Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia

Role	Fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	North American Aviation
First flight	26 October 1940
Introduction	January 1942 (RAF)
Retired	Retired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force
Number built	More than 15,000
Variants	North American A-36 Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X CAC Mustang Cavalier Mustang
Developed into	North American F-82 Twin Mustang Piper PA-48 Enforcer

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 H. Kindelberger

Design and development

North American NA-73X, with a short carburetor air-intake scoop and the frameless, rounded windshield: On the production Mustang Mk Is, the frameless windshield was replaced with a three-piece unit that incorporated a bullet-resistant windshield.

In 1938, the British government established a purchasing commission in the United States, headed by Sir Henry Self. Self was given overall responsibility for RAF production, research, and development, and also served with Sir Wilfrid Freeman, the Air Member for Development and Production. Self also sat on the British Air Council Subcommittee on Supply (or "Supply Committee"), and one of his tasks was to organize the manufacturing and supply of American fighter aircraft for the RAF. At the time, the choice was very limited, as no U.S. aircraft then in production or flying met European standards, with only the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk coming close. The Curtiss-Wright plant was running at capacity, so P-40s were in short supply

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North American

North American P-51D Mustang

General characteristics

Crew: 1 Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
Height: 13 ft 4.5 in (4.077 m) tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade
Wing area: 235 sq ft (21.8 m2)

Powerplant

Fuel capacity: JP-4 fuel:- 437 US gallons (364 imp gal; 1,650 L) internals + 2x 200 US gallons (170 imp gal;
760 L) drop tanks
Powerplant: 1 × Packard (Rolls-Royce) V-1650-7 Merlin 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine, 1,490 hp (1,110 kW) at 3,000 rpm;[

Specifications

Maximum speed: 440 mph (710 km/h, 383 kn) Cruise speed: (583 km/h
Stall speed: (160 km/h, 87 kn)
Range: 1,650 mi (2,660 km, 1,434 nmi) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,800 m)

Armament

Guns: 6 × .50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 1,840 total rounds (380 rounds for each on the inboard pair and 270 rounds for each of the outer two pair)
Rockets: 6 or 10 × 5.0 in (127 mm) T64 HVAR rockets (P-51D-25,
Bombs: 1 × 100 lb (45 kg) or 250 lb (110 kg) bomb

Special Links North American P-51 Mustang

Links to Youtube & Others

At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang, by then redesignated F-51, was the main fighter of the United States until jet fighters, including North American's F-86 Sabre, took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber.

North American Aviation P-51 Mustang

The Mustang was a good fighter and the best escort due to its incredible range, make no mistake about it. It was also the best American dogfighter

Youtube Link

USAAF Lt Col. James H. Howard of the 356th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group was awarded the Medal of Honor for his action during a bomber escort mission near Oschersleben,

North American Aviation
NAA P-51D Mustang

North American
P-51D Mustang

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History North American Aviation
P-51D Mustang