The real dimensions of the plane mustang n 51. This unsurpassed "Mustang. Use in combat
Americans love to admire their achievements, technology, country, military power. It has always been so.
One of the objects of their admiration is the WW2 Mustang P-51 fighter.
With someone's light hand, this plane even received the proud nickname "Messer Killer". This was told by the owner of one of the cars (the one in the picture below) Rob Lamplow - a member of the British flying club "The Air Squadron". But during the preparation of the text for this post, it turned out something completely different ...
Yes, the Mustangs shot down a lot of German planes during the war, but they themselves ... Sometimes they themselves became simply ridiculous victims.
So, during the war, two Mustang P-51s were destroyed ... by locomotives (!!!)
However, more on this below.
2. First, a little about the plane itself.
The Mustang was developed by the Americans directly for participation in the Second World War by order of the British.
The first prototype took to the air at the end of 1940.
But the plane, which was conceived as a long-range fighter-bomber, was no good. He had a rather mediocre motor power, which did not allow him to fly above 4 thousand meters.
In 1942, the British, unable to stand it, wanted to completely abandon its use. 
3. But they were held back by one rather weighty argument - the Mustang behaved perfectly at low altitudes.
As a result, a compromise decision was made, and a different engine was simply put on the fighter. A miracle happened after a British Rolls-Royce was "stuck" into it. That's when he flew. The modification received the code R-51C. And when the fairing was removed (fairing behind the cockpit glazing) and a teardrop-shaped lantern (P-51D) was installed, it became very good. 
4. And so, since 1942, the Royal English Air Force began to actively use the Mustangs in combat.
Their task was to patrol the English Channel and attack German ground targets in France.
On July 27, 1942, the Mustang P-51 enters an air battle for the first time on Dieppe and ... dies. It was piloted by American Hollis Hillis. 
5. Very soon, on August 19, 1942, another battle took place, in which the Mustangs "distinguished themselves". During one of the operations for the landing of British troops in the same Dieppe, the Mustag squadron, along with Spitfires, covered the landing and entered into battle with German aircraft. At the same time, two enemy aircraft were shot down.
After this battle, 11 Mustangs did not return to the base airfield ... 
6. These aircraft began to be used more effectively towards the end of the war - when the Germans ran out of planes, pilots and gasoline. That's when the attack of steam locomotives, convoys and horse-drawn transport began. Well, such exotic tasks as hunting for Me-262 type jet aircraft. Mustangs guarded them on landing when he was helpless.
And it was with the steam locomotives that the Mustangs had real problems. Two facts are reliably known when the Mustangs died attacking railway targets.
The most unlucky pilot on the Mustang R-51D found some kind of railway train and, well, pick it with machine guns. And there were warheads for V-2 ballistic missiles. Gasped so that the column of the explosion rose to 5 km. Of course, there was nothing left of the Mustang.
The second unlucky pilot decided to rehearse the attack of his Mustang on the locomotive in the forehead. Well, I thought something was wrong, it was smeared along the rails somewhere 800 meters before the locomotive. The crew of the locomotive escaped with a slight fright. 
7. But, of course, there were also successful Mustang pilots. The most productive US Air Force pilot, George Preddy, shot down 5 or 6 Messerschits in one go. By the way - he has a short but fascinating biography.
His wingman became famous as a "hornet killer", he shot down quite a lot of Me-410 "Hornisse" ("Hornet"). And in the eighties, the follower died ... from the sting of a hornet! 
8. The aircraft served for a long time in different countries.
For example, in Israel, he served wing to wing with Czech-made Messers and they merrily fought with Egyptian Spitfires and Mosquitos.
After the Korean War, a large number of Mustangs went into civilian use to participate in air shows and various competitions.
And the Mustang was completely withdrawn from service in 1984. 
9. Two of these Mustang P-51s from the British club "The Air Squadron" recently visited Sevastopol, where I had a chance to talk a little with their pilots and mechanics.
For example, this instance (tail number 472216) managed to fight on the fronts of World War II. British pilots shot down 23 German fighters on it. As a reminder of this - 23 swastikas around the cockpit. The victims of the Mustang were mostly Nazi Messerschmitt Bf.109. Despite its advanced age, the aircraft is in excellent condition - it can accelerate to 700 kilometers per hour. 
10. The owner of this Mustang is Robs Lamplow, a veteran of the British Royal Air Force. He found it in 1976 in Israel. The plane stood semi-dismantled in the local "collective farm" and served as a toy for children. Robbs bought it, completely refurbished it and has been flying the Mustansha for almost 40 years. "I'm 73, the plane is 70. We're flying. We're not getting sand out of us yet," says Robbs. 
11. How much does such an aircraft cost now, its owner does not say. In 1945, a P-51 Mustang cost $51,000. For this money in the fifties of the last century, you could buy 17 Chevrolet Corvette cars. If inflation is taken into account, $51,000 in 1945 is the current $660,000. 
12. The aircraft features a spacious cabin and the complexity of piloting when the tanks are full (the center of gravity slides back). By the way, for the first time, an anti-g compensation suit was used on it, which made it possible to perform aerobatics and shoot at high overloads.
The Mustang is quite vulnerable from behind and below - there are practically uncovered water and oil radiators: one rifle chamber and the "Indian" is no longer up to the battle - they could reach the front line. 
13. Mustang exhaust pipes 
14. Proud American star. 
15. Pilot of the second Mustang P-51, who visited Sevastopol, Maxi Gainza. 
16. A convenient trunk and a spare parts warehouse are arranged in the wing. 
17. The plate says that this copy (by the way, training) was released in 1944. 
18. The mouth of the tank in the wing of the Mustang 
19. Mustangs in the sky of Crimea. 
20.
for preparing the text and some Interesting Facts Thank you very much Mustang
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h dBMMBUE RTBLFYUEULY RBTMBMMEMSHOP U NPDYZHYLBGYEK D CHSHCHRHULBMUS PYUEOSH RPIPTSYK FYR l. EZP RTPYCHPDUFCHP OBYUBMPUSH OB OEULPMSHLP NEUSGECH RPCE. т-51л ПФМЙЮБМУС ЧЙОФПН "бЬТПРТПДБЛФУ" ЮХФШ НЕОШЫЕЗП ДЙБНЕФТБ, ЮЕН Х "зБНЙМШФПО УФБОДБТД" - 3,36 Н. пО ФПЦЕ ВЩМ ЮЕФЩТЕИМПРБУФОЩН БЧФПНБФПН, ОП Х "зБНЙМШФПОБ" МПРБУФЙ ВЩМЙ ГЕМШОЩНЙ Й ЙЪЗПФПЧМСМЙУШ ЙЪ БМАНЙОЙЕЧПЗП УРМБЧБ, Б Х "бЬТПРТПДБЛФУ" - UFBMSHOSHCHE RPMSCHE. OPCHSHCHK RTPREMMET YNEM VPMSHYK DYBRBPO HZMPCH RPCHPTPFB MPRBUFEK, B EZP NEIBOYN VSHCHUFTEE NEOSM VPMSHYPK YBZ ABOUT NBMSCHK Y OPPVPTPF. pDOBLP "bTPRTPDBLFU" PVMBDBM IHDYEK HTBCHOPCHEYOOOPUFSHHA, UFP ULBSCCHBMPUSH H VPMEE CHSHCHUPLPN HTPCHOE CHYVTBGYK. MEFOSHCH DBOOSCHE UP UFBMSHOSHCHN CHYOFPN OENOPPZP KHIKHDYYMYUSH. CHUE PUFBMSHOPE H PVEYI NPDYZHYLBGYK VSCHMP PDYOBLPCHP, EUMY OE UYUYFBFSH NBMEOSHLPZP RETZHPTYTPCHBOOPZP CHEOFIMSGIPOOPZP EYFLB UMECHB CH RETEDOEK YUBUFY LBRPFB. tBURPMPTSEOYE PFCHETUFYK ABOUT OEN X D Y l PFMYUBMPUSH. zhPTLYMSH ABOUT NPDYZHYLBGYY l UFBCHYMUS U UBNPZP OBYUBMB RTPY'CHPDUFCHB.
t-51l NPDETOYYTPCHBMUS RBTBMMEMSHOP U FIRPN D. obyuobs U UETYY l-10 EZP FPTS PUOBUFYMY TBLEFOSCHN CHPPTKhTSEOYEN. rTPYYCHPDUFCHP LFPK NPDYZHYLBGYY BLCHETYMPUSH H UEOFSVTE 1945 Z. ChuEZP H dBMMBUE UPVTBMY 1337 NBYYO FIRB l.
PRYBOYE P-51D.
lPOUFTHLFICHOP NPOPMBO Mustang VSCHM UCHPVPDPOEUHEIN OYLPRMBOPN U LTSCHMPN MBNYOBTOPZP RTPJYMS NAA-NACA. LTSCHMP YЪZPFPCHMSMPUSH YJ DCHHI UELGYK,UPEDYOSCHYIUS VPMFBNY RP GEOPTBMSHOPK MYOYY ZHAEMSCB,RTY LFPN CHETIOSS YUBUFSH PVTBBPCHSHCHCHBMB RPM LBVYOSCH. лТЩМШС ВЩМЙ ГЕМШОПНЕФБММЙЮЕУЛЙНЙ ДЧХИМПОЦЕТПООЩНЙ У ЗМБДЛПЛМЕРБООПК БМЛМЬДПЧПК (РМБЛЙТПЧБОЩК БМАНЙОЙК) ПВЫЙЧЛПК,РТЙЮЕН МПОЦЕТПОЩ ЧЩРПМОСМЙУШ ЙЪ ЛБМЙВТПЧБООПЗП ТЕМШУППВТБЪОПЗП Ч УЕЮЕОЙЙ РТПЖЙМС У ЧЩЫФБНРПЧБООЩНЙ ЧЕТИОЙНЙ Й ОЙЦОЙНЙ РПМЛБНЙ.рПРЕТЕЮОЩК ОБВПТ УПУФПСМ ЙЪ РТЕУУПЧБООЩИ ПВМЕЗЮЕООЩИ ПФЧЕТУФЙСНЙ ОЕТЧАТ Й УФТЙОЗЕТБНЙ ЙЪ ЛБМЙВТПЧБООПЗП РТПЛБФБ РП ЧУЕНХ ТБЪНБИХ.ьМЕТПОЩ У НЕФБММЙЮЕУЛПК ПВЫЙЧЛПК RPDCHEYCHBMYUSH L BDOENH MPOTSETPOH, RTYUEN MECHSCHK METPO YEM HRTBCHMSENSCHK FTYNNET. tBURPMPTSEOOSCHE ABOUT BDOEK LTPNLE BLTSCHMLY HUFBOBCHMYCHBMYUSH NETSDH ÜMETPOBNY Y ZHAEMSTSEN.
