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The North American P-51 Mustang
MustangsMustangs
The North American P-51 Mustang
           

Magical Moments at Reno

P-51 Mustang
Vicky Benzing's Plum Crazy N64CL and Warren Pietsch's Thunderbird N5528N on the ramp at Stead Field Reno

It was beautiful evening, but much too short. These P-51s showcase the newest restorations at the time and bring air racing history back to life. Stunning colors and details.

The Last of the Wild Horses

P-51 Survivors book featuring images from Dick Phillips and John Dienst, with Mark Phillips. To order, goto The Last of the Wild Horses. You can order online. Price is $100 for pages and pages of P-51 Survivor history and photos. Over 2,500 photos! The late Dick Phillips shared hundreds of his P-51 images with us at MustangsMustangs over the last 25 years. If you can, help support his life-long passion. I recently ordered my copy.

Thank you!
Curtis Fowles, MustangsMustangs


Featured Section:
P-51 Mustang History

P-51 History - from the beginning. The players, the company, the demand, the problems, and the results.
Featured Section:
P-51 Mustang Survivors
The list of existing P-51s today as we count them. Serial#s, registrations, names, owners, home base, status and images. Updated as new information comes in. The most heavily traveled section at MustangsMustangs. Listed in Serial # order.

P-51 News Items
A68-110, VH-MFT, was sold, now in the UK, and was Unveiled as "Jersey Jerk" on Jan 24 2024. In WWII "Jersey Jerk" was the mount of Maj Donald Strait of the 356th FG. New registry will ...
Brendon Deere's P-51 NZ2423, 45-11513 is airborne! First flight was Nov 11 2023 with Sean Perrett as test pilot. What a great restoration story. Congratulations!
44-84933, N210D, flew for the first time since current owner David Nock purchased her in 2016. David Martin was the test pilot. Soon she will be crated up and shipped to the UK. Congrats to Midwest Ae ...
44-74425, PH-PSI, "Damn Yankee" based at Oostwold Airfield (EHOW) in the Netherlands suffered a gear up landing after the gear would not extend properly. The pilot decided to land on the grass ...
Vicky Benzing's restoration of the former Clay Lacy purple Mustang, N64CL, 44-74423, has flown! Congrats to Fighter Rebuilders in Chino, and Vicky Benzing for preserving a piece of air racing his ...
P-51 Active Restorations
P-51 Restorations 2024

42-103293 P-51C N251MX Stars Look Down
44-73483 TF-51D N151DM Hel-eter
44-72145 P-51D N51PT

Completed 2023!

44-84952 P-51D N210D Dallas Doll
44-74423 P-51D N64CL Plum Crazy
43-6859 P-51C N5528N Thunderbird
45-11513 P-51D NZ2423

P-51 Survivors
P-51 Mustang Survivors
The list of existing P-51s today as we count them. Serial#s, registrations, names, owners, home base, status and images. Updated as new information comes in. The most heavily traveled section at MustangsMustangs. Listed in Serial # order.
P-51 Who?
P-51 Who?
P-51 Who? Over 430 cases! Test your aviation memory and knowledge. Can you identify these P-51s? Send us your '50s, '60s, '70s, & '80s P-51 images. One of the most popular (and fun) sections of MustangsMustangs.
P-51 Variants
P-51 Mustang Variants
Descriptions of the development and production of the North American P-51 Mustang with little history thrown in. A-36, P-51, P-51A, P-51B, P-51C, P-51D, P-51K, P-51H, Mustang I-V and the lightweights, P-51F, P-51G, P-51J. Over 15,000 units produced in a very short time. The North American Aviation factory and staff were put to the test during World War II.
P-51 Images
P-51 Mustang Images
A very large collection (over 9000) of P-51 images from WWII to today. Military Images, Civilian Pics, Air to Air Photos, Sepia / Black & White, MustangsMustangs, Nose Art, Wallpapers. Great set of images from readers around the world.
P-51 Mustang in World War II:
The bombers of the daylight missions were taking very heavy losses each day from Luftwaffe pilots until an escort fighter could stay with them deep into enemy territory and home again on every mission. The North American P-51 Mustang was the immediate choice. The bomber crews nicknamed them their "little friends."

WWII: It was decided by Allied commanders that a full time strategic bombing campaign would Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress cripple the enemy over time and allow ground troops the advantage they needed to first stop the advancing German Army and then push them back into Germany. This included the practice of daylight bombing raids on German targets. The 1st daylight bombing mission by a US unit was on 4th July, 1942. Two out of the six RAF A-20s were lost. On 17 August 1943, 60 out of 376 American bombers were lost!

Almost all the losses coming beyond the range of the bomber escort. Early escort included the RAF Spitfire and the USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt. Even with drop tanks, the range of these fighters would barely reach to the Germany border. After that, the Luftwaffe, laid in wait.

14th October of 1943, another 60 were lost in a single day, "Black Thursday". The B-17 had a crew of 10 men. Many did not get out and if they did get out and get their chute to deploy, evading capture and returning to England was very difficult. At that loss rate, the practice of daytime bombing raids was in question. The B-17, although designed to defend itself, could not. Strategic day-time bombing was crippling both sides.

It should be noted that the concept of the P-51 Mustang began more than three years before the first daylight bombing missions and the heavy losses. It is often accepted that the P-51 Mustang was designed to be an escort fighter, but as you look at the timeline, it is more plausible that the Mustang, as a fighter aircraft, fit that need better than any other fighter available. By the time heavy bomber losses were at hand, the P-51B and P-51C, with outstanding range, were already in production and being delivered to bases in England.

