Cavalier Aircraft Corporation was a Sarasota, Florida, aircraft manufacturing, sales, and maintenance company whose most famous products were refurbished
P-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA ...
s known as "
Cavalier Mustang
The Cavalier Mustang was a post-World War II civilian-modified version of the North American P-51 Mustang aircraft. Although originally intended as a high speed personal aircraft, the Cavalier was also exported for use as a fighter and close air ...
s."
Origins
The company was originally formed in 1957 by Florida newspaperman David Lindsay (1922–2009) and named Trans Florida Aviation. Trans Florida specialized in modifying surplus
North American
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
s into plush business aircraft called ''Executive Mustangs''. Later, the aircraft were renamed
Cavalier Mustang
The Cavalier Mustang was a post-World War II civilian-modified version of the North American P-51 Mustang aircraft. Although originally intended as a high speed personal aircraft, the Cavalier was also exported for use as a fighter and close air ...
s and were produced in several different versions: Cavalier 750, 1500, and 2000 (the numbers indicating the approximate range of the aircraft in statute miles). Trans Florida marketed and sold these aircraft, trained the new owners to fly them, and maintained them for customers after purchase. Lindsay also accumulated an immense stockpile of P-51 spare parts and sold these to Mustang owners worldwide. Many of the spares and entire aircraft were purchased from scrap dealers intending to melt them down. Lindsay also developed and received FAA approval for several improvements to the P-51D including: avionics, autopilot, baggage door, fresh air system, rear passenger seat, additional wing bladder tanks, high pressure oxygen system, and wingtip tanks of .
The original builder of the Mustang, North American Aviation, purchased two Cavaliers for famed test pilot R.A.
"Bob" Hoover, one in 1962 and the other in 1971 to use to promote the NAA name at airshows.
In 1967 the company was renamed Cavalier Aircraft Corporation due to the strong product identity of the Cavalier Mustang.
Military contracts
In 1965 the company was contracted in by the government of the Dominican Republic, with US State Dept. approval, to inspect and perform necessary repairs to 36 aircraft in Sarasota. In 1967 the Air Force contracted with Cavalier to create military-capable Cavalier Mustangs that would be provided to friendly countries as part of the U.S. Military Assistance Program. These aircraft were called the ''Cavalier F-51D Mustang'', and the ''Cavalier TF-51D Mustang''. Cavaliers of these types were supplied between 1967 and 1969, via the Air Force, to Bolivia, and directly to El Salvador, with spare parts and maintenance assistance also provided to Guatemala.
Modifications varied, but included: vertical fin extension of , addition wing hard points, avionics upgrades, increased engine power, and wing tip tanks. Cavaliers were also constructed for Indonesia as part of a similar U.S. Military Assistance Program, called Peace Pony, in 1971 by Field Services, Inc.
The Enforcer
In 1968, Cavalier owner/founder David Lindsay began developing a highly modified version of the Cavalier Mustang ll for use as a counterinsurgency aircraft called the
Enforcer
Enforcer or enforcers may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Comics
* Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character
* Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team
* New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team
Film and television
* ''The Enforcer ...
. Powered by a
Rolls-Royce Dart
The Rolls-Royce RB.53 Dart is a turboprop engine designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce Limited. First run in 1946, it powered the Vickers Viscount on its maiden flight in 1948. A flight on July 29 of that year, which carried 14 paying passe ...
and later a
Lycoming YT-55-9 turboprop of , the aircraft had impressive performance and was equipped with Bristol ceramic armour to protect the engine, airframe, and pilot. Despite Cavalier's best efforts, they were unable to secure a government purchase of the aircraft. Due to the limited manufacturing capabilities of Cavalier Aircraft Corporation, Lindsay sold the Enforcer project to
Piper
Piper may refer to:
People
* Piper (given name)
* Piper (surname)
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters Comics
* Piper (Morlock), in the Marvel Universe
* Piper (Mutate), in the Marvel Universe
Television
* Piper Chapman, lea ...
in late 1970. Cavalier was closed in 1971 so the founder/owner, David Lindsay, could help continue develop the Enforcer concept with Piper Aircraft into the PA-48 Enforcer.
Today
Many of the civilian Cavalier conversions are still flying today. Several of the military Cavaliers have been re-imported to the US. Most have been restored to appear as WW II or Korean era P-51s, but retain many of their Cavalier improvements.
References
*{{cite book
, last = Holmes
, first = Tony
, year = 2005
, title = Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide
, publisher =
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
, location = New York
, isbn = 0-06-081896-4
External links
Cavalier P-51 Architect Lindsay dies at 86
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1957
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1971
1957 establishments in Florida
1971 disestablishments in Florida