North American P51 "Mustang"

PLANE TYPE Fighter-Bomber (P-51D) The most famous US fighter of WW2 originated from an English specify of the April 1940. The project NA73X was completed in less than 120 days, but the Allison engine was ready with a light delay and the prototype flew 2 months later the programmed day. The testing revealed a plane without problems and the first series exemplar ("Mustang" Mk.I) flew on 1st May 1941. The initial model demonstrated to be excellent at low quotes, but the engine 's performances rapidly decreased above the 3600 meter, so the English utilized it mainly as a recon and ground support plane. Also valutated by the USAAC as XP-51, the "Mustang" was given a Rolls-Royce "Merlin" engine. The exceptional performances that followed this choose launched its big-scale production of the P-51B and C, while the P-51D, with modified cockpit and 6 machine guns was the version that defined the final configuration. Built on license also in Australia, the "Mustang" remained in service in USA until 1957 and in many other countries until '60s. Derived from the P-51 was the P-82, built on a couple of 2 P-51 fuselages to obtain a long-range heavy fighter (this plane was used in Korea). The last "Mustang" could be considered the PA-38 "Enforcer", proposed without success by the Piper ( that had uphealed the project from Cavalier ) at the beginning of '80s.

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