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The iconic North American P-51 Mustang turned the tide of the air campaign in World War II in the allies’ favor. According to the Military Aviation Museum, a total of 15,586 P-51 Mustangs were built from the start of production in 1941 until the end in 1946, with the final model, the P-51H. That didn’t mean the mighty Mustang was out of action, far from it.
The most famed and combat-effective P-51 model proved to be the P-51D, of which over 8,000 examples were produced, according to the Commemorative Air Force. The P-51 was instrumental in not only achieving victory in the air but also in saving countless lives of Allied air crews. The Mustang was also known as the “Little Friend” by the bomber crews which it was made to protect during their extremely dangerous daylight air raids.
The veteran fighter wasn’t done yet, even after the end of WWII with Victory in Europe (VE Day) and Victory in Japan (VJ Day). The lightweight, high-speed P-51H arrived too late to see action against the Axis forces in WWII and instead defended United Nations (UN) troops on the ground during the Korean Conflict. Let’s dive into the storied history of this incredible warbird.
Call To Arms: The Mustang Goes To War
As the war began, the United Kingdom (UK) expressed interest in the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Bell P-39 Airacobra, and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, but ultimately decided on the P-40 as the best choice due to its superior performance. North American Aviation said it was able to design and build a better fighter than the P-40 at the same time as setting up Warhawk plant tooling. A contract order for the first 320 aircraft designated by North American Aviation as NA-73 was placed on May 23.
The first production P-51, designated “Mustang I” with serial #AG345 for Britain, was test flown by Louis Waite on April 23, 1941, according to Mustangs Mustangs. The P-51D would later become the most produced model, providing excellent visibility with a bubble canopy, a new gunsight, plus extra firepower.
The P-51H was a lighter-weight version that entered service too late to make it to WWII, 10% lighter and 50 mph faster than the P-51D. Another lightweight, the P-51G, prototypes were produced and tested, but models like the P-51L and P-51M never made it to production as the war ended.
The North American P-51D specifications, according to the Military Aviation Museum:
|
Spec |
Imperial Units |
Metric Units |
|---|---|---|
|
Length |
32 ft. 3 in. |
9.83 m |
|
Wingspan |
37 ft. 0 in. |
11.28 m |
|
Empty Weight |
7,635 lbs. |
3,463 kg |
|
Loaded Weight |
12,100 lbs. |
5,489 kg |
|
Cruising Speed |
362 mph |
583 km/h |
|
Max Speed |
440 mph |
708 km/h |
|
Range |
1,155 miles |
1,859 km |
|
Ceiling |
41,900 ft |
12,771 m |
|
Rate of Climb |
3,475 ft./min. |
1,059 m/min |
With the addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 engine, the redesigned P-51D entered screaming into service in 1943. Credited as one of the finest fighters ever designed, Mustangs flew in almost every fighter squadron in the US Army Air Forces by 1945. During World War II, P-51Ds escorted bombers into Germany and destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft. They went on to serve during the Korean War, providing close air support for ground forces.
Making The Mustang: More P-51s Than Pilots
As production increased, North American Aircraft (NAA) needed to expand, relocating its B-25 line from Inglewood CA to Kansas and building the P-51C at the Dallas plant in Texas. The P-51C was identical to the P-51B and was designated P-51C-5-NT in Dallas. James H. “Dutch” Kindelberger, President of NAA, used notes from visiting German aircraft factories to set up an extremely efficient production line.
A 2016 edition of Air & Space Forces magazine detailed how Ronald W. Harker, a British civilian test pilot working for Rolls-Royce, was the one to propose installing a Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine into the P-51 aircraft. NAA completed the project, refocusing the performance profile of the Mustang from low to high altitude. The Merlin was built under license in the United States by the Packard Motor Car Company. The original three-bladed propeller also gave way to the distinctive four-bladed version from Hamilton-Standard and Aeroproducts.
In the fall of 1942, Mustangs were flying a remarkable 441 mph at 29,800 feet. Mass production of the Merlin-powered P-51B and P-51C soon followed. In December 1943, the first P-51B/C Mustangs entered combat in Europe with the 354th Fighter Group “Pioneers.” By the time of the first US heavy bomber strike against Berlin in March 1944, the USAAF had fielded about 175 P-51B/C Mustangs.
