 |
|
| NORTH AMERICAN P-51 P-51K with 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. While stationed in Italy, this Squadron was primarily engaged in ground attack missions. |
|
| FS2002/2004 | |
| JRLucariny FSDS V3 Model | |
| Download/DonationWare | |
| Fev/2006 | |
|
|
| NORTH AMERICAN P-51 P-51K with 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. While stationed in Italy, this Squadron was primarily engaged in ground attack missions. |
|
| FS2002/2004 | |
| JRLucariny FSDS V3 Model | |
| Download/DonationWare | |
| Fev/2006 | |
 |
Version
History The initial prototype was designated the NA-73X by the manufacturer, North American Aviation. The first production contract was awarded by the British for 320 NA-73 fighters. This aircraft was named Mustang I by the British. Two aircraft of this lot delivered to the USAAF were designated XP-51. A second British contract for 300 more Mustang Is was assigned a model number of NA-83 by North American. |
 |
In September 1940, 150 aircraft designated NA-91 by North American were ordered under the Lend/Lease program. These were designated by the USAAF as P-51 and initially named the Apache although this name was dropped early-on for Mustang. The British designated this model as Mustang IA. |
 |
They
were equipped with 4 long barrelled 20 mm Hispano-Suiza Mk II cannon instead
of machine guns. A number of aircraft from this lot were fitted out by the
USAAF as photo reconnaissance aircraft and designated F-6A. The British
would fit a number of Mustang Is with photographic reconnaissance equipment
as well. Also, two aircraft of this lot were fitted with the Packard built
Merlin engine and were designated by North American as model NA-101 and
by the USAAF initially as the XP-78, but re-designated quickly to XP-51B. In early 1942, the USAAF ordered a lot of 500 aircraft modified as dive bombers that were designated A-36A. North American assigned the aircraft the model number NA-97. This model became the first USAAF Mustang to see combat. One aircraft was passed to the British who gave it the name Mustang I (Dive Bomber). |
 |
Following
the A-36A order the USAAF ordered 310 model NA-99 fighters that were designated
P-51A by the USAAF. and Mustang II by the RAF. A number of this lot of aircraft
were equipped with K-24 cameras and designated F-6B. All these models of
the Mustang were equipped with Allison V-1710 engines except the prototype
XP-51B. Beginning with the model NA-102 Mustang the Packard built Merlin V-1650 engine replaced the Allison. In the summer of 1943 Mustang production was begun at a new plant in Dallas, Texas as well as at the existing facility in Inglewood, California. The model NA-102 was produced as the P-51B in Inglewood while the NA-103 as the P-51C was produced at Dallas.The RAF named these models Mustang III. Again, a number of the P-51B and P-51C aircraft were fitted for photo Reconnaissance and designated F-6C. |
 |
The
prototypes of the bubble canopy change were designated model NA-106 by North
American and P-51D by the USAAF The production version, while retaining
the P-51D designation, was assigned a model number NA-109 by North American.
The ‘D’ became the most widely produced variant of the Mustang.
A variation of the P-51D equipped with a Aeroproducts propeller in place
of the Hamilton Standard propeller was designated the P-51K. The photo versions
of the P-51D and P-51K were designated F-6D and F-6K respectfully. The RAF
assigned the name Mustang IV to the ‘D’ model and Mustang IVA
to ‘K’ models. |
 |
As
the USAAF specifications required airframe design to a higher load factor
than that used by British for their fighters, consideration was given to
re-designing the Mustang to the lower British requirements in order to reduce
the weight of the aircraft and thus improve performance. In 1943, North American submitted a proposal to do the re-design as model NA-105, which was accepted by the USAAF.The designation XP-51F was assigned for prototypes powered with V-1650 engines and XP-51G to those with reverse lend/lease Merlin 145M engines. A third prototype was added to the development that was powered by an Allison V-1710 engine. This aircraft was designated XP-51J. As the engine was insufficiently developed the XP-51J was loaned to Allison for engine development. A small number of XP-51Fs were passed to the British as the Mustang V. |
 |
The final production Mustang, the P-51H embodied the experience gained in the development of the lightweight XP-51F and XP-51G aircraft. This aircraft, model NA-126, came too late to participate in World War II, but it brought the development of the Mustang to a peak which was probably the fastest production piston engine fighter to see service. |
 |
With the cut back in production the variants of the P-51H with different versions of the Merlin engine were produced in either limited numbers or terminated. These included the P-51L and its Dallas version, the P-51M. |
 |
PANEL MODEL Abacus Panel Designer Version 3.0 |
 |
P-51D Crew: one Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m ) Wingspan: 37 ft (11.28 m) Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) Wing area: 233 ft² (21.65 m²) Empty: 7,125 lb (3,232 kg) Loaded: 12,100 lb (5,488 kg) Maximum takeoff: 12,100 lb (5,488 kg) Powerplant: 1x Packard Merlin V-1650-7 V-12 piston engine, 1,695 hp (1,264-kW) Maximum speed: 437 mph (703 km/h) Range: 2,080 miles (3,347 km) Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,770 m) Rate of climb: over 3,000 ft/min ( m/min) Armament: 6 x 12,7 mm machine guns, 907 kg of bombs Link |
 |
Royal
Australian Air Force P-51 JRLucariny FS2002/2004 Model |
 |
DRAWINGS ”WALK AROUND P-51D” squadron/signal publications Walk Around No. 7 Pg. 3 |
 |