The P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber designed and built by North American Aviation, first flying in October 1940 and entering operational service with the Royal Air Force on January 5, 1942. A total of 15,686 Mustangs were produced, making it one of the most widely manufactured fighters of its era, and later variants fitted with the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine gained the range and high-altitude performance needed to escort American heavy bombers all the way to targets deep inside Germany and back. Mustang pilots were credited with destroying 4,950 enemy aircraft during the Second World War, a record that helped establish the type as one of the most effective piston-engine fighters of the conflict. Its combination of long range, speed and maneuverability let the Mustang finally break the German fighter defense of daylight Allied bombing raids from 1944 onward.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon ClassFighter and fighter-bomber aircraft 1 Introduced Year Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) Connections
Associated With
World War II, Wars The P-51 Mustang, once fitted with the Merlin engine, became the premier long range escort fighter of World War II
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: P-51 Mustang
Source Wikipedia: P-51 Mustang
Used In
Source Wikipedia: P-51 Mustang
Source Wikipedia: P-51 Mustang
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: P-51 Mustang
WikipediaLead section, opening sentence
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
Lead section, paragraph 1, second sentence
The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kindelberger of North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a request from the British Purchasing Commission.
service status
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts
caliber
The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the two-speed, two-stage-supercharged Merlin 66, introduced the "bubble" canopy, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12
- Weapon class classified from the entity's own sourced description text.
Used In: Korean War, Wikipedia article text
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
Used In: World War II, Wikipedia article text
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts.
Operated By: United States Air Force, Wikipedia article text
A "substantial number" of stored or in-service F-51Ds were shipped, via aircraft carriers, to the combat zone, and were used by the USAF, the South African Air Force, and the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
Operated By: Royal Air Force, Wikipedia article text
The aircraft was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I).
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