The Mustangs provided long-range, high-altitude escort for the Allied bombing campaign against Germany. At peak turnout, P-51s were rolling off assembly lines at Dallas and Inglewood at a combined pace of 881 airplanes per month by January 1945. The plant was so efficient that planes would be parked in rows to wait for pilots to finish training and take delivery.
How Many P-51 Mustangs Are Left?
Warbird super fans strive to keep P-51s in the air, but only a handful of complete Mustangs are still out there.
The Jet Age: Mustang Back In Action
After the war, Mustangs remained in service with the newly established US Air Force and other countries, but they were relegated to a secondary role by new jet fighters. The Air National Guard (ANG) and the Reserve received a large number of the USAF’s Mustangs (now known as the F-51) that were surplused.
USAF units were compelled to operate from bases in Japan at the beginning of the Korean War, and F-51Ds were able to reach targets in Korea that the short-range F-80 jet fighters were unable to. Before being replaced by F-86F jet fighter bombers in 1953, Mustangs continued to fly close support missions with the USAF, South Korean Air Force (ROKAF), South African Air Force (SAAF), and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Australia’s 77 Squadron pilots were flying P-51 Mustangs during the Korean War when superior Soviet-built MiG-15 jet fighters entered the fray. In 1951, they replaced Mustangs with the Meteor Mark 8. As the National Interest described, the Mustang was overmatched by the MiG’s cannons, making it difficult for pilots to survive. The North Korean Yak-9 fighters were more manageable adversaries as the UN pilots were more skilled than their North Korean counterparts.
P-51 Mustang Vs Yak-9: How The Iconic Fighters Compare
The Yakovlev Yak-9 and North American P-51 Mustang are two of the most infamous fighters of the Second World War.
Civilian Life: Flying For Thrills
The “warbird” community emerged after World War II and into the 1950s, with surplus Mustangs and other fighters like the Corsair, Bearcat, Airacobra, and Lightning becoming popular. Some owners took their warbirds to air racing, reminiscing about the pre-war National Air Races in Cleveland, where Horatio Alger built dedicated air racers.
As the Smithsonian wrote, the National Air Races resumed in 1946 with warbirds as the main technology. Others, following the American tradition of technical ingenuity, modified their warbirds into dedicated air racers, improving their aircraft’s speed and lightness.
However, the 1949 National Air Races saw the deaths of two bystanders and a racing pilot due to lack of infrastructure, the Korean conflict, and safety debates. The spirit of the 1930s and 1940s was revived through the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, in 1964. The Unlimited Class race became the marquee event due to the high speeds and popularity of World War II fighters.
5 Famous Air Races From The Past & Present
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A Heroic Legacy: Warbirds Preserving History
It is no easy task to determine how many P-51 Mustangs are left. Mustangs Mustangs tallied the total number of aircraft and restorable projects. Wrecks classified as destroyed or serial numbers that are incomplete were not included. The count changes as warbird enthusiasts restore the irreparable out of sheer will and passion and when a plane is lost.
There are 311 known examples of the P-51 (all variants) in various states and conditions of repair, according to the last tally. Gunfighter, a flying museum exhibition dedicated to honoring the sacrifices of aviators, has been performing ride flights and airshows for over 40 years. The P-51D Model Mustang, serial number 44-73264, was a veteran of WWII.
Hill Air Force Base’s engine repair shops maintained and overhauled the Packard-built engines in the P-51 aircraft until the end of the conflict. After the war, base personnel prepared and stored various P-51 variants and V-1650 engines for future use. The plane on display at Hill Aerospace Museum was built using parts from multiple P-51s and painted to reflect Colonel Chelsey Peterson’s P-51, “Audrey,” after his wife.
The Mustang at the Military Aviation Museum is painted in the markings of the 353rd Fighter Group, known as the Slybirds, and features six aerial victory symbols. The aircraft’s specific livery represents the 353rd FG Mustang flown by Lieutenant Colonel “Wild Bill” Bailey, Deputy Group Commander.
