The P-51 Mustang: The Best Fighter Ever
The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many sources as the greatest fighter plane ever created. With the technological advancements this plane achieved, to it’s service record, to it’s importance in winning World War Two, the Mustang is truly one of the greats. The Mustang played a key role in long range bomber support and saved countless bomber crew’s lives, and pilots loved to fly it. The P-51 had the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War Two and it was flown by some of America’s top aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter plane
The most recognizable of the Mustangs was the D model. This is the model with the famous “bubble” canopy. It had a V12 Packard Merlin-built Rolls Royce model V-1650 engine that generated over 1,650 horsepower. The engine along with a sleek aerodynamic body, and laminar flow wings (which produce less drag than conventional wings because of their shape), gave the Mustang a top speed of about 440 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest fighter aircraft in World War Two. The laminar flow wing along with external fuel tanks gave it a range of over 1,000 miles making it the only fighter capable of escorting bombers for their entire mission. It was a very agile and maneuverable aircraft and could do moves most planes could only dream about. It had a wingspan of 37 ft., was 32 ft. 3 in. long, 13 ft. 8 in. tall, and fully loaded could weigh up to 12,100 lbs.It was armed with six Browning .50 caliber machine guns, and could carry six five inch rockets, or up to two thousand pounds of bombs on the underwing racks. The P-51 was also one of the first aircraft to have an electric gyro gun sight; its sight was designated the K14. The sight could calculate ...
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...p against any other fighter out there. The P-51 Mustang truly is the greatest fighter aircraft in history.
WORK CITED
1. Sherman, Stephen E. "Aces of the Eighth Air Force in World War Two." US 8th Air Force Aces, Mustang and Thunderbolt Fighter Pilots in WW2. Acepilots.com, June 1999. Web. 05 May 2014.
"North American P-51D Mustang." Factsheets : North American P-51D Mustang. The Official Web Site of National Museum of the USAF, 2 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 May 2014.
Jackson, David D. "Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories."Warbirds and Airshows- WWII US Aircraft Victories. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. .
Clarke, R. Wallace. British Aircraft Armament. Vol. 2. Sparkford: Stephens, 1994. Print.
World War one saw many great airmen, but there were two that stood out among the rest; Captain Edward Rickenbacker and 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. These men both demonstrated courage and bravery that ultimately asked them for their life. Both men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their deeds of bravery, as well as earning the title of Ace. An Ace is someone that has shot down at least five enemy planes. Rickenbacker was nicknamed “Ace of the Aces”, while Luke was the first of only two men to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Luke honored his country through his actions. Frank Luke Jr demonstrated superior characteristics that lead him to make a valuable contribution to World War I through bravery, skilled flying skills, and selflessness.
...ccess of the P-51. From the early days of the A model all the way to the newly designated F-51D, the Mustang fought through swaths of enemies to allow victory for the Allies and the United States. The P-51 is a recognizable machine that embodies the entire war effort of the time and continues to inspire aviation enthusiasts. Today there are many people and companies that are dedicated to preserving and protecting these pieces of our nations history by reconditioning and donating to capable museums and collectors. Through the work of these individuals the P-51 Mustang will forever be a symbol of air power during the world toughest times.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949.” Oct. 2012. Vol. 65 Issue 4, pg. 316-319. 4p. Ebsco Host. Tucker, Phillip Thomas, 1953. Web.2014.
...f 173 fighter aircraft models were made during the war. Fighter planes best showcased the constant struggle for supremacy in technology for the Axis and Allied powers as each side seemed to be in desperate need to outdo the other through improving the features and abilities of the aircrafts. The credentials for the top fighter aircrafts included the top speed, how much armament it could carry, the range, durability, visibility out of cockpit windows, and the overall flying performance. Two american fighters that received high marks were the North American P-51D Mustang and the Republic P-47D. For many the North American P-51D Mustang is considered the greatest fighter in World War 2 due to its range of 1140 miles that could increase to 2200 miles when external tanks were used. It visibility in the cockpit received high marks, as did its speed and maneuverability.
Armies and Navies have clashed since antiquity, but the airplane that enables aerial combat is barely a century old. Airplanes saw widespread combat in the First World War, and, despite the doubts and financial concerns of military leaders of the time, the brave men who fly them have gained their own dedicated military division, the United States Air Force. Billy Mitchell, through his charisma and an image that endeared him in American culture, was an instrumental figure in developing the modern Air Force.
Haulman, Dr. Daniel L. "Tuskegee Airmen-Escorted Bombers Lost To Enemy Aircraft." Thesis. Air Force Historical Research Agency, 2008. Print.
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
Many have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskegee Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notable men in the Red Tails due to his accomplishments throughout the war. I will be explaining his life and all of his accomplishments throughout this paper on famous individuals in aviation.
Many people have been born that have struck a chord with the world. Some people have become legends, patriots and even heroes. Though one person stood out among the rest, this one was not made a hero, but was born to be one. He was a hero at what he strived to be in life and he has captured the attention of the public like no other solider has done before or since. This great Canadian Air Force Ace became one of the legendary figures in 20th century air warfare. With his daring and dramatic dogfights in France, he achieved a record of 72 kills in his many encounters. His role on the ground during the Second World War training pilots changed and inspired a whole new generation of fighter pilots. This man is known as Billy Bishop, the legendary and great Canadian hero who captured and won the respect of his enemies, comrades and the world.
The 123rd Aviation Battalion was comprised of multiple airframes of which included the OH-23 Raven, OH-6 Cayuse, UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, and even at one point an attachment of CH-47 Chinooks. According to the Resume of the 123rd Aviation Battalion the A Company and B Company delivered over 1,400 tons of cargo, destroyed 575 structures, killed over 700 enemy combatants, and provided medical evacuation to 114 people. All of these accomplishments took place in 1968, prior to receiving an attachment of CH-47 Chinooks. The scout aircraft provided intelligence by either flying over...
“War Record << Red Tail Squadron Red Tail Squadron.” Red Tail Squadron. Accessed March 30, 2014. http://www.redtail.org/the-airmen-a-brief-history/war-record/.
P-51D Mustangs zooming by and all you can see it the bright red tails of the aircraft. As we all know by now that the Tuskegee Airmen were one of the best if not the best fighter squadron of WWII. I wanted to write some about aviation that interested me and affected the outlook on minorities in aviation. First on wanted to talk about how this whole outfit started also what it took for them to become the red tail as we all know today. Also what other planes the flew during the war and some off the big named pilot that came for the Tuskegee airmen and what they did after the war.
Alex Kershaw’s “The Few The American ‘Knights Of The Air’ Who Risked Everything To Fight In The Battle Of Britain” doesn’t just tell the story of the seven American aviators who flew for the British as but also their enemies, the Luftwaffe’s point of view. This book is told through this group of Americans and from the viewpoint of the Royal Air Force pilots they fought with but also the perspective of the Luftwaffe fliers that they fought against during the battle. For example, in one part of the book, there was this one German lookout who had commented on how much of an advantage the British had because of their radars that could locate enemy planes while they crossed the English Channel; the lookout considered the radar an “unfair” tool.
Unikoski, Ari. “The War in the Air - Summary of the Air War”. First World War.com. 2009. http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/summary.htm