GEMSHOPNEFBMMYUEULYK RPMKHNPOPLPCHSHK ZHAEMSTS UPVYTBMUS YЪ FTEI PFUELPC - DCHYZBFEMSHOPZP, LBVYOOPZP (PUOPCHOPZP) Y ICHPUFCHPZP. дЧЙЗБФЕМШ ХУФБОБЧМЙЧБМУС ОБ ДЧХИ V-ПВТБЪОЩИ УЧПВПДОПОЕУХЭЙИ УФПКЛБИ,ЧЩРПМОЕООЩИ Ч ЧЙДЕ РМПУЛПЗП ЧЕТФЙЛБМШОПЗП МЙУФБ У РТЕУУПЧБОЩНЙ ЧЕТИОЙНЙ Й ОЙЦОЙНЙ РПМЛБНЙ,ЛБЦДБС ЙЪ ЛПФПТЩИ ЛТЕРЙМЙУШ Ч ДЧХИ ФПЮЛБИ Л РЕТЕДОЕК РТПФЙЧПРПЦБТОПК РЕТЕЗПТПДЛЕ ПУОПЧОПК УЕЛГЙЙ.рПУМЕДОСС ВЩМБ УДЕМБОБ ЙЪ ДЧХИ ВБМПЛ,ЛБЦДБС ЙЪ ЛПФПТЩИ ЧЛМАЮБМБ РП ДЧБ МПОЦЕТПОБ,ПВТБЪПЧЩЧБЧЫЙИ ЧЕТИОАА ЛПОУФТХЛГЙА (ОЙЪ ПВТБЪПЧЩЧБМП ЛТЩМП - РТЙН. ТЕД.).хУЙМЕООБС ЧЕТФЙЛБМШОЩНЙ ЫРБОЗПХФБНЙ ПВЫЙЧЛБ ПВТБЪПЧЩЧБМБ ЖПТНХ.ъБ ЛБВЙОПК МПОЦЕТПОЩ РЕТЕИПДЙМЙ Ч РПМХНПОПЛПЛПЧХА ЛПОУФТХЛГЙА ХУЙМЕООХА ЫРБОЗПХФБНЙ.пФУПЕДЙОСАЭЙКУС ИЧПУФПЧПК ПФУЕЛ РП ЛПОУФТХЛГЙЙ РПДПВЕО ПУОПЧОПНХ.
iCHPUFPPCHPE PRETEOYE VSHMP GEMSHOSHCHN UCHPVPDOPOEUKHEIN NPOPRMBOOPPZP FIRB UP USHENOSCHNY BLPOGPCHLBNY. лПОУФТХЛФЙЧОП ПОП УПУФПСМП ЙЪ ДЧХИ МПОЦЕТПОПЧ,ЫФБНРПЧБОЩИ ОЕТЧАТ Й РТПЖЙМШОЩИ УФТЙОЗЕТПЧ,РПЛТЩФЩИ БМЛМЬДПЧПК ПВЫЙЧЛПК.лЙМШ ВЩМ РТБЛФЙЮЕУЛЙ ФБЛЙН-ЦЕ.тХМШ ОБРТБЧМЕОЙС Й ТХМЙ ЧЩУПФЩ ЙНЕМЙ ДАТБМЕЧЩК ОБВПТ Й РПМПФОСОХА ПВЫЙЧЛХ.хРТБЧМСАЭЙЕ РМПУЛПУФЙ ВЩМЙ ДЙОБНЙЮЕУЛЙ УВБМБОУЙТПЧБОЩ Й ЙНЕМЙ ФТЙННЕТЩ. дЧБ РТПФЕЛФЙТПЧБООЩИ ФПРМЙЧОЩИ ВБЛБ ЕНЛПУФША РП 350 М ХУФБОБЧМЙЧБМЙУШ УФБОДБТФОП - РП ПДОПНХ Ч ЛБЦДПН ЛТЩМЕ НЕЦДХ МПОЦЕТПОБНЙ.дПРПМОЙФЕМШОЩК ВБЛ,ЧНЕЭБЧЫЙК 320 М,ВЩМ ХУФБОПЧМЕО Ч ЖАЪЕМСЦЕ ЪБ ЛБВЙОПК.рПД ЛpЩМШСНЙ ФБЛЦЕ НПЗМЙ РПДЧЕЫЙЧБФШУС ДЧБ УВТБУЩЧБЕНЩИ ВБЛБ ЕНЛПУФША РП 284 ЙМЙ 416 М.ч ЪБЧЙУЙНПУФЙ PF OBMYYUYS FPRMMYCHB VPECHPK TBDYKHU VSCHM UMEDHAEIN: FPMSHLP U CHOHFTEOOOYNY VBLBNY - 765 LN, DCHHNS 284-M VBLBNY - 1045 LN, DCHHNS 416-M VBLBNY - 1368 LN.
пУОПЧОЩН ЧППpХЦЕОЙЕН P-51D СЧМСМЙУШ ЫЕУФШ 12,7-НН РХМЕНЕФПЧ Browning ХУФБОПЧМЕОЩИ РП ФТЙ Ч ЛpЩМЕ,У НБЛУЙНБМШОЩН ВПЕЛПНРМЕЛФПН РП 400 РБФТПОПЧ ОБ УФЧПМ ДМС ЧОХФТЕООЙИ Й РП 270 ДМС ГЕОФТБМШОЩИ Й ЧОЕЫОЙИ РХМЕНЕФПЧ,Ч ГЕМПН УПУФБЧМСАЭЙИ 1880 РБФТПОПЧ.гЕОФТБМШОЩЕ РХМЕНЕФЩ НПЦОП ВЩМП УОСФШ ,ХНЕОШЫЙЧ ЧППpХЦЕОЙЕ ДП 4-И РХМЕНЕФПЧ Й,УППФЧЕФУФЧЕООП,ХНЕОШЫЙЧ ВПЕЛПНРМЕЛФ,ОП Ч ЬФПН УМХЮБЕ Mustang НПЗ ОЕУФЙ ДЧЕ 454-ЛЗ ВПНВЩ ЙМЙ ДЕУСФШ ОЕХРТБЧМСЕНЩИ 127-НН ТБЛЕФ ЙМЙ ЫЕУФШ РХУЛПЧЩИ ФТХВ ДМС ТБЛЕФ ФЙРБ "ВБЪХЛБ",ХУФБОПЧМЕООЩИ Ч ДЧХИ УЧСЪЛБИ РП ФТЙ ФТХВЩ РПД ЛpЩМШСНЙ.лПЗДБ УФБМЙ ЙЪЧЕУФОЩ ХОЙЛБМШОЩЕ ЧПЪНПЦОПУФЙ ЬФЙИ ТБЛЕФ,ХУФБОПЧМЕООЩИ ОБ P-51D,ФП РПУМЕДОЙЕ 1100 P-51D-25-NA ВЩМЙ ЧЩРХЭЕОЩ У РЙМПОБНЙ "ОХМЕЧПК ДМЙОЩ" (РПРТПУФХ ДЧБ УФЕТЦОС У ЪБНЛБНЙ - РТЙН. РЕТЕЧ.) ДМС РПДЧЕЫЙЧБЕНЩИ РПД ЛТЩМШС 127-НН ТБЛЕФ,ЛПФПТЩЕ ЙНЕМЙ НЕОШЫЙК ЧЕУ РП УТБЧОЕОЙА У ФТХВЮБФЩНЙ ОБРТБЧМСАЭЙНЙ.фПЮЛБ УИПЦДЕОЙС РХМЕНЕФОЩИ ФТБУУ ВЩМБ ХУФБОПЧМЕОБ ОБ 275 НЕФТБИ,ОП ОЕЛПФПТЩЕ РЙМПФЩ ХНЕОШЫБМЙ ЕЕ ДП 230 Й ТЕЗХМЙТПЧБМЙ РХМЕНЕФЩ РП УЧПЕНХ ЧЛХУХ .
uFBODBTFOSCHN DCHYZBFEMEN P-51D VSM 12-GYMYODTPCHSCHK DCHYZBFEMSH TSYDLPUFOPZP PIMBTTSDEOYS Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-3 YMY V-1650-7 TBCHYCHBCHYYK 1400 M.U. ОБ ЧЪМЕФЕ.HБ РЕТЧЩИ нХУФБОЗБИ ХУФБОБЧМЙЧБМЙУШ ОЙЪЛПЧЩУПФОЩЕ ДЧЙЗБФЕМЙ Allison,ОП ЛПЗДБ ВЩМЙ ПУПЪОБОЩ ЕЗП ЧПЪНПЦОПУФЙ ЛБЛ ЧЩУПФОПЗП ЙУФpЕВЙФЕМС,ТЕЫЙМЙ ХУФБОПЧЙФШ ДЧЙЗБФЕМШ Merlin.дМС ЬФПК ГЕМЙ ЛПНРБОЙЙ "Rolls-Royce" ВЩМЙ РЕТЕДБОЩ ЮЕФЩТЕ Mustang Mk.I,ЙУРПМШЪПЧБЧЫЙЕУС Ч ЛБЮЕУФЧЕ ПРЩФПЧЩИ - AL963, AL975,AM203 Й AM208.дЧЙЗБФЕМЙ УЕТЙЙ Merlin 61 ХУФБОБЧМЙЧБМЙУШ У ДПРПМОЙФЕМШОЩН РЕТЕДОЙН ТБДЙБФПТПН ЧДПВБЧПЛ Л ПВЩЮОПНХ У ЧПЪДХИПЪБВПТОЙЛПН РПД ЖАЪЕМСЦЕН.лПНВЙОБГЙС Mustang/Rolls-Royce ПЛБЪБМБУШ ОБУФПМШЛП ХДБЮОПК,ЮФП УФБМБ УФБОДБТФОПК ДМС ЧУЕИ ЧБТЙБОФПЧ нХУФБОЗБ.дМС ХЧЕМЙЮЕОЙС ЧЩРХУЛБ ДЧЙЗБФЕМЕК,БНЕТЙЛБОУЛБС ЖЙТНБ "Packard Car Company" OBYUBMB ChSCHHRHULBFSH Merlin RP MYGEOJYY.
