North American Aviation P 51 Mustang

An illustrated history of the renowned fighter aircraft, ideal for modelers and aviation enthusiasts: “Highly recommended.” —AMPS Indianapolis The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the most successful and effective fighter aircraft of all time. It was initially produced in response to a 1940 RAF requirement for a fast, heavily armed fighter able to operate effectively at altitudes in excess of 20,000 feet. North American built the prototype in 117 days, and the aircraft, designated NA-73X, flew on October 26, 1940. The first of 320 production Mustang Is for the RAF flew on May 1, 1941, powered by an 1,100hp Allison V-1710-39 engine. RAF test pilots soon found that with this powerplant the aircraft did not perform well at high altitude, but that its low-level performance was excellent. It was when the Mustang airframe was married to a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that the aircraft’s true excellence became apparent. Possessing a greater combat radius than any other Allied single-engine fighter, it became synonymous with the Allied victory in the air. During the last eighteen months of the war in Europe, escorting bomber formations, it hounded the Luftwaffe to destruction in the very heart of Germany. In the Pacific, operating from advance bases, it ranged over the Japanese Home Islands, joining carrier-borne fighters such as the Grumman Hellcat to bring the Allies massive air superiority. Yet the Mustang came about almost by accident, a product of the Royal Air Force’s urgent need for new combat aircraft in the dark days of 1940, when Britain, fighting for survival, turned to the United States for help in the island nation’s darkest hour. This is its story, including plentiful photos and information for modelers.

This detailed monograph covers the design and development of the P-51B/C Mustang family, the main wartime production variant of this classic fighter.The P-51B/C model introduced the definitive Packard engine and was the mount of many aces. This book contains: Comprehensive technical details of the American built P-51B/C and F-6CNumerous specially selected original NAA technical photographsProduction and service photos. A wide range of colour profiles. Rare colour photographs from W.W.II.Detailed photographs featuring modern highly accurate restorations, inside and out, and including under rebuild and servicing details.Profusely illustrated with photos, including a comprehensive walk-around section showing all aspects of the airframe, and diagrams from official manuals.This book provides all the core technical details of the P-51B/C family in one compact, economical volume. Essential reading for aviation enthusiasts & scale aeromodellers.1/48 scale plans of all versions. Colour profiles.

This first volume, out of a total of four, of the history of the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang and P-82 Twin Mustang takes you from the first steps of North American Aviation Corporation to the end of the the evolution of those two aircraft, through the British decision to award the development of this exceptional fighter to NAA. It also provides the production history with links between military serials and model blocks. Richly illustrated, this volume gives the background and overview required to enjoy the operational history detailed in Volumes II and III.

The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the most successful and effective fighter aircraft of all time. It was initially produced in response to a 1940 RAF requirement for a fast, heavily-armed fighter able to operate effectively at altitudes in excess of 20,000ft. North America built the prototype in 117 days, and the aircraft, designated NA-73X, flew on 26 October 1940. The first of 320 production Mustang Is for the RAF flew on 1 May 1941, powered by a 1,100hp Allison V-1710-39 engine. RAF test pilots soon found that with this powerplant the aircraft did not perform well at high altitude, but that its low-level performance was excellent. It was when the Mustang airframe was married to a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that the aircraft's true excellence became apparent. Possessing a greater combat radius than any other Allied single-engine fighter, it became synonymous with the Allied victory in the air. During the last eighteen months of the war in Europe, escorting bomber formations, it hounded the Luftwaffe to destruction in the very heart of Germany. In the Pacific, operating from advance bases, it ranged over the Japanese Home Islands, joining carrier-borne fighters such as the Grumman Hellcat to bring the Allies massive air superiority. Yet the Mustang came about almost by accident, a product of the Royal Air Force's urgent need for new combat aircraft in the dark days of 1940, when Britain, fighting for survival, turned to the United States for help in the island nation's darkest hour.

Undoubtedly the finest US fighter of World War 2, the Mustang was built in astonishing numbers 7956 P-51Ds alone as the might of America's overwhelming industrial base swung into line behind the nation's global war effort. This new series follows the great fighter types of the conflict from the raw metal phase, through construction and testing, to the combat theatres of Europe, the Middle East, China/Burma/India and the Pacific.

The P-51 Mustang holds a fascination unlike any other World War II aircraft, and countless books have been written about nearly every aspect of the Mustang's colorful history. However, the story of manufacturing the airplane itself is usually contained only in the opening chapters of these books. Now, for the first time, here is a major work devoted strictly to telling the story of how this legendary airplane was designed and built using rare original factory photographs, documents, and unique engineering information. The author uses 397 original photos culled from his personal archive of official North American and USAAF images, many of which have never before been seen in any publication whatsoever. This paperback book will provide a vital "missing link" in the saga of this famed World War II aircraft, and is sure to become a valued addition to the libraries of P-51 modelers, historians, enthusiasts, and pilots in both the United States and England.

While the introduction of the Merlin engine did improve the Mustang's performance and produce the bubble-canopied fighters with which we associate the name, credit must be given to the Allison-engined variants that preceded it. From its inception in early 1940, the Mustang's development was extraordinarily rapid – such was the need for a fighter at the time, and the confidence in its design. By early January 1942, the Mustang was in service with the RAF, flying low-level armed reconnaissance operations over Northern France. Despite later Merlin variants arriving in-theatre, this remained a hunting ground for the Allison Mustangs through to D-Day and beyond – a remarkable service length. In American hands the Allison-engined Mustangs performed as dive-bombers and fighters, serving with distinction in North Africa and the Far East.

"This book contains : a detailed pilot's report ; 55 photographs ; 23 scale drawings ; a two-page action scene ; the actual Flight Handbook issued to Mustang pilots during World War II."--