Overview and History of The North American P-51 Mustang

Do you know which plane is claimed to have caused the change in the tides during World War II? The North American P-51 Mustang is widely known across aviation during WWII as the “most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in existence” by the Truman Senate War Investigation Committee in 1944. The P-51’s unique in its design, construction, and usage. Even its current status, over 70 years later, is fascinating (Boeing, 1995).

The Mustang was to be designed in the United States during the World War II era. When the contract was give the designers had a swift deadline, it was to be ready in no more than 120 days from that days date that the contract was given. Many sources claim that it was done within 102, while others argue that it was 117 days. Needless to say, it was designed magnificently for only having a short amount of time allotted to be designed and the first prototype created. (Writer, 2014) Models A and B power plant was manufactured by a company named Allison, the later models were produced by Rolls Royce-Packard (or Merlin). The producer of the airframe was the company known as North American, i.e. the ‘North American P-51’. The aircraft has many qualities that are very different than that of other planes that were designed around the same time period. For one, it had a three hundred and sixty view canopy, (which was not on the original design), but was added later gave the pilot full visibility, something very uncommon with WWII planes (Boeing, 1995). The idea to use canopies with a full three hundred and six view allowed many pilots to see enemies that would have normally been in a blind spot, thus saving plane, pilots, aircraft and lots of money. In this case canopies saved many civilians lives and helped the Allie...

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...2014, from Boeing: http://www.boeing.com/boeing/history/bna/p51.page

Byers, P. (2008). North American P-51 Mustang. Retrieved May 16, 2014, from Catalyst WWII Facts: www.catalystwwiifacts.com

Harden, A. (2013-2014). Aviation History. Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States: Twerk it.

Lowell, T. (n.d.). WWII Veteran Aviator Bill Overstreet and His P-51 Mustang, Berlin Express. Retrieved May 16, 2014, from Warbird News. Time Magazine: http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-articles/wwii-veteran-aviator-bill-overstreet-p-51-mustang-berlin-express.html

Moeing, P. E. (2007). Aircraft Anatomy of World War II. London : Aerospace Publishing Itd.

Writer, S. (2014, Feb 15). The P-51 is arguably the most recognized abd celebrated American fighter of the Second World War. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from Military Factory: http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=77