Merlin HБ ДЧЙЗБФЕМСИ УЕТЙЙ -3 ТБВПФБ ФХТВПЛПНРТЕУУПТБ ОБЮЙОБМБ ПЭХЭБФШУС У ЧЩУПФЩ 5800 Н,Б УЕТЙЙ -7 ПФ 4500 ДП 5800 Н.фХТВПОБДДХЧ ВЩМ БЧФПНБФЙЮЕУЛЙН,ОП НПЗ ТЕЗХМЙТПЧБФШУС ЧТХЮОХА.дМС РПМХЮЕОЙС ДПРПМОЙФЕМШОПК НПЭОПУФЙ Ч БЧБТЙКОПН УМХЮБЕ НПЦОП ВЩМП ЖПТУЙТПЧБФШ ДЧЙЗБФЕМШ,ФПМЛОХЧ УЕЛФПТ ЗБЪБ ЪБ ПЗТБОЙЮЙФЕМШ , UMPNBCH RTEDPITBOYFEMSHOHA YUELKH.EUMY LFPF TETSYN YURPMSHЪPCHBMUS UCHCHCHIE RSFY NYOHF, FP UHEEUFCHPCHBM UETSHOEOSCHK TYUL RPCHTEDYFSH DCHYZBFEMSH.
х РЙМПФПЧ нХУФБОЗПЧ ОЕ ПУФБЧБМПУШ УПНОЕОЙК,ЛПЗДБ ФХТВПЛПНРТЕУУПТ РЕТЕИПДЙМ ОБ ЧЩУПФОЩК ОБДДХЧ,ЙЪ-ЪБ ТЕЪЛЙИ УПДТПЗБОЙК НБЫЙОЩ.пОЙ ОБХЮЙМЙУШ РТЕДХЗБДЩЧБФШ ЕЗП ЧЛМАЮЕОЙЕ Й ХНЕОШЫБМЙ ЗБЪ.рТЙ УОЙЦЕОЙЙ РЕТЕИПД ОБ ОЙЪЛПЧЩУПФОЩК ОБДДХЧ РТПЙУИПДЙМ ОБ ЧЩУПФЕ 4800 Н Й ЕДЙОУФЧЕООЩН ХЛБЪБОЙЕН ОБ ЬФПФ НПНЕОФ ВЩМП РБДЕОЙЕ ДБЧМЕОЙС ABOUT TBMYUOSCHI RTYVPTBI.
Merlin ЧТБЭБМ ЮЕФЩТЕИМПРБУФОЩК БЧФПНБФЙЮЕУЛЙК ЧЙОФ РПУФПСООПК УЛПТПУФЙ - МЙВП Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic,МЙВП Aeroproducts.нБУМПТБДЙБФПТ Й ЦЙДЛПУФОПК ТБДЙБФПТ ПИМБЦДЕОЙС (30/70 % ЬФЙМЕО-ЗМЙЛПМШ/ЧПДБ) ВЩМЙ ХУФБОПЧМЕОЩ Ч УЙМШОП ЧЩДЧЙОХФПН РПДЖАЪЕМСЦОПН ПВФЕЛБФЕМЕ У ЧПЪДХИПЪБВПТОЙЛПН.
еДЙОУФЧЕООПК УМБВПУФША ДЧЙЗБФЕМС Merlin ВЩМП ФП,ЮФП ПО НПЗ ЧЩКФЙ ЙЪ УФТПС ЙЪ-ЪБ ЕДЙОУФЧЕООПК РХМЙ ЙМЙ ПУЛПМЛБ,ЮФП Ч РТЙОГЙРЕ РТЙУХЭЕ ЧУЕН pСДОЩН ДЧЙЗБФЕМСН ЦЙДЛПУФОПЗП ПИМБЦДЕОЙС, ОП ОЕ ХНБМСМП ДПУФПЙОУФЧ нХУФБОЗБ Ч ГЕМПН Й УБНПМЕФ РТЙЧЕФУФЧПЧБМУС НОПЗЙНЙ ЬЛЙРБЦБНЙ B-17 РТЙ ЙИ РТПОЙЛОПЧЕОЙЙ ЧЗМХВШ OEVEU ZETNBOY CHP CHTENS DOECHOOPZP OBUFHRMEOYS RTPFICH OBGYUFULPK CHPEOOPC RTPNSCHYMEOOPUFY. UFPYNPUFSH P-51D Mustang U DCHYZBFEMEN Packard Merlin UPUFBCHMSMB $50985, UFP CHEUSHNB OENOPPZP DMS FBLPZP LVZHELFYCHOPZP Y LMESBOFOPZP UBNPMEFB.
| mfi: |
| nPJYLBGYS | P-51D-25-NA |
| tBNBI LTSCHMB, N | 11.28 |
| dMYOB, N | 9.84 |
| chShCHUPFB, N | 4.17 |
| rMPEBDSh LTSCHMB, H2 | 21.69 |
| nBUUB, LZ | |
| RHUFPZP UBNPMEFB | 3232 |
| OPTNBMSHOBS CHMEFOBS | 4581 |
| NBLUINBMSHOBS CHMEFOBS | 5262 |
| FYR DCHYZBFEMS | 1 rd Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin V-1650-7 |
| nPEOPUFSH, M.U. | |
| CHEMEFOBS | 1 and 1695 |
| OPNYOBMSHOBS | 1 and 1520 |
| nBLUYNBMSHOBS ULPTPUFSH, LN/Yu | |
| X JENMY | 703 |
| ABOUT CHSHCHUPF | 635 |
| lTECUETULBS ULPTPUFSH, LN/Yu | 582 |
| rTBLFYUEULBS DBMSHOPUFSH, LN | 3 350 |
| vPECHBS DBMSHOPUFSH, LN | 1528 |
| at LPTPRPDYAENOPUFSH, N/NYO | 1060 |
| rTBLFYUEULYK RPFPMPL, N | 12771 |
| LIRBC, UEM | 1 |
| chpptxeoye: |
YEUFSH 12.7-NN RHMENEFB Browning U NBLUINBMSHOSHCHN VPELPNRMELFPN RP 400 RBFTPOCH OB UFCHPM DMS CHOHFTEOOYI Y RP 270 DMS GEOPTBMSHOSHCHI Y CHOEYOYI RHMENEFPCH, CH GEMPN UPUFBCHMSAEI RBFTPOCH 1880 YMY 4 12.7-NN RHMENEFB Y 2I 454-LZ VPNVSH YMY 10I 127-NN tu YMY 2 rx 2I3 TBLEF FIRB VBHLB. |
| DPR. YOZHPTNBGYS: |
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yuETFETS " North American t-51 hustang
" WEENCH
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CHBTYBOFSHCH PLTBULY
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In April 1938, immediately after the German Anschluss of Austria, the British government sent a purchasing commission to the United States, headed by Sir Henry Self, whose purpose was not only to purchase new equipment for the RAF, but also to assess the capabilities of the American aircraft industry for mass deliveries. aircraft designed to British specifications.
I must say that at that time the choice among aircraft produced in the United States was very limited. Most of the models of equipment created according to outdated or not justified concepts could not be used in combat conditions, so American firms had to make numerous improvements in accordance with higher European standards. Curtuss-Wright was one of the first to orient itself, which in a short time upgraded the latest P-40 fighter, but this was clearly not enough. The British mission established close contacts with Martin, Douglas and North-American. The last of them in 1939 received a contract for the supply of Harvard training aircraft. In addition, the president of North-American, Kindelberger, tried to convince the British to buy the NA-40 medium bomber, which had just begun to be tested, but instead, Sir Self asked for the production of P-40 fighters under license. This is not to say that such an offer was absolutely unacceptable for North-American (after all, the contract was profitable), but professional pride did not allow Kindelberger to accept it. Moreover, the management of the company said that they were quite capable of creating the best aircraft, although until that time North-American had not been engaged in the creation of fighters at all. However, the British Purchasing Commission presented a list of requirements, which included an armament of four 7.71 mm machine guns, an Allison V-1710 inline engine, and a price of no more than $40,000 for one fully completed aircraft. In March 1940, a preliminary order for 320 fighters was issued, the deliveries of which were to begin in January 1941.
Fighter project under the brand designation NA-73 was developed under the direction of lead engineer Edgar Schmued and in direct collaboration with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The aircraft was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with a single-keel vertical tail unit. An important feature of the NA-73 was the use of a laminar wing, which somewhat reduced the maneuverability, but made it possible to achieve greater speed. Special attention was given to the flaps and the radiator, because of which the fighter acquired a very characteristic and easily recognizable appearance. The cockpit was located in the middle part of the fuselage and was completely covered with a plexiglass canopy with a folding section. For a better view, oval cutouts were made in the gargot. As expected, the NA-73 was powered by an Allison V-1710-F3R inline engine with 1,150 hp. liquid-cooled and three-bladed variable pitch propeller. At the suggestion of the company, the weapons were placed as follows - two 7.62-mm machine guns were installed in the fuselage under the hood and in the wing.
Although the design and manufacture of the prototype were quite successful, there were difficulties in fulfilling the contract different nature, including the political one. The main problem was the ban on the supply modern weapons warring countries, but for the UK they still made an exception in exchange for a promise to leave two aircraft for testing at Wright Field airbase. In addition, based on the experience of fighting on the Western Front and in North Africa, an unambiguous conclusion was made about the lack of weapons. The British commission proposed a variant with eight machine guns, but in the end settled on this option: two 12.7 mm machine guns were installed in the fuselage, and four 7.62 mm and two 12.7 mm machine guns were in the wing. The finalized project was designated NA-73X.
In accordance with the final agreement, signed on April 10, 1940, the company undertook to provide the first prototype in September. This requirement was met, and the first flight of the NA-73X took place on October 26, 1940 under the control of test pilot Vance Breese. It soon became clear that the North-American fighter was indeed better than the P-40 - the prototype turned out to be slightly lighter and had more high speed. This instilled a certain optimism, especially since in early September the British placed an order for the construction of 300 aircraft, and on September 24 it was expanded to 620 units. At the same time, the 4th and 10th serial aircraft were to remain in the United States (according to other sources, these were aircraft with serial numbers 41-038 and 41-039). In accordance with the American notation, they were assigned an index XP-51. The British gave the first production fighter a name Mustang Mk.I.
The first aircraft to arrive in the UK and entered for testing at the AAE was the second production copy. It quickly became clear that at altitudes up to 4500 meters, the Mustang has an advantage in speed and flight range over all British fighters ( maximum speed was 614 km / h) with comparable maneuverability. But above 4500 meters the situation changed radically, which deprived the Mustang of few advantages over German fighters. As a result, the specialization for these aircraft was changed - the fighters were going to be used as reconnaissance and attack aircraft, which required the installation of cameras of the F-24 type. In February-March 1942, pilots No.2 and No.26 Squadron RAF retrained on the Mustang Mk.I. The first sortie was made on May 6 by aircraft from the 26th division, and on May 10 an attack was made on a German airfield in France. In total, the RAF had 14 divisions equipped with Mustang Mk.I fighters (three divisions were manned by Canadian pilots).
