North American P-51 Mustang

Video from the channel Mundo de Aviación about North American P-51 Mustang, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 10:22. Language: Spanish. Video type: Documentary.

An educational piece in Spanish reviewing the origin, versions and use of the North American P-51 Mustang. It presents the aircraft as one of the outstanding fighters of World War II for its speed, manoeuvrability, ease of handling and structural strength.

The aircraft originated from an urgent British order placed with North American in April 1940. Rather than build the Curtiss P-40 under licence, the company proposed a new design and built the NA-73X prototype within a few months; it flew in 1940 with an Allison V-1710 engine. Notable features included its ventral radiator at the rear of the fuselage, all-metal skin and large fuel capacity. With the Allison it performed well at low altitude but lost power at height. The RAF used it from 1942 for low-level attacks over occupied Europe, and the United States also ordered the A-36 Apache dive-bomber version. The P-51B brought the Merlin engine, built by Packard as the V-1650, which transformed its high-altitude performance and turned it into the great long-range escort fighter over Germany.

According to the video, the RAF ordered 320 aircraft after initial trials in which it reached 615 km/h. The P-51B reached 710 km/h at 9,000 metres. The P-51D, with its teardrop canopy and six machine guns, was the most numerous version, with 7,956 built. The P-51H reached 784 km/h, and a total of 15,875 units were built. The video gives the P-51D a maximum take-off weight of 5,488 kg, a range of 2,656 km with external tanks, a top speed of 708 km/h and six 12.7 mm Browning machine guns with 1,840 rounds. Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft destroyed. After the war several Latin American air forces used it; Uruguay operated 25 and later sold some to Bolivia. The video closes with the F-82 Twin Mustang, a twin-fuselage night fighter that entered postwar service and fought in Korea.