The P-51 Mustang

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The North American P-51 Mustang

The P-51 was suggested originally for the RAF, for the low-level tactical recon role. This was mainly because it's current engines could not handles high-level flight. When North American fitted them with more modern Merlin engines, these problems where solved.

The Mustang soon relieved the P-47 Thunderbolt in escort duties. The new Mustangs, with drop tanks could fly to the heart of Germany and back. They could out maneuver and outgun any Luftwaffe fighter and shot down some Me 262 jet fighters. The Mustang lost a advantage, due to the new Fokker-Wolf Fw 190, that had some advantages. But, the P-51 was used in greater numbers than the 190. It was used to escort B-17's and B-24's and was used to escort B-29's in the
Pacific theater.

P-51's(now designated F-51's) where the USAF's main fighter in early Korea and
was soon replaced by the F-80 (which was soon replaced by the F-86.) They where used in the 1970's by the Indonesian Air Force. The original blueprint was so good, that in 1968 it was brought back as an anti rebel fighter.


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The American Fighters Series:
The P-26 Peashotter
The P-36 Hawk
The P-38 Lightning
The P-40 Kittyhawk
The P-47 Thunderbult
The P-51 Mustang
The P-61 Nighthawk
The P-62 Twin Mustang
The F-80 Shooting Star
The F-84 Thunderstreak
The F-86 Saber
The F-100 Super Saber
The F-102 Dagger
The F-4 Phantom
The F-5 Freedom Fighter
The F-111
The F-14 Tomcat
The F-15 Egeal
The F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-117 Nighthawk
The F/A 18 Hornet
The F-22 Raptor