The British issued a second order for 300 fighters with minor modifications in December 1940. These aircraft received the corporate designation NA-83, but the British name has not changed. On an experimental basis, one of these aircraft was equipped with two 40-mm Vickers S cannons, and the second received drop-shaped external fuel tanks under the wing, but both of these improvements did not go into production.
The next contract for 150 aircraft under the brand designation NA-91 signed on behalf of the USAAF. The fact is that according to the law on lend-lease, under which Great Britain fell, all aircraft were considered the property of the United States and were transferred to the allies "for temporary use." In fact, this rule was not always observed, but it was necessary to observe the necessary formalities. Thus the British gave them the designation Mustang Mk.IA, and the Americans referred to them as P-51. The main differences from the first modification were the installation of V-1710-39 engines (the same V-1710-F3R, but passed American acceptance), as well as four 20-mm M2 cannons in the wing instead of numerous machine guns. The Mustang Mk.IA began to appear in the RAF in July 1942 and, together with the Mk.I, went through the entire war with minimal losses. However, the British did not receive all the ordered fighters.
The success of the British "Mustang" on the Western Front made some officers from the USAAF high command think about purchasing these aircraft for their own needs. Tests of two XP-51s also confirmed the earlier conclusions, and in December 1941 (almost immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor), the Americans requisitioned 55 NA-91s. Since this fighter was not created according to American standards, there were still certain doubts about its combat effectiveness, so all aircraft were converted into reconnaissance aircraft. F-6A, equipping them with four 12.7 mm machine guns in the wing and an F-24 camera. Since March 1943, they began to enter service with USAAF combat units and first took part in hostilities at the final stage of the battles in Tunisia. During 1944, the F-6A was also flown by the 111 FS, which fought in Italy.
The interest of the USAAF command in this aircraft was not limited to scouts only. The powerful armament of the Mustang Mk.I, which allowed it to be used as an attack aircraft, played a key role here and in April 1942 a contract was signed for the supply of 500 aircraft, which were given the designation A-36A and title «Invader», which was soon changed to Apache. Retrained fighters were very actively used in North Africa and Italy as dive bombers until the end of the war.
However, the fighter version also found a place in the USAAF. According to American specification new model aircraft P-51A NA-99) had to be seriously relieved. Armament was limited to four 12.7 mm machine guns, but bomb holders from the A-36A were left. It was also possible to hang additional fuel tanks. Despite the fact that the takeoff weight did not decrease, due to the installation of the V-1710-83 engine with increased supercharging and short-term power of 130 hp, the maximum speed rose to 638 km / h. 1200 serial P-51As were ordered, but only 310 were assembled in three almost identical modifications: A-1, A-5 and A-10. Basically, these fighters were used on pacific ocean as well as in China and Burma. As part of Lend-Lease, at the end of 1942, the British were supplied with 50 aircraft, which were given the name Mustang Mk II.
It was possible to increase the already good speed performance of the Mustang fighters by installing a different type of engine. A similar idea was first voiced in June 1942, and in the report, which indicated the use of British Rolls-Royce "Merlin" XX or "Merlin" 61 engines, the maximum speed was to reach 644 and 710 km / h, respectively.
Rolls-Royce's proposal was approved by the firm and the USAAF command. Four serial Mustang Mk.Is were allocated for re-equipment, and the first aircraft with a Merlin 65 engine was built by the beginning of October 1942. In connection with the change of the power plant, the name of the aircraft changed to Mustang Mk.X. The acceptance of prototypes continued until February 1943, but already in the process of testing the second prototype, it became clear that the experiment was a complete success - the rate of climb increased sharply, and the maximum speed was 697 km / h. Initially, even a proposal was put forward to re-equip 500 serial fighters, but then it was decided that it was necessary to establish a separate production of engines in the United States.
Aircraft of a new modification, which received the original designation XP-78(then changed to XP-51B), were equipped with engines from Packard, which launched the licensed production of the British "Merlin" with a number of improvements. The location of the radiators has also changed and a four-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller has been installed. The preliminary contract from the USAAF was 400 aircraft and 1000 more were ordered by the UK. In the future, the number of ordered fighters constantly increased, which predetermined the deployment of their production not only at the main plant in Inglewood, but also in Dallas. As a result, serial machines, depending on the manufacturer, received the designations P-51B (NA-101) and P-51C (NA-103, subsequently NA-111). In total, 1988 and 1750 aircraft were built, respectively.
The first production P-51B flew on May 5, 1944, and the first production P-51C flew exactly three months later. During serial production, 71 P-51B-10 and 20 P-51C-10 modifications were converted into reconnaissance aircraft and were designated as F-6B. Three cameras were installed on these machines at once: K-17, K-22 and K-24. A few more P-51Cs were converted by field workshops into a training version. TP-51C with dual control and an additional cabin for the cadet.
The British order was for 274 B-series aircraft and 626 C-series aircraft. These machines appeared in the second half of 1944 and were designated as "Mustang" Mk.III. In total, 13 battalions deployed in England, Italy and the Balkans flew fighters of these models.
The next phase of modernization was carried out in November 1943, when one modified P-51B-1 with a lowered gargot and a teardrop-shaped cockpit canopy entered the test. The improvement clearly benefited the fighter, but serial fighters P-51D were also equipped with a wing with an increased chord at the root, a modified chassis and armament increased to six 12.7-mm machine guns. Two 454-kg bombs could now be placed on the external sling under the wing.
In total, 8156 D-series aircraft were assembled: 6502 in Inglewood, 1454 in Dallas and 200 under license at the SAS concern in Australia. The first modifications of the D-1 and D-5 had slight differences, but starting with the D-10, a fork appeared, and with the modification of the D-25, the installation of missile weapons under the wing was provided. A small series of scouts was built on the basis of the D-20, D-25 and D-30 F-6D(136 aircraft), equipped with cameras of the F-6C type. Several training rooms have also been built. TP-51D. In addition, an attempt was made to adapt the fighter for operation from aircraft carriers, for which two P-51Ds were allocated. As it turned out, takeoff and landing from the deck could be quite acceptable, but subject to the maximum lightening of the structure. Subsequently, both aircraft received a higher vertical tail and began to be designated as ETF-51D.
Simultaneously with the P-51D, a modification was produced at the Dallas plant. P-51K, featuring an Aeroproducts propeller with hollow blades. Forquil was installed on these machines from the very beginning of mass production, but missile armament appeared only with the K-10 series. In total, 1337 K-series aircraft were assembled, of which a small part was converted into reconnaissance aircraft. F-6K. British Air Force received 281 P-51Ds and 585 P-51Ks, designated as Mustang Mk IV and Mustang Mk.IVA.
Attempts to lighten the design of the Mustang fighter, and therefore further improve its flight performance, were repeatedly made during the war years. During 1943-1945. three prototypes were built, which were supposed to be launched into mass production.
XP-51F- option with a V-1650-3 engine with a power of 1695 hp. and a teardrop lantern, which appeared in June 1943. Three prototypes built.
XP-51G- a variant based on the XP-51F with the Merlin 145M engine. Two prototypes were built, one of which reached a speed of 755 km/h.
XP-51J- one prototype fighter with a V-1710-119 engine, built in early 1945. Since the required speed of 785 km / h was not reached, after the end of the war, the program was curtailed.
Luck was with the plane P-51H, which was held under the brand name NA-126. This fighter actively used developments from three previous projects and was supposed to use the V-1650-9 engine. Orders from the USAAF for the production of the P-51H were received as early as June 1944, but the first production aircraft took to the air only in February 1945. During the tests, the fighter accelerated to 783 km / h, which made it the fastest single-engine piston aircraft of the US Air Force, which was built in series.
In general, it was possible to complete the order for the construction of 550 aircraft, but the order for the second batch of 1445 aircraft of the modified version NA-129 was canceled due to the end of the war. The same fate befell 1629 modification aircraft P-51M(only one prototype, equipped with a V-1650-9A engine, was submitted for testing). Modification P-51L also remained unclaimed. This version was to be equipped with a V-1650-11 engine with a water-methanol boost system, which brought to a short time power up to 2270 hp
The total number of Mustang fighters built was 15,586. The combat use of various modifications of this aircraft during the 2nd World War has been repeatedly described in many sources, which are now easily available in electronic form. Therefore, it makes sense to pay more attention to those fighters that, by the will of fate, ended up far beyond the borders of the United States and were not used by the USAF.
The turbulent career of these aircraft continued after the war (in 1948, the designation changed to F-51). After the war, a large number of P-51Ds were sold to private owners. Armament and military equipment from them, of course, was completely dismantled. In this form, the aircraft were operated for quite a long time, but in 1957, the American publisher David Lindsay took the initiative to rebuild the former fighter into a full-fledged business aircraft. The refinement was undertaken by Trans Florida Aviation Inc., which installed new avionics, a second passenger seat, a leather interior and other “bourgeois” equipment on old P-51D gliders. Updated aircraft get a name Cavalier 2000, which meant a 2000-mile range. In total, five modifications were created (750, 1200, 1500, 2000 and 2500). In total, 20 civilian model aircraft were assembled, and in 1967 the company was renamed Cavalier Aircraft Corporation.
Meanwhile, the firm worked not only for business. In the same year, 1967, a contract was signed with the United States Department to create an updated version of the F-51D for export deliveries. Nine single-seat and two double-seat aircraft were modified, most of which were sold to Bolivia.
In parallel, a variant was developed "Cavalier Mustang II", designed for direct support of ground troops and counterguerrilla warfare. Changes included new avionics, a stronger wing structure that allowed for a more varied bomb load, and an improved Rolls-Royce "Merlin" V-1650-724A engine. Two batches of aircraft were built, the first of which was sent to El Salvador, and the second came to Indonesia.
