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United States' North American P-51 Mustang fighter^1,2,3,4

North American P-51 Mustang:	North American P-51 Mustang:	North American P-51 Mustang:	North American P-51B and P-51A Mustang fighter:
North American P-51D Mustang fighter, on Iwo Jima:	North American Mustang Mk I fighter:	North American Mustang Mk I fighter, No. 2 Squadron, Sawbridgeworth, 1942:

Design

The North American P-51 Mustang was originally designed in 1940 to meet a specification given by the British.^2,3,4

Engine

The original P-51 had an Allison engine which didn't perform well at high altitudes.¹

Wings

Part of the reason for the Mustang's high performance was the low drag laminar flow wing.^1,4

Perfect Plane

The Mustang was declared "the most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence" by the 1944 Truman Senate War Investigating Committee.⁴

Prototype

The British placed an order and within 117 / 122⁴ days the Mustang was designed, built, and test flown.^1,4 They ordered 620 Mustang Mk Is with the first being delivered to Britain in October 1941.⁴

The NA-73 first flew in October 1940 / October 26, 1940⁴.^2,3,4

The XP-51 first flew in May 1941.⁴ The XP-51B first flew on November 30, 1942.⁴ The XP-51D first flew on November 17, 1943.⁴ The XP-51F first flew in February 1944.⁴ The XP-51G first flew in August 1944.⁴ The XP-51J first flew in April 1945.⁴

Production

• NA-73: 1⁴
• XP-51: 2⁴
• XP-51F: 3⁴
• XP-51H: 2⁴
• XP-51J: 2⁴
• Mk I: 620⁴
• Mk IA: 150⁴
• Mustang Mk IA and Mustang Mk II: 620^2,3
• A-36A: 148 initially ordered^2,3, 500⁴
  • Delivered between September 1942 and March 1943.⁴
• P-51: 148⁴
• P-51A: 310^2,3
• P-51A / Mk II: 310⁴
• P-51B: 1,988^2,3,4
  • Produced at Inglewood^2,4
  • Delivered in June 1943.⁴
• P-51C: 1,750^2,3,4
  • Produced at Dallas^2,3,4
• P-51D: 7,956^2,3,4
• P-51H: 555^2,3,4
• P-51K: 1,337^3,4, 1,500²
• P-51M: 1⁴
• Total: 15,576⁴, 15,586^1,2,3

Variants

• XP-51: Prototype evaluated by the United States Air Force and was not adopted.^2,3
• XP-51B / XP-78: Had Packard V-1650-3 Merlin engine.⁴ Had ventral intercooler intake.⁴
• XP-51F: Prototype.⁴ Was to be light weight.⁴ Some parts were replaced by plastic.⁴ Wheels were smaller.⁴ Two of the MGs were removed.⁴ The Fuselage fuel tank was removed.⁴ A light three blade propeller was used.⁴ Saved about 1,500 lb / 680 kg.⁴ Speed increased by 25 mph / 40 kph.⁴ Flight stability stopped further work.⁴
• XP-51G: Prototype.⁴ Powered by Merlin 14SM (1,910 HP).⁴
• XP-51J: Prototype.⁴ Powered by Allison V-1710-119 (1,700 HP).⁴
• Mustang X: Was Mustang Is converted to have Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.⁴ Had bulbous nose intake.⁴
• NA-73: Prototype.³ Had an Allison V-1710-F3F engine (1,100 HP).^2,3
• Mustang Mk I: Supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF).⁴
• Mustang Mk IA: Supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF).^2,4 Had cannons for armament.⁴ Originally called Apache by the United States Army Air Force.⁴
• Mustang Mk II: Supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF).²
• A-36A: Ground attack.^2,3 Had wing bomb shackles.^2,3 Had four 20 mm cannons in the wings.³
• P-51A / Mustang Mk II: Used a Allison V-1710-81 engine (1,200 HP).²
• P-51B / Mustang Mk III: Additional fuselage fuel tank.⁴
• P-51C / Mustang Mk III:
• P-51D / Mustang Mk IV:
• P-51H: Top speed was 472 mph / 760 kph¹ / 487 mph / 784 kph^2,3
• P-51K: Used Aeroproducts propeller.³
• P-51L: Used direct fuel injected V-1650-11.⁴ None built.⁴
• P-51M: Identical to P-51H but was to be built in different factory.⁴ One delivered.⁴
• F-6A: Photo reconnaissance conversion.⁴ Converted from 57 Mustang Mk IAs that were diverted from British orders right after Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.⁴
• F-6B: Photo reconnaissance conversion.⁴ Converted from 35 P-51As.⁴ Also 91 converted from P-51B.⁴

Produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (Australia):

• Mk. XX: Fighter bomber.⁴ Designed from P-51D.⁴ First flew in May 1945.⁴
• Mk. XXI: Fighter bomber.⁴
• Mk. XXII: Reconnaissance.⁴
• Mk. XXIII: Reconnaissance.⁴ Had Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 engine.⁴

Usage

In addition to the United States, eleven other Allied air forces flew the P-51.¹

• P-51, P-51A, A-36: Britain⁴, Canada⁴, United States⁴
• P-51B, P-51C: Australia⁴, Britain⁴, Canada⁴, China⁴, France⁴, South Africa⁴, Sweden⁴, United States⁴
• P-51D, P-51K: Australia⁴, Britain⁴, China⁴, Netherlands⁴, New Zealand⁴, South Africa⁴, United States⁴
• P-51H: United States⁴

Aces

There were 281 Allied aces that flew P-51s.¹

Shot Down Jets

Lieutenant Urban L. Drew shot down two Me 262 jets in October 1944.¹

	North American P-51 Mustang4	North American P-51 Mk I Mustang4	North American P-51 Mk IA Mustang4	North American A-364
Type	Fighter4			Ground attack4
Crew	14			14
Engine (Type)	Allison V-1710-394
Cylinders	V 124
Cooling
HP	1,1504
Propeller blades	34
Dimensions
Span	37'4 11.28 m4
Length	32' 3"4 9.83 m4
Height	12' 2"4 3.71 m4
Wing area
Weight
Empty	6,550 lb4 2,971 kg4
Loaded	8,800 lb4 3,992 kg4
Performance
Speed @ 15,000' / 4,570 m	387 mph4 622 kph4
Cruising speed	307 mph4 494 kph4
Climb	2,600'/minute4 792 m/minute4
Service ceiling	31,350'4 9,555 m4
Range	450 miles4 724 km4
Range with drop tanks	1,250 miles4 2,010 km4
Armament
Nose		2: 0.5" MG4
Wings		2: 0.5" MG4 4: 0.3" MG4	4: 20 mm4	6: 0.5" MG4
Bombs				2: 1,000 lb4 2: 454 kg4

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, General Editor Chris Bishop, 1998
4. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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