| The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 flew most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over Germany, helping ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. It also saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. The Mustang began the Korean War as the United Nations' main fighter, but was relegated to a ground attack role when superseded by jet fighters early in the conflict. Nevertheless, it remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. As well as being economical to produce, the Mustang was a fast, well-made, and highly durable aircraft. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650, a two-stage two-speed supercharged version of the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns. P-51 - Long range escort fighter, single seat interceptor First flight - October 26, 1940 Total production - 15586 Powerplant - One Packard 1695-horsepower, 12-cylinder,V-1650-7 Merlin liquid cooled piston engine Climb rate - 3475 feet per minute Armament - six .50-caliber MG-52 machine guns, up to a 1000 lb. bomb load, or six 5-inch rockets Wingspan - 37 ft. (11.29 m) Length - 32 ft., 3 in. (9.85 m) Height - 13 ft., 8 in. (4.16 m) Wing area - 233 sq. ft. (21.4 m2) Weight - 7125 lb. empty Maximum takeoff weight - 12100 lb. Maximum ... |
