Monday Mustang: the Mighty P-51

Monday Mustang: the Mighty P-51

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts. During World War II Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down, the most of any Allied fighter.

It was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA), under the direction of lead engineer Edgar Schmued, in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission; the prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out, although without an engine, 102 days after the contract was signed. The Mustang was originally designed to use a low-altitude rated Allison V-1710 engine, and was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a licence-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series two-stage two-speed supercharged engine, and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.

From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF’s Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF’s 2 TAF and the USAAF’s 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 in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theatres, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War.

At the start of Korean War the Mustang was the main fighter used by the United Nations. However, jet fighters, including the F-86, took over this role, and the Mustang became a specialised ground-attack fighter-bomber.

Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing.

P-51D MustangData
from Erection and Maintenance Manual for P-51D and P-51K.The Great Book of Fighters,and Quest for Performance

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
Height: 13 ft 4½ in (4.08 m:tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade.)
Wing area: 235 ft² (21.83 m²)
Empty weight: 7,635 lb (3,465 kg)
Loaded weight: 9,200 lb (4,175 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 12,100 lb (5,490 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Packard V-1650-7 liquid-cooled supercharged V-12, 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) at 3,000 rpm;[76] 1,720 hp (1,282 kW) at WEP
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0163
Drag area: 3.80 ft² (0.35 m²)
Aspect ratio: 5.83
Performance

Maximum speed: 437 mph (703 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Cruise speed: 362 mph (580 km/h)
Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h)
Range: 1,650 mi (2,755 km) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,800 m)
Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16.3 m/s)
Wing loading: 39 lb/ft² (192 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 14.6
Recommended Mach limit 0.8
Armament

6× 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 1,880 total rounds (400 rounds for each on the inner pair, and 270 rounds for each of the outer two pair)
2× hardpoints for up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs
6 or 10× T64 5.0 in (127 mm) H.V.A.R rockets (P-51D-25, P-51K-10 on)[nb 5]
[edit] P-51H MustangData from The Great Book of Fighters[74]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
Wing area: 235 ft² (21.83 m²)
Empty weight: 7,040 lb (3,195 kg)
Loaded weight: 9,500 lb (4,310 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 11,500 lb (5,215 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Packard V-1650-9 liquid-cooled supercharged V-12, 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) at 3,000 rpm, 2,220 hp (1,655 kW) at WEP[79]
Performance

Maximum speed: 487 mph (784 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Range: 1,160 mi (1,865 km) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 41,600 ft (12,700 m)
Rate of climb: 3,300 ft/min (16.8 m/s)
Wing loading: 40.4 lb/ft² (197.4 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.23 hp/lb (385 W/kg)
Armament

6× 0.50 inch (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 1,880 total rounds (400 rounds for each on the inner pair, and 270 rounds for each of the outer two pair), or 4 of the same guns with 1,600 total rounds (400 rpg)

Updated: March 30, 2020 — 2:11 PM

2 Comments

  1. claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down, the most of any Allied fighter.

    Not so fast, there. While a damn fine combat aircraft, the P-51 didn’t shoot down as many planes as the F6F Hellcat (5100+). The big ‘Cat also carried more aces than any other model.

    This is one source but there are certainly others out there.

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