P-51 Mustang
Despite an unpromising start, the Mustang became a worldclass fighter and the aircraft that destroyed the Luftwaffe
Take a look inside the iconic fighter that destroyed the Luftwaffe
The P-51 Mustang is one of the greatest fighter aircraft of all time and played a definitive role in winning the air battle over Europe during World War II. The initial models with Allison engines had poor high-level performance but excellent lower-level characteristics. When it first entered service with the RAF in January 1942, the Mustang was used mainly for photo-reconnaissance sorties, which rapidly evolved to include groundattack sweeps.
Meanwhile, the USAAF became interested in the P-51. As the USAAF doctrine of self-defending bombers was proven unsound, it looked for a long-range escort fighter. The Allisonengined P-51A would not do, but the new P-51b,with a Merlin engine and drop-tanks fitted the bill perfectly, and large numbers were ordered. These arrived with the Eighth Air Force in the UK in December 1943. In January 1944 Mustangs made their first sortie over Germany, and in March operated for the first time over Berlin. The improved P-51D became the Eighth Air Force’s primary fighter in 1944. From close bomber escort work they expanded into ‘sweeps’ across Germany and occupied Europe, systematically destroying the Luftwaffe in the air and on the ground. The P-51 would destroy more German aircraft than any other Allied fighter, and over 250 USAAF pilots scored five or more victories while flying the Mustang.
The P-51 played a lesser role in the Far East, although it was used by the Chinese Nationalists, and in 1945 flew escort operations for USAAF B-29 Superfortresses over Japan.
ARMAMENT
Early RAF models had four Browning M1919 .30-calibre and two Browning M2 .50-calibre machine guns in the wings, and another two .50-calibre machine guns in the nose. When the USAAF adopted the aircraft the nose guns disappeared (as they quickly did in RAF service) and armament changed to four 20mm Hispano cannon in the wings. Various other changes occurred in new models, but the P-51d/mustang IV had six M2 Browning .50-calibre machine guns, and bomb racks under each wing capable of carrying 1,000-pound bombs. Up to ten 127 mm (five-inch) rockets could also be carried.
“WHEN THE USAAF ADOPTED THE AIRCRAFT THE NOSE GUNS DISAPPEARED (AS THEY QUICKLY DID IN RAF SERVICE) AND ARMAMENT CHANGED TO FOUR 20MM HISPANO CANNON IN THE WINGS”
DESIGN
The P-51 was designed to
RAF specifications. After the concept design was approved and an order placed on 29
May 1940, the prototype rolled out just over 100 days later (though the engine took another month). The Mustang was lightweight aluminium, with an aerodynamically placed ventral radiator and efficient, laminar wings. Early versions had blocky, three-panel hinged cockpits, later changed by the RAF (and on some USAAF aircraft) to Spitfirestyle bulbous ‘Malcolm Hoods’. When the P-51d/mustang IV was being designed, the classic tear-drop canopy (inspired by the Hawker Typhoon) was added, giving an excellent all-round view and improved aerodynamics.
“THE CLASSIC TEARDROP CANOPY (INSPIRED BY THE HAWKER TYPHOON) WAS ADDED, GIVING AN EXCELLENT ALL-ROUND VIEW AND IMPROVED AERODYNAMICS”
ENGINE
The engine was the key to the Mustang’s success. It was originally fitted with the 1,150-horsepower Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled V12, which provided great low-level performance but was poor above 15,000 feet. Then, in mid-1942 Rolls-royce test pilot Ronald Harker asked to put a Merlin engine in a Mustang. After a long struggle he was allowed, and a truly superb fighter was born. Equipped with the Us-made 1,300-horsepower Packard Merlin V-1650-3 liquid-cooled V12, with two-stage supercharger, the Mustang had excellent performance at all levels and could escort heavy bomber raids and confront the Luftwaffe head-on.
COCKPIT
Small like all fighter cockpits, Mustangs had the standard flight instruments in front of the pilot. On the left side of the cockpit were the throttle, propeller and mixture controls, drop-tank switches, trim controls and undercarriage lever. On the right side were the electronics switches and dials underneath the VHF radio and Indicator Friend or Foe controls. Crucial to high-altitude operations over Europe, at the front right corner of the pilot’s seat was the hot air vent (twist clockwise for more heat) and at the front left corner the defroster control to clear the windscreen.
“CRUCIAL TO HIGH-ALTITUDE OPERATIONS OVER EUROPE, AT THE FRONT RIGHT CORNER OF THE PILOT’S SEAT WAS THE HOT AIR VENT”
SERVICE HISTORY LEGEND HAS IT THAT LUFTWAFFE CHIEF HERMANN GÖRING SAID, “THE DAY I SAW MUSTANGS OVER BERLIN, I KNEW THE JIG WAS UP”
The P-51A (US designation)/mustang I (RAF designation) entered service with the RAF in January 1942. Its excellent low-level performance made it ideal for photo-reconnaissance and ground attack work over occupied Europe, although the RAF occasionally used them as fighters. It was the P-51b/mustang III that became the first true fighter version, when the Allison engines were replaced by Merlins. Other improvements were also made, and this type entered front-line service with the USAAF Eighth Air Force in the UK in December 1943. A few months later, the further-improved P-51D/ Mustang IV with the classic teardrop canopy arrived. This type rapidly became the Eighth
Air Force’s main fighter, with the range and performance to escort American bombers deep into Germany and take on the fighters of the German air force.
Although later, more powerful models such as the P-51H were developed, the P-51D remained the definitive version, being used by the USAF during the Korean War and only being withdrawn from front-line service in 1953. Nearly 30 air forces around the world used P-51s, in over 20 variants. The Dominican Air Force was the last to retire the Mustang from service, in 1984, although many examples still fly around the world in private hands.
“ITS EXCELLENT LOW-LEVEL PERFORMANCE MADE IT IDEAL FOR PHOTO-RECONNAISSANCE AND GROUND ATTACK WORK OVER OCCUPIED EUROPE”