The last attempt to "revive" the P-51D design was made in 1968, when it was decided to combine the Cavalier Mustang II developments with the Rolls-Royce "Dart" 510 turboprop engine. The aircraft received the designation "Turbo Mustang III" and showed a significant improvement in performance characteristics. At the same time, the payload increased, and the cost of maintenance decreased. In search of an enterprise that could organize the production of this aircraft for export deliveries, Lindsay contacted Piper Aircraft. Due to financial difficulties, the project was resold in 1971 and received a new designation. RA-48 "Enforcer". However, the serial assembly of this aircraft did not begin.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the licensed version of the P-51D, which was produced in Australia. The command of the Air Force of this distant country (RAAF), as well as the government, for a long time no longer hoped for timely deliveries of new equipment from the metropolis and, as far as possible, tried to deploy their own production. Particularly close contacts were established with North-American, which back in 1939 handed over a complete package of documentation for the construction of the Wirraway multi-purpose aircraft at the SAS concern plant. Five years later, it was the turn of the Mustang fighter.
At the end of 1944, the Australians received all the necessary documentation to start production of this aircraft at their own facilities. At the same time, serial P-51Ds from the USA entered service with the RAAF.
Due to numerous changes in equipment compared to the "Mustang" Mk.IV supplied to the RAF, the licensed fighter received the British designation Mustang Mk.XX and Australian SA-17. Deliveries of the first batch of 80 aircraft, which were launched at the Fishemans-Band factory near Melbourne, began on April 29, 1945, when the war was coming to an end. Most of the vehicles managed to get into combat units, but they were not used in battles.
The second modification, known as Mustang Mk.21 or SA-18, was entirely Australian assembled and featured V-1650-7 engines instead of V-1650-3s. 120 of these aircraft were assembled out of 170 ordered, and 14 were converted into reconnaissance aircraft. Mustang Mk.22, equipping them with a perspective camera in the rear of the fuselage. The scouts were also distinguished by the British Merlin 66 or 70 engines (according to other data, the Mk.21 and Mk.22 modifications were equipped with the V-1650-3 and V-1650-7 engines, and the Merlin were installed on modification aircraft Mustang Mk.23).
Further, it was planned to build another 300 Mk.21 fighters, but these plans were violated by the end of the war and the appearance of their own project. SA-15- its design was based on the same Mustang, but with numerous changes, in fact, turning it into a new aircraft. Unfortunately, the prototype of this machine appeared only in 1946, when plans changed again and the appearance of jet technology was expected in the near future. As for the P-51D, all the aircraft that arrived entered service with five RAAF divisions (No. 76, 77, 82, 83, 84 and 86 Squadrons) and were used for quite a long time - the last Australian Mustang was decommissioned only in 1960. Moreover, the pilots of the 77th division managed to take part in the Korean War in 1951, acting as attack aircraft. After re-equipping with the British Gloster "Meteor", many of them expressed the opinion that in terms of combat effectiveness the piston "Mustang" was noticeably superior to the jet "British", which was clearly late for this war.
Bolivia- As part of the Peace Condor program, the Bolivians received seven F-51D Cavalier Mustangs and two TF-51s.
Haiti- Four P-51Ds were received from the US during President Pohl's administration in the early 1950s. Fighters were used until 1973-1974, when they were sold to the Dominican Republic for spare parts.
Guatemala- Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca had 30 P-51D fighters, which were used from 1954 to the early 1970s. One unpleasant incident was connected with the Guatemalan Mustangs, which almost led to a full-scale war with Mexico. The fact is that Mexican fishermen were very dismissive of international rules for staying in the territorial waters of neighboring countries, which caused sincere irritation of the government of Guatemala. In response to the next "swim" on December 30, 1958, a response action was initiated - at about 08:40 in the morning, two Guatemalan P-51Ds attacked fishing boats, shelling them with machine guns. Three Mexicans were killed and 14 more wounded. These events led to the rupture of Guatemalan-Mexican relations, but already in 1959 both sides reconciled in the face of the "export of socialist revolution" from Cuba.
Germany- The Germans acquired several British and American Mustangs in the period 1943-1945. as trophies. The Luftwaffe had at least four P-51B/Cs with tail codes T9+CK, T9+FK, T9+HK and T9+PK, as well as three P-51Ds. These aircraft were part of the Rosarius Staffel and were used for various tests. There is also unconfirmed information about the use of German P-51s in conjunction with "special" captured aircraft from KG 200.
Dominican Republic- among all Latin American countries, it was the Dominicans who had the largest number of P-51Ds. The first 6 vehicles were received by Fuerzas Militares Dominicanas in 1948 from the USA, then 44 aircraft arrived from Sweden and several more P-51Ds appeared from an "unknown source". The last 10 fighters of this type remained in service until 1984, and in 1988 eight of them were sold to private collectors.
Indonesia- during 1949-1950. a few P-51Ds were received from the Dutch. In the early 1960s they were used against multinational forces (RAF, RAAF and RNZAF). In 1972-1973. Six Cavalier Mustang IIs were delivered and retired in 1976.
Israel- in 1948, during the first Arab-Israeli war, several aircraft were illegally delivered from Europe. The second delivery was made from Sweden in the early 1950s. These aircraft were subsequently used during the invasion of Egypt in the autumn of 1956 and were decommissioned a few years later.
Italy- Deliveries of P-51D fighters took place between September 1947 and January 1951. In total, 173 aircraft were received, which were transferred to the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 51 Stormo, as well as to flight schools and experimental units. They began to be decommissioned from the summer of 1958.
served from 1960 to 1977.
Canada- during the war years, five RCAF divisions were equipped with American-built P-51 fighters: No.400, 414 and 430 were equipped with the Mustang Mk.I model, divisions No.441 and 442 received the Mustang Mk.III and Mk.IV in 1945. After the war, another 150 P-51Ds were received, which were distributed between two combat and six auxiliary divisions. In 1956, the Mustang fighters were declared obsolete, but continued to be used until the early 1960s.
China (central government)- Deliveries of P-51D fighters to the Chinese Air Force of the central government began only in 1946, when the country was already in a civil war with the PLA formations. Chinese pilots on the P-51D did not achieve great success, and at the end of 1948 they were evacuated to Taiwan, from where they flew during 1949-1952. carried out raids on objects of the Chinese mainland. As part of the Taiwanese Air Force, they stayed until the early 1960s. However, far from all the aircraft were saved - 39 of them, in various technical conditions, were captured by the communists and, after repairs, were introduced into the PLA Air Force.
Costa Rica- during 1955-1964. four P-51Ds were used in the Air Force of this country.
Cuba- The first 18 P-51Ds appeared in the Cuban Air Force back in 1947. During the uprising led by F. Castro, these aircraft were used against partisans as reconnaissance and attack aircraft. At the end of 1958, one aircraft was captured by the rebels, although according to other sources there were three such aircraft, and they were overtaken from Miami. Subsequently, the number of captured P-51Ds increased to two, and in 1959 they were included in the Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, like other trophies. Due to the lack of spare parts, they did not fly often, after which they were written off, but one aircraft was sent to the Museo del Aire as a symbol of the "revolutionary struggle".
Netherlands- in 1945, the Dutch received 40 P-51Ds, of which they formed the 121st and 122nd Fighter Battalions sent to the Dutch East Indies to suppress the resistance of the local government. The war ended with the defeat of the Netherlands, and several P-51Ds were transferred to the Indonesian Air Force.
Nicaragua- Fuerza Aerea de Nicaragua had 26 P-51Ds received from Sweden, and later they were joined by 30 P-51Ds delivered from the USA. All aircraft were taken out of service in 1964.
New Zealand- In total, the RNZAF ordered 167 P-51Ds and 203 P-51Ms, which were intended to support the Vought F4U in battles in the Pacific. In fact, only 30 aircraft were received, since deliveries began only in March 1945, and the war ended a few months later. In 1951 the fighters were assigned to No.1, 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons of the Territorial Air Force. The last four P-51Ds were used as target tugs until 1957.
Poland- in fact, the P-51 fighters were not in service with the Polish Air Force. However, during the 2nd World War, several RAF divisions were manned by Polish pilots. For example, "Mustang" Mk.I were included in No.309 "Ziemi Czerwienskiej" Squadron. Then, during 1943-1944, Mustang Mk.III fighters entered service with No.306, 315 and 316 Squadron. The last, in 1945, No.303 Squadron received 20 Mustang Mk.IV fighters. Polish pilots flew these machines until December 1946 - January 1947, when these divisions were disbanded.
Somalia- 8 P-51Ds were received after the war (probably after 1960).
Philippines- As part of the restoration of the Philippine Army Air Corps, 103 P-51Ds were received from the USA, which were actively used after the communist rebels. In the late 1950s these were replaced by F-86 jet fighters, but a few P-51Ds were used by COIN until the early 1980s.
France- At the end of 1944, the Armee de l`Air received the first Mustangs, which entered service with reconnaissance squadrons. Subsequently, the F-6C and F-6D were brought together in GR 2/33 and used to photograph German territory. The French Mustangs were withdrawn from service in the early 1950s.
Sweden- The first four Mustang fighters (two P-51B and two P-51D early series) were interned during the 2nd World War. The Swedes liked the aircraft and in February 1945 a contract was signed for the supply of 25 P-51Ds, which were designated J26 as part of Flygvapnet. In early 1946, a second batch of 90 aircraft was delivered, and the last 21 P-51Ds were received in 1948. All aircraft were operated until the end of the 1950s, with 12 fighters converted into reconnaissance aircraft and designated as S26. Part of the decommissioned P-51Ds were subsequently sold to other countries.
Switzerland- as in the case of Sweden, several aircraft were interned during the war years and already in the post-war period, the Swiss purchased 130 P-51Ds at a price of $ 4,000 apiece. These aircraft were used until 1958.
Uruguay- during 1950-1958. the Uruguayan Air Force used 25 P-51Ds that served with the 2nd Fighter Group and were subsequently sold to Bolivia.
Union of South Africa- Starting in September 1944, several SAAF divisions began to be re-equipped with Mustang Mk.III and Mustang Mk.IV fighters. This process began in Italy, where the South Africans flew their Curtiss P-40s. At the beginning of 1950, the SAAF had two divisions equipped with the Mustang Mk.IV. During 1952-1953. they were replaced by F-86s.
South Korea- In the first months of the Korean War, the South Koreans received 10 P-51Ds as "humanitarian aid" from the United States. It is noteworthy that not only South Koreans, but also former Japanese pilots flew these machines. In 1954, the Mustang fighters were replaced by F-86s.
Japan- several aircraft were received by the Japanese as trophies. In particular, one P-51C-11-NT with its own name "Evalina" was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on January 16, 1945 and made an emergency landing at the Suchon airfield in China. The aircraft was restored and tested by the Japanese at the Fuss Research Center.
