On of the best fighters of the World War II. The first prototype flew on October 26, 1940. Entered production in 1941 and a total of 15386 aircraft were built in the USA.
![North American P-51 Mustang - fighter (1) North American P-51 Mustang - fighter (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.aviastar.org/../../pictures/usa/na_mustang-s.gif)
Specification |   |
MODEL | P-51D | |
CREW | 1 | |
ENGINE | 1 x Packard Merlin V-1650-7, 1264kW | |
WEIGHTS | ||
Take-off weight | 5488 kg | 12099 lb |
Empty weight | 3232 kg | 7125 lb |
DIMENSIONS | ||
Wingspan | 11.28 m | 37 ft 0 in |
Length | 9.83 m | 32 ft 3 in |
Height | 2.64 m | 9 ft 8 in |
Wing area | 21.65 m2 | 233.04 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE | ||
Max. speed | 703 km/h | 437 mph |
Ceiling | 12770 m | 41900 ft |
Range w/max.fuel | 3347 km | 2080 miles |
ARMAMENT | 6 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 454kg of bombs |
3-View |   |
A three-view drawing (592 x 902) |
Comments | 1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 |
Anonymous, 25.01.2024 20:11 (SELECT (CASE WHEN (8418=8707) THEN '' ELSE (SELECT 8707 UNION SELECT 9716) END)) reply |
Anonymous, 25.01.2024 20:11 8809 reply |
arachni_name, e-mail, 30.12.2020 06:46 1 reply |
Ron, 16.10.2017 22:53 The 93 P-51A Mustangs with 4X20mm Mk II Hispano cannons did not have the problem with reliability like the US M2 Hispano. The idea of RAF P-51As with reliable RAF cannons makes one think the weight was too much for a dogfighter version. I think the extra power of the Merlin should have allowed for a good contender even with 2 Hispano and 2 Browning like the later Spits had. They needed more than 4 fifties in the RAF P-51 Mk II. This was an opportunity to have a US fighter with a reliable cannon. 93 should have been much more. reply |
William T. Schwander, e-mail, 20.03.2017 20:52 Your "A" model is designated as an "D" model. reply |
Harvey, e-mail, 23.04.2016 11:26 The picture of the plane at the top of this article is not a P-51D, which had a bubble canopy. The C and earlier versions had the type of canopy illustrated. reply |
Klaatu83, e-mail, 27.07.2015 03:05 The P-51As in the photo at the top, painted with the distinctive diagonal stripes, belonged to a unit known as the Air Commandos, which operated in Burma during 1944 in support of General Orde Wingate's famous Chindits. reply |
Fred Benenati, e-mail, 25.01.2015 14:38 Just to set the record straight, the P-51D, with a Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin engine, developed 1,490 horse power, as opposed to the 1,200 horse power stated by a Mr. D'Amario. Reference: Robert Gruenhagen's book about P-51 Mustangs. Yes, it was a wonderful aircraft. reply |
Ron, e-mail, 20.10.2014 22:10 I was disappointed to learn of the stress fractures limiting turns to 2.5g for the P-51H. Engine trouble was another serious problem. Thus, the weight trimmed Mustang was a fighter between wars while the sturdier, trusted P-51D saw action again in Korea. reply |
Ron, e-mail, 07.08.2014 01:16 I like the way the Fiat G55 Centauro has a similar wing planform. It was a world-beater like the P-51 but for it's production quantity. I was wondering if the design similarities were not a coincidence(general wing shape, ventral air-scoop, razorback); even both prototypes temporarily sported under-nose 12.7mm MGs! But no, just parallel coincidence of design. All 3 shot eachother down. The Bf 109G usually shot at the G55 perhaps mistaking it for a P-51 which it resembled except from the side view (also, after Rome switched sides, many Italians flew against the Luftwaffe in the Co-belligerant Italian air force for the Allies). All the same, the performance of the P-51 and the G55 were both top-notch, I like to think of the Fiat Centauro as an Itlian Mustang. They both ruled high altitude. reply |
Tom Everhart, e-mail, 31.05.2014 19:54 Hey Guys! You need to "Learn More" about the P-40 and the P-51. They did put a RR Merlin on the "F" model P-40 and then went back to the Allison V1710. They also made a "Proto Type P-40 Q" that had the Mustang style "Bubble Canopy" and a "Laminar Flow Wing". That Plane became an "Air Racer" and Crashed during the Cleveland Air Racers right after the War. reply |
Bob Kusterer, e-mail, 18.02.2014 02:58 I used to fly the P-51D "Boomer" when it was owned by Gary Koenig. I had flown an AT-6 and a P-40 prior so it was not completely foreign to me. WOW ! ! what a performer compared to the P-40 ! ! I really liked the airplane; very honest and easy to fly. My only "surprise" was when I made my first go-around with full flaps. That last notch of flaps has a tremendous amount of drag. When I came up to climb power, the plane hardly accelerated; I thought something was wrong with the engine because I had experienced really impressive acceleration on takeoff. Also, it took a whole big bunch of right rudder whereas surprisingly little was required for takeoff. When I raised the flaps, it was like I lit the afterburner. After that "learning experience" I felt right at home in the bird. One of the nicest planes I've ever flown. Thanks, Gary, for letting me fly your beautiful plane. reply |
Peter Dewsnap, e-mail, 20.12.2013 19:19 An excellent aircraft built to British specifications and fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine. We saw one at the Latrobe Air Show in Pennsylvania some years ago. Most impressive. reply |
RM Hardoko Mardiko, e-mail, 15.09.2013 14:24 to John company4u=yahoo.com reply |
Alfred J. D'Amario, e-mail, 19.08.2013 04:56 I was privileged to fly the P-51D for 70 hours while in advanced pilot training at Craig AFB, Alabama in 1951 (class 51H) As everyone who has flown it says, it was a wonderful airplane. You had to be sure to keep the nose down on the turn to final, or it would kill you. But, other than that, it was fantastic. reply |
Keith Lindsay, e-mail, 06.03.2013 11:53 I found the information; the mustang had ten degrees of dihedral. reply |
MIke, e-mail, 05.03.2013 18:44 Yes that IS a P-51-d... not all had the clear canopy.. some even had the "malcom" hoods.. reply |
Keith Lindsay, e-mail, 04.03.2013 18:51 anyone know what the wing dihedral was? 5 degrees? thanks reply |
ron, e-mail, 12.02.2013 04:28 My Dad trained in P-51s in Florida. He said the skin started coming off so they sut down the program until the problem was fixed. The AAC sent him and others to fly B-17s while the design problem was getting fixed. Does anyone have information about this? I see one reference to teeting problems. reply |
Steve, e-mail, 09.10.2012 01:46 It is possible to do a direct comparison between the P-40 and P-51 airframes - specifically, between the P-40N and the P-51A, which both used the same engine, the V-1710-81. From 5000' to 15000', the P-51A had a speed superiority of from 37 to 42 mph - not trivial. The explanation is easy to find. The P-51's design was fully five years later than the original P-40 design as the Hawk 75 /P-36 (1935 vs. 1940). In that time came the reduced-drag laminar flow airfoil and radiator duct. reply |
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