How many P-51 variants are there?
How many P-51 variants are there?
North American P-51 Mustang
| P-51 Mustang | |
|---|---|
| Number built | More than 15,000 |
| Variants | North American A-36 Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X CAC Mustang Cavalier Mustang |
| Developed into | North American F-82 Twin Mustang Piper PA-48 Enforcer |
Was the P-51 a good fighter?
The P-51 dominated air combat in Europe, destroying nearly 5,000 enemy aircraft. It was also a very capable fighter-bomber and could carry 1,000 pounds of bombs and rockets.
What does P in P-51 stand for?
The P in P-51 stands for pursuit (plane). Pursuit was adopted during the First World War as the designation for what are now called fighters. It was probably a mistranslation of the German Jager (hunter or chaser). When the US Air Force was formed in 1947 it replaced the P with F, standing for Fighter.
What was the original name of the P-51?
See Article History. Alternative Title: Mustang. P-51, also called Mustang, a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft originally designed and produced by North American Aviation for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and later adopted by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF).
When did the P-51 Mustang first fly?
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.
What was the maximum speed of the P-51?
The most widely produced version was the P-51D. Fitted with a Plexiglas “bubble” canopy for all-around vision, it flew to a maximum speed of about 440 miles (700 km) per hour, reached an operating ceiling of almost 42,000 feet (12,800 metres), and was armed with six wing-mounted 0.50-inch (12.7-mm) machine guns.
What happened to the P-51 in the Korean War?
The end of World War II was not the end of combat for the P-51, as it saw service in the Korean War in 1950 because it was the only US fighter with the range to hit Korean targets from Japan. The P-51 remains the iconic fighter of World War II, and it is a popular plane among Veterans and enthusiasts alike.
