Search results
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kindelberger of North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing ...
Their design, dubbed Mustang by the British, had a low-drag laminar-flow wing and an efficient low-drag engine cooling system that gave it exceptional speed and range. It had a maximum speed of about 390 miles (630 km) per hour and a combat range of roughly 750 miles (1,200 km).
Instead of P-40s, North American offered to design a new fighter which became the P-51 Mustang. The P-51 prototype was ready on September 9, 1940, and it first flew October 26, 1940. It was an astonishing accomplishment for North American: they had delivered a brand new, prototype aircraft in a mere 102 days and flew it weeks later.
North American P-51 Mustang ; Dimensions: P-51A : P-51B : P-51D : Wing span: 37 ft (11.27 m) 37 ft (11.27 m) 37 ft (11.27 m) Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.82 m) 32 ft 3 in (9.82 m) 32 ft 3 in (9.82 m) Height: 12 ft 2 in (3.70 m) 13 ft 8 in (4.16 m) 13 ft 8 in (4.16 m) Weights: Empty: 6,433 lb. (2,918 kg) 6,985 lb. (3,168 kg) 7,125 lb. (3,232 kg) Gross:
Aug 2, 2021 · NASM. The P-51 was the darling of the Army Air Forces. Aerodynamically agile and acrobatic, the Mustang was fast and furious in its effectiveness in downing enemy aircraft. A latecomer to...
North American P-51D Mustang. The Mustang was among the best and most well-known fighters used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber.
P-51 Mustang: The Untamed Beast of the Skies. Marrying an American dive-bomber design and a British engine, the North American P-51 Mustang became one of the greatest fighters of World War II. This article appears in: March 2008. By Sam McGowan.
