![]() ![]() It was discovered that there is a thin layer of turbulence just off the skin of the aircraft. The design for the scoop is still used today in jet intakes. ![]() (Cooling drag was the single biggest factor affecting aircraft speed at the time). This process allowed the Mustang to convert engine heat into thrust, making up for 95% of the drag caused by cooling the engine. As the air expanded it forcfully " jetted" its self out an adustable nozzel. Cold air was pulled in through a low-profile intake, after it passed through the radiator the cold air was held for a moment in a chamber where it was heated to very high tempuratures by the engine heat. The radiator was below and behind the pilot. Instead the engine was liquid cooled, like most cars. As opposed to a large radial air cooled engine (as on the FU-4 Corsair) the Mustang used a sleek V-12 with no vents on the nose. The other innovation was the cooling system. This made the surface of the plane smooth, no turbulence causing bumps. This was accomplished by grinding the rivits on the skin of the plane flush with the surface of the skin. One of the things that made the P-51 great was it's speed. It is possible that the SPR crew were unable to obtain the use of two P-47s, so they opted for a viable alternative.The P-51 " Mustang" pioneered many technological innovations previously unseen in aviation. The P-51s liquid-cooled engine was more vulnerable to damage, thus the P-47 Thunderbolt (with a simpler air-cooled design) was a more likely choice to conduct ground-attack missions. While Private Ryan's use of the term "tank-buster" is not necessarily a phrase commonly used to describe the P-51, the Mustang was used in the ground-attack role. Using this technique with friendly forces only feet away would be extremely risky. When skip bombing a pilot would be required to fly level and guess the point at which to release his bomb. The Mustang appears to be employing a skip bombing technique instead of a more accurate dive bombing method. ![]() Another problem with the Mustang's attack is the profile used during the bombing run. The last documented use of the P-51 in combat was the 1969 conflict between Honduras and El Salvador.Ī valid point of criticism is the absence of any attachment points on the wings for the bomb used to destroy the tank on the Ramelle bridge. The P-51 was considered to be one of the best fighters produced during World War II, and even saw limited action in the Korean War as a ground-attack plane. For fighters these stripes were to be 18 inches in width, and consisted of alternating stripes of white/black/white/black/white that were placed on the top and bottom of each wing, as well as encircling the rear body of the fuselage. Although used for ground strafing and bombing of targets, the USAAF employed the Mustang primarily as a high altitude bomber escort because of its long range capabilities and impressive performance against the German Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters.įor Operation Overlord all Allied aircraft were painted with a distinctive set of white and black stripes (known as "invasion stripes") designed to clearly mark friendly aircraft from those of the Germans. These variants soon saw extensive service in the USAAF in both the Pacific and European theaters. Army Air Force took a more active interest in the design and North American developed the P-51B, P-51C and P-51D variants. Although the British initially named the fighter the "Apache," the name was eventually changed to "Mustang," a name that would later be added to the American P-51 designation.įollowing the success of the design as a fighter/bomber with the RAF, the U.S. The plane entered production in 1941 and by mid-1942 active-duty combat planes were being flown by the Royal Air Force. The prototype, Model NA-73X, was developed in less than four months and tested in October of 1940. The P-51 was developed by North American Aviation, Inc.
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