North American P-51 “Mustang”
By Wilson
Many planes were breakthroughs in technology, such as the Bell X-1 or the X-15, but did you know that the P-51 changed the course of World War 2? The P-40 and the P-47 may have been good, but the P-51 mustang was a huge breakthrough for the allies in World War 2! Did you know that the P-51 helped give the allies air superiority? If you are ready for a lot more facts, READ ON!
Development;
The P-51 at first had an Allison V-1710, which lost power at 8,000 feet. It took off for the first time on October 26th. Then it surprisingly got a Merlin V-12 turbocharged engine, which made it better than the P-40. Its engine gave it an excellent performance because it could operate well at high altitudes.
Uses;
The P-51s main uses were a bomber escort and a pursuit fighter. It was faster than the P-47 Thunderbolt and had a larger range too. Another use was a photo reconense. After the war, the remaining
P-51s became race planes and they continue to this day.
Weapons;
The P-51s weapons were six .50 caliber M2 browning machine guns. A machine gun is a gun that shoots a whole lot faster than a normal handgun. The .50 caliber was the most common machine gun during World War 2. Some P-51s had rockets. Others had bombs.
Variants;
The P-51 had many variants. Its first variant was the XP-51. It was the plane that was tested for future models. Its second variant was the P-51-A. It had a huge blind spot in the back. Its third variant was the P-51-B. It had an improved range, but it still had that blind spot. Its fourth variant was the P-51-C. It was faster, but it still had that pesky blind spot. Its fifth variant was the P-51-D. It was faster and it finally didn’t have the blind spot! Its sixth variant was the P-51-H. It was the fastest P-51 ever built, which it could travel at 496mph. Its seventh variant was the P-51-K. It had a better max bomb capacity. Its eighth and final variant was the P-82 ‘Twin Mustang’ it was used during the Korean War. Its main use was to escort B-29s.
Used;
The P-51-A was smartly firstintroduced in 1940, to prepare the USA for war in case they had to. It was first used during war in 1942. The P-51-D, the P-51-H and the P-51-K were first used in 1944. The B and C variants were first used in between. The P-82 was introduced in 1945, after the war had ended. It was first used in 1946. Some mustangs were used into the sixties.
Other Info;
The P-51 was thin compared to other aircraft, like the P-47. They were surprisingly used for war, then racing. Most race P-51s are P-51-Ds. They are P-51-Ds because they have the bubble cockpits, which reduce the risk of crashes because they have a better view.
Conclusion;
The P-51 isn’t being made today because it is outdated for war, but it is a common sight at air races because of its amazing speed. Many different planes replaced it; too many to count. If I could research more, I would search how people thought it looked during its service in war. Overall, no other plane can be as amazing as the P-51. Today, the USAF (United States Air Force) uses the F-16, F-18 and the F-20 as their primary fighters.
Links;
North American P-51 Mustang - Wikipedia, the free...
P-51 Mustang - History, Pictures, and Specs
P-51 Home - MustangsMustangs.com
North American P-51 Mustang