World War II Album Volume 24: North American P-51 Mustang
- ISBN-10
- 1505419182
- ISBN-13
- 9781505419184
- Pages
- 142
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2014-12-07
- Publisher
- CreateSpace
- Author
- Ray Merriam
Description
Merriam Press World War II Album Volume 24 (First Edition, 2014). A pictorial album of the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang, an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed and, with an engine installed, first flew on 26 October. The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, matching or bettering that of the Luftwaffe's fighters. While the Merlin-powered Mustangs demonstrated much higher top speeds at altitudes above 15,000 ft than the Allison powered variants, it is a myth that the range of the Merlin-engined Mustang improved over that of the Allison variants; depending on conditions, both engines provided the Mustang with long range capabilities. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series two-stage two-speed supercharged engine, and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns. From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF's 2 TAF and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down. Among Allied aircraft, the P-51's victory total in World War II was second only to the carrier borne Grumman F6F Hellcat. This album features a wide range of images of the P-51, from the first prototype through the P-51D model, primarily in USAAF service in all theaters. 222 B&W photos 53 color photos 2 cutaway drawings