The Soviet purchasing commission also did not bypass Mustang. In total, 10 fighters were ordered, but they did it rather out of a desire to get acquainted with a previously unknown design. The first two fighters arrived in May 1942 and entered the Air Force Research Institute for testing. The Soviet commission liked the good speed qualities of the American car, but otherwise the Mustang was inferior to the Yakovlev and Lavochkin fighters, and specialized Il-2 and Pe-2 were used for assault strikes. Thus, there was no place for the Mustang in the Red Army Air Force, so most of the arriving aircraft were distributed between the 6th reserve air brigade and the 5th GIAP, located on the Kalinin Front. Not a single sortie was ever made on them, using only for secondary purposes. The last aircraft left at the Air Force Research Institute was used until 1946, after which it served as an exhibit at the BNT TsAGI for some time. The following fact speaks of the true interest of Soviet aircraft manufacturers in the Mustang - after testing the P-51A, the issue of acquiring fighters of newer modifications P-51B \ C and P-51D \ K was not even raised ...
A completely separate story has developed with the fighters delivered to El Salvador. Not having broad financial capabilities, the Salvadorans operated a very modest fleet of military aircraft, assembled according to the principle "from the world on a string." In the mid 1950s. for Fuerza Aegea Salvadorena, several FG-1Ds and 18 F-51Ds were purchased. At the end of 1968, it was possible to agree with the US government on the supply of 5 modernized Cavalier Mustang II fighters, as well as one TF-51D and F-51D-20 each.
Perhaps the history of these aircraft would have gone unnoticed if not for the famous "football war" with Honduras. The latest use of piston fighters in combat in the 20th century gave a special piquancy to this conflict. Most modern sources claim that the war between El Salvador and Honduras arose due to dissatisfaction with the results of the re-match in football as part of the 1970 World Cup. In fact, the causes of the conflict were much more ancient and consisted of territorial friction (the Salvadorans moved to the territory of Honduras for many years, where they formed their settlements). The football match only served as a pretext for the expulsion of the inhabitants of the neighboring state and became an additional incentive to start the war.
In total, by the beginning of 1970, there were 37 different aircraft and only 34 trained pilots, and the number of combat-ready Cavalier Mustang II did not exceed 5 units. The opposing side, represented by Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, had two dozen F4U-4s and F4U-5Ns (without radar) and about the same number of aircraft for various purposes. Already on the first day of the conflict, July 14, 1970, El Salvador aircraft bombed the cities of Santa Rosa del Copan, Gracias, Nueva Ocotepeque, Nacaome, San Lorenzo, Ampala and Choluteca. F4Us were used as percussion machines, accompanied by the Cavalier Mustang II. On the afternoon of July 16, a mixed pair of fighters attacked the base in Tocontin, and the training T-28s used as interceptors could not intercept the aggressors. But the assault on the city of Nueva Ocotepeque was not so successful for the Salvadorans - during the next raid, the Honduran F4U-5N (number 609) caught up and shot down one of the Cavalier Mustang II. In addition, due to lack of fuel in Guatemala, the TF-51D made an emergency landing. After such failures, the confidence in these aircraft was somewhat undermined, and the morale of the Salvadoran pilots dropped noticeably. However, the raids continued until the 5th of August, but the main striking force in them was the FG-1D.
After the signing of the truce and the withdrawal of troops, the command of Fuerza Aegea Salvadorena seriously thought about updating the fleet, but due to lack of funding, it was unrealistic to purchase new aircraft. Then, having sold the remaining "Cavalier Mustang II" and "Corsair" for spare parts, the Salvadorans in 1975 were able to purchase a batch of "used" Dassault "Ouragan" fighters in Israel.
Due to the large number and hardy design, many P-51 fighters have survived to our time: 1 XP-51, 2 P-51A, 1 P-51B, 5 P-51C, 217 P-51D, 5 P-51H, 10 P-51K , 3 CA-18s and one Cavalier Mustang II. It is noteworthy that at least 155 aircraft are in flight condition (the vast majority of them are P-51D) and periodically take part in various air shows.
Sources:
D.Donald “American military aircraft of the Second World War” (translated by M.S. Vinogradov and M.V. Konovalov). AST \ Astrel. 2002
V.R. Kotelnikov "Fighter "Mustang". "Air Cadillac" Moscow. VERO Press, Yauza\Eksmo. ISBN 978-5-699-41773-5. 2010
M. Ryder "The last battle of the Mustangs and Corsairs" ("History of Aviation" 2000-02)
Dan Hagedorn "Latin American Air Wars and Aircraft 1912-1969". Hikoki Publications Limited. ISBN 1-902109-44-9.2006
John Dienst, Dan Hagedorn "North American F-51 Mustangs in Latin American Air Force Service". London. Aerofax. ISBN 0-942548-33-7. 1985
Peter N. Anderson "Mustangs of the RAAF and RNZAF". Sydney. Australia. A.H. &A.W. Reed Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-589-07130-0. 1975
Andrew Thomas "RAF Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces". Osprey Aircraft Of The Aces. Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 13:9781846039799. 2010
The performance data of the North-American P-51 “Mustang”
| Mustang Mk.I 1941 |
Mustang P-51A-10 1942 |
Mustang P-51B-1 1944 |
Mustang P-51H-5 1945 |
|
| Length, m | 9,83 | 9,83 | 9,82 | 10,16 |
| Wingspan, m | 11,277 | 11,29 | 11,28 | 11,28 |
| Wing area, m | 21,65 | 21,91 | 21,65 | 21,91 |
| Height, m | 3,71 | 4,17 | 3,71 | 3,71 |
| Empty weight, kg | 2717 | 3107 | 2939 | 3193 |
| Take-off weight (standard), kg | 3915 | 3901 | 4173 | 4309 |
| Take-off weight (max.), kg | 4808 | 5080 | 5216 | |
| Max speed, km/h | 615 | 627 | 708 | 784 |
| Cruise speed, km/h | 605 | |||
| Rate of climb, m\min | 862 | 693 | 847 | 1016 |
| Range, km | 644 (pract.) 1207 (with PTB) |
1207 (pract.) 3782 (with PTB) |
1304 (pract.) 3540 (with PTB) |
1215 (pract.) 4072 (with PTB) |
| Ceiling, km | 9450 | 9450 | 12740 | 12680 |
| Engine, type\hp | in-line, liquid-cooled, Allison V-1710-39, 1220 hp | in-line, liquid-cooled, Allison V-1710-81, 1200 hp | in-line, liquid-cooled, Packard "Merlin" V-1650-3, 1620 hp | in-line, liquid-cooled, Packard "Merlin" V-1650-9, 2218 hp (with Navy injection) |
| Crew, people | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Small arms, type\caliber | four 7.62 mm Colt-Browning M1 and four 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2 machine guns | four 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2 machine guns in the wing | six 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2 machine guns in the wing | — | up to 454 kg of bombs | up to 454 kg of bombs | up to 900 kg of bombs or RS |
This unsurpassed "Mustang"
With the outbreak of World War II, England and France, faced with powerful German air forces, began to experience an urgent need for modern fighters. Purchases of military equipment began in 1939. However, in terms of their characteristics, the acquired vehicles were inferior to both the German VP09E fighters and the new fighters from England and France. The British decided to order a new fighter overseas that meets the requirements of the British Air Force. As its developer and supplier, the North American company was chosen, which managed to prove itself well with English pilots. Soon they created a preliminary design of the fighter, approved by the customers, signed a contract for the technical development and construction of a new aircraft, according to which the first aircraft was supposed to be delivered in January 1941.
It was decided to use the Allison V-1710 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with a single-speed supercharger on the fighter. Without the bulky turbocharger used on the Lockheed P-38 aircraft, which has similar engines, the NA-73X fighter engine had a low altitude, which limited the scope of the aircraft's possible application, but there were no other suitable liquid-cooled engines in the United States at that time.
Prototype "Mustang"
The first flight of the new fighter took place in 1940, and at the end of the winter of 1941, the British also began testing the Mustang (the plane got its name after it was adopted by the British Air Force). During the tests, a maximum speed of 614 km / h was achieved at an altitude of 3965 m, good handling and takeoff and landing characteristics were noted. The Mustang was soon recognized as the best of the fighters supplied to England from the USA under Lend-Lease. However, the insufficient altitude of the Allison engine made the aircraft ineffective in the fight against German bombers, which, under the cover of powerful fighter forces, raided England. We decided to use it for operations on ground targets and for air reconnaissance.
The first sortie of the Mustangs took place on May 5, 1942. The planes carried out reconnaissance of the French coast. To do this, they were equipped with the F-24 AFA, installed in the cockpit canopy behind the pilot in a special blister at a certain angle.
The “baptism of fire” of the Mustangs took place on August 19, 1942 during a raid on Dieppe. Then the Mustang won its first victory: the British Air Force volunteer pilot X. Hills from California shot down the Focke-Wulf -190 in an air battle. On the same day, one Mustang was lost.
Even inferior to the Luftwaffe in altitude, the Mustangs were a difficult opponent for German fighters, as they usually made combat flights at low altitude at high speed. The long range allowed the Mustangs to fly over the territory of the Third Reich.
In the first half of 1942, the Mustang 1 arrived from England to our country, where it was tested at the Air Force Research Institute (a little later, another 10 Mustangs 2 were sent to the USSR).
The successful use of the Mustang by the British aroused the interest of the American military in it. The US command decided to purchase them for their own air forces. In April 1942, a contract was concluded for the supply of these aircraft to the army in the version of a dive bomber, which received the designation A-36A "Invader". The Mustang bomber was equipped with an Allison V-1710-87 engine with a capacity of 1325 hp. With. The armament of the aircraft is six machine guns with a caliber of 12.7 mm and two bombs with a caliber of up to 227 kg, suspended under the wing. To ensure dive bombing, the A-36A was equipped with air brakes installed on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing and providing a dive at a speed of 402 km / h (without brakes, the Mustang dive speed could reach 800 km / h). The maximum speed of the aircraft was 572 km / h at an altitude of 1525 m, with the suspension of two bombs, it decreased to 498 km / h.
During the fighting in the Mediterranean theater of operations and in the Far East, A-36A dive bombers made 23,373 sorties, dropping 8,000 tons of bombs on the enemy, shooting down 84 enemy aircraft in air battles and destroying 17 more on the ground. Invaders' own losses amounted to 177 vehicles - not so much for aircraft operating with such high intensity over the enemy's front line.
