P-51 Mustang

The North American P-51 Mustang was a successful long range fighter aircraft which entered service in the middle years of World War II. The definitive version of the single-seat fighter was powered by a single two-stage supercharged V-12 Merlin engine and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns.

P-51B and P-51C

In April 1942 the RAF's Air Fighter Development Unit (AFDU) tested the Mustang at higher altitudes and found it wanting, but their CO was so impressed with its manouevrability and speed that he invited Ronnie Harker from Rolls-Royce's Flight Test establishment to come over and fly it. Rolls-Royce rapidly realised that re-engining the Mustang with a Merlin 61 would result in a phenomenal improvement in performance. Freeman drove the Merlin Mustang conversion hard, and insisted on two of the five Mustangs that were being re-engined with Merlin 61's to be handed over to Carl Spaatz for trials and evaluation by the US 8th Air Force in Britain.

Related Topics:
RAF - Carl Spaatz

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The result was astonishing. The high altitude performance and range with the use of drop tanks, enabled the mark to excel as bomber escort. After sustained lobbying at the highest level, American production of the Mustang with this engine was started in early 1943, and P51B's and C's started arriving in England in August and October 1943, not before time.

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The pairing of the P-51 airframe and the Packard-Merlin 68 engine was designated P-51B/C (B being manufactured at Inglewood, California, and C at Dallas, Texas). The new version was used in 15 fighter groups, that were part of the 8th and 9th Air Forces in England, and the 12th and 15th in Italy (the southern part of Italy was under Allied control by late 1943).

Related Topics:
8th - 9th - England - 12th - 15th - Italy - Allied control - 1943

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The main task for which the plane was used was bomber escort. It was largely due to the P-51 that daylight bombing raids deep into German territory became possible in the middle of 1944. Several hundred of the aircraft were also given to the Allied Air Forces in China and sold to Australia under lend-lease.

Related Topics:
1944 - China - Australia - Lend-lease

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