful compared to the Dart. It's used on a later development of the Vickers Viscount, called the Vanguard. The C-160 Transall has also used this engine as well.

[@raypurchase801]

If these had been put into production, the grandsons of WW2 Mustang pilots might've been flying them in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Iam sure they wouldve👍

[@Windwalker85]

Enforcer was like turboprop Mustang, right?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Yes it was and thanks for liking and commenting on my video Wind. Iam sure you know me right? Wouldn't it be awesome to have this Enforcer on War Thunder?👍✈️💯

[@Windwalker85]

@@MARCTOWNUSA would be interesting CAS addition to rank IV. Something similar like Westland Wyvern for the Brits.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+ @Windwalker85 The Enforcers were prototypes. They were not direct conversions from P-51 airframes, but used parts. If I remember correctly, three Mustang airframes were cannibalized to construct them.

[@stevenhoman2253]

She's pretty, is that really a turboprop for such a small aircraft?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Yes it is a turboprops P-51 that never went into service 👍💯

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@MARCTOWNUSA Very cool, and an interesting ground attack craft, notably.

[@woableattack2990]

Wait a minute, is that a cursed P-51?

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

I would say a boosted up P-51D👍💯

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+@woableattack2990 Two or three P-51s were cut up for parts to construct the Enforcer prototypes. So it's not quite a P-51 with a turbine.

[@deanpatterson9036]

Instead of Enforcer, it should have been the Maverick or Stallion.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

How about all 3👍💯

[@itseliasyall2384]

Omg so this is the result after the (p51mustang) pitbull of the skies gets one luck night with a chihuahua lil Piper airplane….. you get this bastard in metal 😈✈️💨

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Lol😂

[@torbjornkampe6129]

I have simulator fly this aircraft, very fun to fly and wild, a 🦖🐅👍 in sky. I simulator fly this FSX flygsimulator. Very great aircraft.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Awesome 👍🏼✈️💯

[@jackkelly9022]

Turbo driven Mustang.

[@edl617]

Airforce doesn’t like aircraft like this. The army should have been allowed to used them. Bad enough for the air force an Army fix wing aircraft shot a MiG17 down during the Vietnam war

[@johnarnold893]

Looks like a P-51 but even though it has a thousand more hp than a Mustang it doesn't have the same performance. P-51 is 100 mph faster, climbs faster and has way more range.

[@MARCTOWNUSA]

Sadly your right, what a disappointment

[@Jim.Thunda]

This bird should be flying.