1510 Mustang aircraft of various modifications with the Allison engine were built. They were used in combat operations in Europe until May 1945 and earned a reputation as excellent fighter-bombers, dive bombers and long-range high-speed reconnaissance aircraft capable of successfully conducting dogfights. However, due to the low altitude of the engine and the high specific load on the wing, which limited maneuverability, they were little used as fighters. At the same time, with the increase in the production of heavy bombers in the United States and the start of the Allied air attack on Germany in 1943, the need for escort fighters with greater range and combat characteristics at considerable altitudes, corresponding to the working echelons of "flying fortresses", increased. Such an aircraft was a new modification of the Mustang, born thanks to the joint efforts of British and American specialists.
Ronnie Harker, a test pilot who is intimately familiar with other Rolls-Royce-powered aircraft, stated after a 30-minute Mustang flight that new car exceeded his expectations, showing excellent performance at low altitudes. However, they will be even better if the Mustang is equipped with the Merlin engine used in Spitfires and Lancaster bombers.
Harker's recommendations were taken into account. For a start, it was decided to install Merlin engines on several Mustang 1 aircraft. Representatives of the US Air Force and North American, with which the US government signed a contract for the construction of two P-51 fighters with Packard V-1653-3 engines, became interested in these works ( American name for the engine "Merlin", produced in the United States under license).
The first aircraft converted in England by Rolls-Royce, the Mustang X took to the air for the first time in October 1942, showing truly outstanding flight characteristics: an experimental fighter with a take-off weight of 4113 kg reached a maximum speed of 697 km / h at altitude 6700 m (for comparison: the R-51 aircraft with the Allison engine with a takeoff weight of 3910 kg during flight tests in England reached a speed of only 599 km / h at an altitude of 4570 m). At sea level, the maximum rate of climb of the Mustang X was 17.48 m/s (R-51 - 9.65 m/s), and at an altitude of 2290 m - 18.08 m/s (R-51 - 10.16 m / s at an altitude of 3350 m). According to the initial plans, it was supposed to re-equip 500 Mustang 1 fighters with Rolls-Royce engines, but overseas, with the efficiency characteristic of the Americans, they began to produce large quantities of new Mustang aircraft with British-designed engines.
At the end of November 1941, North American completed the construction of the first XP-51B aircraft with a V-1650-3 engine with a take-off power of 1400 hp. With. and power in forced mode 1620 l. With. at an altitude of 5120 m. The aircraft took off on November 30, 1942 and showed characteristics significantly superior to those of its English counterpart. With a takeoff weight of 3841 kg, a maximum speed of 729 km / h was obtained at an altitude of 8780 m. The maximum rate of climb at an altitude of 3900 m was 19.8 m / s, the service ceiling was 13,470 m.
During the construction of the aircraft, some changes were made to their design: in particular, on the aircraft of the R-51V-1 - R-51V-5 series, an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 322 liters was installed in the fuselage. Similar design changes were made to the R-51C-3 aircraft, manufactured in Dallas. After installing an additional fuselage tank, the normal takeoff weight of the aircraft increased to 4450 kg, and the maximum (with bombs and PTB) - up to 5357 kg. However, during the operation of the aircraft, it turned out that the additional fuel tank changes the centering of the fighter too much, and therefore it was decided to limit its capacity to 246 liters. The R-51V-15 and R-51C-5 series aircraft were equipped with the V-1650-7 engine with increased power.
With additional fuselage tank maximum range the flight of the R-51V was 1311 km at an altitude of 7620 m, with two external tanks with a capacity of 284 liters, it increased to 1995 km, and with two PTBs with a capacity of 409 liters, originally developed in England for the Republican R-47 Thunderbolt fighters, - up to 2317 km. This made it possible to use the Mustangs with the Merlins as escort fighters on a par with the P-47 and P-38 aircraft.
The first sortie of the P-51B fighters took place on December 1, 1943, when a group of new Mustangs made a familiarization flight over Northern France and Belgium, during which several aircraft received only light damage from German fire. anti-aircraft artillery, and the Americans never met enemy fighters. The first air battle with the participation of the R-51B took place only on December 16, 1943 over Bremen, when the American Mustang managed to shoot down a Bf110 air defense fighter.
On March 3, 1944, the British Mustangs, together with the Lightnings, took part in the raid on Berlin. The next day, P-51Bs reappeared in the skies of Berlin, escorting US Air Force bombers. As a result of the ensuing air battle with German interceptors, the Allied fighters shot down 8 enemy aircraft, but their own losses were much higher and amounted to 23 R-51V, R-38 and R-47, including 8 Mustangs. On the other hand, on March 6, Allied fighter aircraft took full revenge: during a massive raid by British bombers, escort fighters shot down 81 German fighters, losing only 11 aircraft. The Mustangs accounted for 45 downed German vehicles that day. After this battle, the R-51B and R-51C established a reputation as the best Allied escort fighters.
Mustangs successfully operated to destroy and block German air defense fighters at airfields.
To increase the range of the R-51, fiber external fuel tanks with a capacity of 409 liters began to arrive from British factories in large quantities (the rate of their release was 24,000 per month), which gradually replaced aluminum ones by 284 liters. Another innovation English origin, introduced on the P-51 B and C aircraft, was the Malcolm Hood cockpit canopy, which differs from the standard canopy in a kind of “inflated” central part, providing the pilot with significantly best review. Such lights were installed on both English and American Mustangs. However, in November 1943, in the USA, on the P-51 B aircraft, tests began on an even more advanced lantern, providing the pilot with a 360-degree view. Its design, introduced on later P-51s, has become "classic".
The P-51D was equipped with the V-1650-7 engine (1750 hp), the armament was increased to six 12.7 mm machine guns (400 rounds per barrel). A modification of the P-51D was the P-51K aircraft with an Aeropradakt propeller having a diameter of 3.35 m (the plant in Dallas built 1337 of these aircraft). To compensate for the decrease in directional stability caused by the use of a new lantern, a small forkil was installed on individual series of the P-51D aircraft. Distinctive feature of these fighters was also an increased chord of the root of the wing. A total of 9603 R-51 and K aircraft were built.
The excellent speed and altitude characteristics of the fighter made it possible for the new modification of the fighter to successfully fight enemy jets. So, on August 9, 1944, P-51s escorting B-17s engaged Me-163 jet fighters, shooting down one of them. At the end of 1944, the Mustangs fought several times successfully with Me-262 jet fighters. In addition, the P-51 was intercepted and shot down by another German "flying exotic" Ar-234 and "composite" aircraft Ju-88 / Bf109 "Mistel", as well as V-1 projectiles.
R-51N - the last of the "Mustangs"
At the end of the war, Mustangs with Merlin engines began to enter the Pacific theater of operations, where they participated in raids on Iwo Jima and Japanese islands. The P-51 was escorted by B-29 bombers, having two aluminum external tanks with a capacity of 625 liters and six HVARs under the wing (in this configuration, the take-off weight of the fighter was 5493 kg and taking off from the airfield in tropical heat became a difficult task). Collisions with Japanese fighters attempting to intercept B-29s were relatively rare and usually ended in favor of the Mustangs. Japanese aviation, having lost its best flight personnel and equipped with aircraft less advanced than those of the enemy, could no longer provide serious opposition to the Americans, and air battles looked more like a beating than a fight of equal opponents. However, the appearance at the very end of the war of the new Kawasaki Ki.100 fighter, which had excellent maneuverability at relatively high speed at low and medium altitudes, to some extent equalized the chances again. "Mustangs" in battles and with these Japanese machines, as a rule, achieved victory due to higher speed, which allows them to impose their battle tactics on the enemy. At the same time, the numerical superiority and the best professional training of American pilots had a decisive influence on the result of the battle.
Nevertheless, North American began work on the creation of new modifications of the Mustang, which are distinguished by their lower weight and improved aerodynamics. Three experimental lightweight Mustangs, designated XP-51F, were equipped with a V-1650-7 engine, two other aircraft were equipped with a Rolls-Royce Merlin 145 (RM, 14, SM) engine with a capacity of 1675 hp. With. with a four-bladed Rotol propeller (these aircraft were designated XP-51G). The takeoff weight of the XP-5IF was 4113 kg (one ton less than the R-51), and the maximum speed was 750 km / h at an altitude of 8839 m. The XP-51 G was even lighter and faster machine (takeoff weight - 4043 kg, maximum speed - 759 km / h at an altitude of 6325 m). XP-51F first took off in February 1944, XP-51G - in August of the same year.
Despite the higher performance, the XP-51G did not receive further development, and the serial fighter P-51N was created on the basis of the XP-5IF. It was armed with 6 machine guns, the engine was a Packard-Merlin V-1650-9 with a four-bladed Aeroproduct propeller. At an altitude of 3109 m, the engine in emergency mode could develop a power of 2218 liters. With. This modification of the Mustang turned out to be the most "frisky": without external fuel tanks and other external suspensions, the aircraft developed a horizontal speed of 783 km / h at an altitude of 7620 m. The rate of climb was 27.18 m / s. With a supply of fuel only in the internal tanks, the flight range of the R-51N was 1400 km, with external fuel tanks - 1886 km.
The aircraft first took to the air in February 1945. The US Air Force ordered 1,450 P-51H fighters from the Eaglewood factory, but only 555 were built before the end of the war.
After the war, the Mustangs were in service with many states in almost all parts of the world and participated in various local wars, the last of which was the “football war” between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969. They had a chance to conduct air battles with Soviet-made vehicles: in during the Korean War, the P-51 was in service with the American, Australian, South African and South Korean squadrons that took part in the hostilities. "Mustangs" were used mainly as attack aircraft, but they managed to shoot down several North Korean Yak-9 and La-11. Meetings with the MiG-15 ended, as a rule, with the destruction of the R-51 aircraft. For this reason, the number of Mustangs that took part in the battles gradually decreased, although they still “survived” before the armistice signed in 1953.
On the basis of the Mustang, numerous sports and record-breaking aircraft were created (including Frank Taylor's aircraft, on which in 1983 the absolute world speed record for a piston aircraft, which has not been beaten so far, is set - 832.12 km / h).
In the 1980s, attempts were made to revive the Mustang as a modern attack aircraft. Based on the P-51, the Piper company created the RA-48 Enforcer light attack aircraft, designed to fight tanks. Two experimental aircraft were built, but the series never came to fruition.
Such a brilliant and long career of the R-51 is undoubtedly due to the technical and aerodynamic perfection of its design, the successful choice of engine and, most importantly, the timely appearance of this fighter. In fact, the P-51 with the Merlin engine began to enter the troops when it was most needed: during the deployment of an air attack on Germany and Japan in 1944, and most fully harmonized with the B-17 and B- 29, which it was intended to accompany. Of particular note is the fact that the Mustang was the fruit of "international" technical creativity: built to British specifications and, ultimately, equipped with an English engine, it seemed to combine the best qualities of American and British fighters.