Part of the US approval in 1940 for export to Britain was that 2 examples of the Mustang would be turned over to the USAAF for evaluation at no cost. In 1941, the USAAF was not too interested in the P-51, taking their time with the XP-51 trials, but now they are very interested. General Hap Arnold was instrumental in pushing the P-51 into the escort fighter role. The USAAF sent a directive to NAA to provide maximum range to the P-51B for fighter escort at the earliest possible date. The P-51 already had the longest range of any Allied fighter. An 87 gallon fuselage fuel tank behind the pilot was added to some of the B/C models and all of the D/K models to fulfill this directive.


It all started in 1939, when the British needed more fighter aircraft. They showed interest in the Curtiss P-40 Warhark and the Bell P-39 Aircobra among others. Neither were their first choice, but that was the best that the Americans had and the British could not wait for any new designs. Kindelberger / Atwood They decided the P-40 would be the one. James H. "Dutch" Kindelberger, president of North American Aviation, was approached by the British to build the P-40 at the North American production facility because Curtiss Aircraft was at full capacity. Kindelberger told the British that it would take 120 days to tool up for the P-40. Then Kindelberger somehow, with no real evidence that it could be done, convinced the Sir Henry Self of the British Purchasing Commission, that North American Aviation could design and build a new fighter that was better than the P-40. The new fighter would fly faster, higher, farther, be more maneuverable and pack more firepower.

Kindelberger put Edgar Schmued in charge of the new P-51 prototype design, NA-73X. After 78,000 man hours and 102 days later, the prototype, NA-73X, rolled out of the hangar - without an engine. 18 days later, the Allison V-1710-39 was ready and on 26 October 1940, NX19998 took to the skies for its maiden flight with test pilot Vance Breese at the controls. On 9 December 1940 the British Purchasing Comission sent a letter to North American Aviation stating that the NA-73 airplanes have been given the official designation of "Mustang".

The North American P-51D Mustang:

The P-51 Mustang is credited with providing very effective long range bomber escort. The Allied daylight bombing campaign proved extremely successful by strangling the support lines of the enemy and nearly stopping the production of war-time machinery. The P-51 Mustang and the men and women that dreamed, designed, built, tested, ferried, maintained and flew them in combat saved lives in the skies and on the ground. Who would have thought, back in 1944, that this escort fighter would still be flying 75 years later? The Mustang was built for the highest performance with less thought for longevity. With the hard work of warbird fanatics around the globe, about 300 P-51s still exist today with about half still airworthy! A few of the remaining P-51s ( Survivors) have the distinction of serving for more than 30 years with 4 different Air Forces around the world!

  More Detailed P-51 History
P-51 Aces of World War II
P-51 Mustang Legends - Bud Anderson P-51 Mustang Legends - Lee Archer P-51 Mustang Legends - Lowell K. Brueland
P-51 Mustang Legends - Bob Goebel P-51 Mustang Legends - Pete Petersen P-51 Mustang Legends - Chuck Yeager

P-51 Aces.
A tribute to those brave men who fought hard in WWII and put their country and comrades first. And not just the fighter pilots. Crew chiefs, ground personnel and the WASPS also deserve much praise for their hard work.

These men are part of a generation that is considered to be the greatest of all time. Links to "Aces in a Day", "Top Aces" and the full list plus some individual aces history. Some of these great men are still around today, attending air shows, signing books and meeting with fans. Many are flying west each year as they enter their 90s - give them the thanks and respect they deserve.

Mustangs in Foreign Service

The P-51 served in many different air forces around the world. It served during peace and during hostilities - to stop the Nazis during WWII and in the famed "Soccer Wars" in 1969. The Mustang flew and fought in Korea during the early 50's and in many other smaller conflicts. In all, at least 25 different countries operated the P-51 Mustang for more than 35 years!

The P-51 was designed and built in the USA but not because of any US contract or requirement. The British were responsible for hiring NAA to produce a new fighter, and NAA then designed the Mustang to meet RAF requirements - but the design was all NAA. The RAF received early shipments and flew various models of the Mustang throughout the war.

Below is a quick list of the countries that put the P-51 into Military Service

Britain, Royal Air Force (RAF) WWII: 2607 Mustang I-IV models
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 1945 - 215 D models, 84 K models, 200 un-assembled
The Netherlands East Indies Air Force (NEIAF) 40 P-51s
The Soviet Union a few mustangs, none in front-line service.
China: WWII - 50 P-51s

Canada: WWII - flew the P-51 within RCAF squadrons of the RAF. After the war, RCAF received 100 mustangs that remained in service until 1956 where many of them came into the US civilian market.

New Zealand (RNZAF) 1945: 30 not assembled until 1950
Sweden (RSwAF) 1945: 157 P-51s
Switzerland 1948: 100 P-51s
Italy 1948: 48 P-51s
Israel (IDFAF) 74 total - From USA - pre 1948: 2 P-51s, post 1948: 44 P-51s + 3 spares :: From Sweden: 25 P-51s

South Africa (SAAF) 1950: 95 P-51s
Philippines (PAF) 1948
South Korea (ROKAF) 1950
Cuba 1947: 3 P-51s
Dominican Republic (FAD) 1948: 44 P-51s
Haiti (FAH) 1951: 4 P-51s
Nicaragua (GN) 1954: 26 Mustangs
Uruguay (FAU) 1950: 25 Mustangs
Guatemala (FAG) 1954: 30 P-51s
Bolivia (FAB) 1954: 23 P-51s
El Salvador (FAS) 1968: 17 Mustangs
Venezuela (FAV) used only 1 Mustang
Costa Rica 1955: 4 P-51s

In all, an outstanding military career for an outstanding escort fighter.
More details in P-51 History / Foreign Service