US fighter aircraft From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The P-51 Mustang was an American fighter made by North American Aviation during World War II. Later versions escorted American bombers over Europe and Japan. There were 5 versions of the Mustang built, called the P-51A, P-51B, P-51C, P-51D, and the P-51H. To provide more power at high altitude, the B, C, D, and H versions had a Packard-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine instead of the Allison engine used in the P-51A. The Packard Merlin engine featured a more advanced supercharger, allowing much better performance above 15,000 feet when compared to the Allison. The P-51D version had a "bubble" canopy, or one unobstructed by metal supports. After World War II, it was used in the Korean War as a dive bomber and was used by many Central American air forces until the 1970s. Today, P-51 Mustangs are often used in air races.
| P-51 Mustang | |
|---|---|
| |
| P-51D of 375th Fighter Squadron, with underwing drop tanks. | |
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
| First flight | 26 October 1940 |
| Introduction | January 1942 (RAF)[1] |
| Status | Retired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)[2] |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force Chinese Nationalist Air Force numerous others (see below) |
| Number built | More than 15,000[3] |
| Unit cost |
US$50,985 in 1945 |
| Variants | North American A-36 Apache Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X Cavalier Mustang |
| Developed into | North American F-82 Twin Mustang Piper PA-48 Enforcer |
The P-51 Mustang is an American veteran from World War II and the Korean War. The P-51 Mustang was the first U.S. built fighter airplane to control Europe after the fall of France. Mustangs met and conquered nearly every German plane from the Junkers bombers to the Messerschmitt 262s. The P-51 was a very successful aircraft, capable of many ground attack and dogfight missions.
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