Vladimir Ilyin
"Wings of the Motherland" No. 10 1991
In 1944, a real pandemonium was going on in the skies of Europe, an armada of American and British four-engine bombers flew to the industrial centers of Germany, German fighters tried to prevent them to the best of their ability. But more often than not, the attempts were unsuccessful. (bombers) were defended by pilots of US cover groups in North American P-51 Mustang fighters.
Armed with batteries of heavy machine guns, high speed and reckless courage of the Mustang pilots, they stood in the way of the Luftwaffe aces as a wall. The war in Europe ended, but five years later the P-51s collided with the Yak-9 in the skies of Korea. This war was the swan song of piston fighter aircraft, and the last where the American North Fmerican P-51 Mustang fighter took part.
The history of the development and modification of the aircraft
The history of this aircraft began in the early spring of 1940, with the invitation of the leadership of the aircraft manufacturer North American to the British Purchasing Commission. As it turned out, the purpose of this invitation was a proposal to organize the production of the R-40S fighter in the company's workshops.
The fact is that the British industry at that time could not cope with the provision of the Royal Air Force with modern aircraft. Therefore, part of the weapons, including the R-40 Tomahawk fighters, were purchased from the United States.
But the company's management, soberly assessing the characteristics of the R-40, refused to produce this aircraft.
In return, North American offered to develop a new fighter more suitable for modern air combat in a short time.
The fact is that such a project was already being developed within the company, it was the NA-73 aircraft created on the basis of the experience of the war in Spain and the study of the European fighter fleet of 1938-39.
This project was proposed by the Americans to be purchased by the British Purchasing Commission for arming the Royal Air Force. The project was urgently finalized and flown (passed flight tests).
And already on September 24, 1940, Great Britain signed a contract for the supply of 620 Mustang fighters to the RAF (Royal Air Force), the most curious thing is that the aircraft was still in the design stage.
But already in April 1941, the first Mustang I, this is the British name for the aircraft later known as the P-51A, left the workshops of the plant in Inglewood.
- "Mustang" Mk.1;
- "Mustang" Mk.1A, aircraft purchased by the US government and having the army index P-51, armament was 4x20 mm guns M2 "Hispano";
- "Mustang" Mk.X - five aircraft on which English Merlin engines were installed increased power, were not mass-produced.
The armament of the aircraft consisted of two synchronous 12.7 mm machine guns and rifle-caliber wing machine guns, later the wing armament was changed to 4x20 mm Hispano-Suiza guns, and synchronous armament was removed altogether.
Allison V-1710F3R engine, 1150 hp accelerated the plane to 620 km / h.
The original feature of the aircraft was the laminar profile wing. This profile was first used on a production aircraft.
These aircraft were also of interest to the generals of the US Air Force, two aircraft of the first series were delivered to the Reitfield Air Force Base for comprehensive study and testing. In the US Army, they received the name XP-51.
But in fact, they began to work with them only after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. It turned out that the main US Air Force P-40 fighter of various modifications is inferior to the Japanese A5M Zero fighters in almost everything.
However, the XP-51, which had excellent fighter characteristics, was adopted as a strike aircraft under the name A-36A Apache or Invader, while 55 fighters from the British order were requisitioned.
These aircraft were mainly used as dive bombers and attack aircraft.
Finally, in February 1943, the R-51A fighter was adopted by the US Army. The synchronized machine guns of this aircraft were removed, the armament consisted of 4 12.7 mm wing calibers, the Allison V-1710-81 engine accelerated the car to 630 km / h at an altitude of 3000 meters. About 300 machines of this type were produced.
The next model was the P-51B, the engine was changed to a more powerful and high-altitude Packard Merlin V-1650-3, its power was 1650 hp, at an altitude of 5000 meters the aircraft could fly at a speed of 710-720 km / h.
At the same time, production was expanded, the fighter began to be produced at a plant in Dallas, this machine was called the R-51C. The machine almost completely corresponded to modification "B", differing from it only in some individual details.
In 1944, a more advanced model of the P-51D Mustang fighter appeared.
It was distinguished from earlier versions by a teardrop-shaped cockpit canopy and a more powerful engine.
The mass of the airframe has increased, but both speed and range have increased. The engine was installed by a Packard or Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-7 with a capacity of 1700 horsepower. Armament remained the same as on earlier modifications: 6 heavy machine guns in the wing.
The electronic filling also changed, radio equipment was improved, fighters were supplied with outboard weapons or PTBs (outboard fuel tanks) to increase the flight range.
Then there were modifications F, G and J that did not leave a significant mark on history and actually represented experimental samples. The last, albeit somewhat unsuccessful, model was the Mustang R-51N.
An engine with a water-methane mixture injection system made it possible to develop power up to 2250 hp in afterburner and speed up to 750-780 km / h. This fighter was the last Mustang. With the exception of the twin-engined F-82 "Twin Mustang", but that's another story.
Design
The R-51 is an all-metal monoplane with a traditional layout, with a low wing.
The fuselage is semi-monocoque, with a three-section section. The first engine compartment, followed by the cockpit and tail compartments. The engine is located in the nose of the aircraft, the propeller is four-bladed, automatic, constant speed, pulling type. The radiator tunnels are brought out under the belly behind the wing.
The plumage is of the classical type, from a fixed stabilizer and keel and rotary rudders of height and direction.
Laminar profile wing with advanced mechanization. At the base of the wing are two spars. The wing consoles are integral, the upper part of the wing center section practically served as the floor of the cockpit. The wing separation line ran along the axial part of the center section.
The wing skin was made using the blind riveting method, after which the surface was leveled. When released from the factory, the surface of the wing was completely puttied and painted, this achieved the necessary cleanliness of the aerodynamic flow around.
Ailerons were used as mechanization, the left aileron had a trimmer, the flaps were located in the rear of the wing, from below. The control is fully hydraulic.
Beam bomb racks could be placed under the wing for the suspension of missile and bomb weapons or PTB of various capacities.
Cabin in the central part of the fuselage. On early models, the cockpit canopy is sliding, with a fairing in the tail section. From modification D, teardrop-shaped lantern.
Part of the "Mustangs" and P-51B / C received a Malcolm lantern, with a bubble in the sliding part.
This greatly improved the visibility of the rear hemisphere.
Cabin equipment at the level of modern aircraft of that time. Vehicles assembled for the UK received the standard RAF controls assembled for the US, a conventional handle.
The landing gear is tricycle with a tail support, the landing gear after takeoff is completely retracted into niches. Management of cleaning and brakes hydraulic.
Armament
The armament consisted of 4, later 6 M2 Browning machine guns, placed in the wing, three per plane. Due to the low profile of the wing, this arrangement of weapons was a rather controversial decision, as it required a limited ammunition load. The stock of cartridges per barrel was:
- two external, closest to the wingtips, machine guns, 270 rounds each;
- two central machine guns, 270 rounds of ammunition, if necessary, they could be dismantled, after which two 454 kg bombs could be hung on the R-51, or a system of guides for launching 127 mm NURS.
- two internal machine guns, 400 rounds of ammunition.
The placement of a spaced battery of machine guns in the wing required them to be zeroed in at a certain distance. In this case, the shooting was usually carried out as follows. The tail of the aircraft was mounted on goats so that the machine gun barrels looked strictly horizontally.
After that, the machine guns were aimed so that the threads of the tracks converged at one point at a distance of 300 meters from the aircraft. Some pilots practiced other distances of fire, but this was the standard one.
Bundles of bazooka aircraft missiles, three guides in a pack, or 127 mm NURS in tubular guides, could be used as suspended weapons.
And also bombs for various purposes and calibers up to 454 kg could be suspended under the wing.
Weapons were completed by weight, depending on the task, outboard weapons were also selected for the required weight.
Coloring and marking
For fighters of the British order, English camouflage became standard, but with one characteristic feature. Due to the fact that in the USA there were no necessary names paintwork materials, similar ones were selected, so the American British camouflage was somewhat different in shade from, in fact, British.
The marking is alphabetic, the first letter meant the squadron number, the remaining two - the serial number of the vehicle in it.
Aircraft "Mustang" of the early releases of the American order received a color standard for the US Army Air Force. The top of the fighter was painted olive green. Bottom part in neutral grey.
Zinc-chromate primer, yellow-green, was used to paint the internal surfaces, the interior of the cabin was painted with it.
Since 1944, it was decided to abandon the painting in order to save money, the war was coming to an end, air supremacy was won, so the Ministry of Defense decided to reduce the cost of paint.
The newly released Mustangs were covered with a transparent nitrocellulose varnish, a wide strip of anti-glare was applied in front of the cockpit, with olive green paint. It got to the point that even the elements of the aircraft frame were not painted.
But, after cases of aircraft failure due to rotten spars were noted, the painting of the frames was resumed. The fact is that one of the walls of the landing gear niche in the R-51 is the wing spar, and if it is not covered with a protective coating, then rust spreads relatively quickly throughout the aircraft.
Combat use
The first Mustangs went into action in May 1942, when they were British fighters. Interestingly enough, the bulk of the early models of the Mustangs of the British order were used as scouts. These aircraft at an altitude of up to 4000 meters had an extremely high speed, which they used.
Fighters of the British order suffered relatively low losses, out of 600 aircraft, only about a hundred aircraft were lost.
A little later, the Americans entered the battle. R-51 fighters were used to escort bombers, as reconnaissance aircraft, and often as strike fighters, 6 heavy machine guns and other suspended weapons were enough to disperse a small convoy of equipment or destroy a train.
Several machines were sent to the USSR Air Force Research Institute to determine the need for Lend-Lease supplies. But the car did not look good, this aircraft was not suitable for the conditions of the eastern front.
Low maneuverability at low altitudes, where there were battles, machine gun armament was also considered unnecessarily weak. In addition, the aircraft was "sluggish" in terms of reaction to the handle. But at the same time, thousands of these machines flew on the Western Front.
It was the P-51 that became the most massive piston fighter in the United States; more than 14,000 Mustangs of various modifications were produced.
After the end of the Second World War, piston aircraft were massively transferred to the flight units of the US National Guard, while the US Air Force received new F-80 jet fighters.
Piston aircraft were indexed from "P" to "F", from the English "fighter", which means fighter. The last combat use as attack aircraft was recorded in Korea, where the F-51 with outboard weapons was noted, as well as the famous F-82 Twin Mustang.
But the R-51 fighters have not gone down in history, quite a lot of these aircraft have survived, which are currently flying and participating in air shows and parades.
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