P-51 MUSTANG

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is my all-time favorite airplane. I have other favorites too, but the P-51 got me through WW II so well that it is the obvious choice for nostalgic reasons alone. The Mustang is a beautiful airplane to look at, and it has such a great, distinctive sound. There are so many legendary stories about the Mustang that it must be every flyboy’s favorite WW II fighter, and I think most objective researchers would agree that it was the best all-around WW II combat fighter. But why was the Mustang so great? In a nutshell, because of its advanced design and overall performance. It was superior in many ways, and if it wasn’t the best in a particular area, it was, at least, very competitive.

Once the Mustang was equipped with the Packard-built Merlin engine, its highspeed performance became outstanding. At altitude, the P-51’s top speed (true airspeed) was close to 440 mph, depending on whose evaluation you read. One of the things that made this possible was the engine’s two-stage, two-speed supercharger. The engine could produce takeoff power at high altitude. It was a great performer at sea level as well as at altitudes of 30,000 to 35,000 feet, with the best speed attained somewhere in between.

Another superior performance factor was the range of the P-51. It had a cruise range of about 2,000 miles, which was achieved by the combination of aeronautical design, engine choice and innovative features to increase fuel-carrying capacity. The North American design team’s determination to build the best fighter possible also contributed to the Mustang’s excellence. The team decided to take a risk and use a new airfoil instead of using old, proven wing shapes. NACA had developed a laminar flow, low-drag airfoil that showed great promise. This airfoil was reshaped and specifically adapted to the new fighter by North American. The laminar flow shape was different from conventional airfoils of that day. The thickest part of the airfoil was moved back from the leading edge, and the bottom of the wing had the same contour as the top. All of this resulted in smoother airflow over the wing and less drag. Further, the P-51 wing had a higher critical Mach number where compressibility was encountered. A P-51 could outdive most aircraft and safely recover.

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