A P-51 Mustang development, it took the Whitting brothers of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, five years to create Precious Metal, with its squarer-cut wingtips, revised low-drag cockpit with a sloped windscreen faired into the upward-hinging canopy and aft aerodynamic turtleback.
Several North American Mustangs raced in the Unlimited Class races at the Reno Air Races have been fitted with Griffons. These include the RB51 Red Baron (NL7715C), “Precious Metal” (N6WJ) and a Mustang/Learjet hybrid “Miss Ashley II” (N57LR). In all cases, Griffons with contra-rotating propellers, taken from Avro Shackleton patrol bombers were used in these aircraft.
Precious Metal flies in a polished natural metal finish and sports the racing number 09 and made its debut at the 1988 National Air Races at Reno, Nevada, and qualified for the Unlimited class final, only to suffer the failure of the propeller governor.
Precious Metal
Span: slightly less than 11.89 m (37 ft 0.25 in)
Length: slightly more than 9.85 m (32 ft 3.25 in)
Powerplant: 1 x Rolls-Royce Griffon, about 2237 kW (3,000 hp)
Max TO weight: about 3402 kg (7,500 lb)
Max speed: about 480 mph at low altitude
All Aero 