The North American Aviation P-51D Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter/bomber used during World War II and the Korean War. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission for license-built Curtiss P-40 fighters. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September, 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October, 1940.
The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison-1710 engine, which, in its earlier variants, had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft, and fighter-bomber (Mustang MkI). The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustang’s performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft., matching or bettering that of the Luftwaffe fighters. The definitive version, the P51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 two-stage, two-speed supercharged engine.
From late 1943, P-51B’s (supplemented by P-51D’s from mid-1944) were used by the Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF’s 2 TAF and the Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North Africa, Mediterranean and Italian theatres, and against the Japanese in the Pacific theatre. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down.
At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86, took over. The Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980’s.
TYPE: Fighter/Bomber
CREW: One
COST: $50,985 in 1945
ENGINE: Packard V-1650-7 (Merlin 66) built under license from Rolls-Royce
RANGE: 1,650 MI with 2 drop tanks
SPEED: 437 MPH
CEILING: 41,900 FT
LENGTH: 32 FT 3 IN
WINGSPAN: 37 FT
EMPTY WEIGHT: 7,635 LB
MAX WEIGHT: 12,100 LB
ARMAMENT: 6-Browning M2 50 Caliber Machine Guns, 1,849 rounds total
1-500 lb. Bomb per hard point, 1,000 LB total
6-5.0 IN T64 High Velocity Aircraft Rockets
On loan from the Illinois Signal Corps Military History Museum, Burbank, IL.