85 years of the legendary P-51 Mustang fighter plane

October 26 marked the 85th anniversary of one of the best fighter planes of World War II, the P-51 Mustang, created by the American company North American Aviation. On that day in 1940, its first prototype, the NA-73X, took to the skies.

The aircraft was developed on behalf of the British government, and it was only when flight tests began that the American military took notice of it. As a result, the fighters were supplied to the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, but in much greater numbers to the US Air Force.

Serial production continued from 1941 to 1951, and a total of more than 15,000 units were built in the US and Australia. The fighter underwent a significant evolution, with 10 main variants and numerous modifications. One of the most advanced was the P-51D, which was equipped with a British Rolls-Royce Merlin liquid-cooled engine with a power of 1,720 hp, which was produced in the US under license under the name Packard V-1650-7. The aircraft had a length of 9.83 m, a wingspan of 11.28 m, a maximum take-off weight of 5,490 kg, a maximum speed of 710 km/h, and a range of over 2,600 km. Its armament consisted of six 12.7 mm AN/M2 Browning machine guns mounted in the wings, with provision for external suspension of bombs and unguided rockets with a total weight of up to 500 kg.

The main “battlefield” for the P-51 was World War II, where these aircraft were used in both Europe and the Pacific. The Mustangs particularly distinguished themselves while escorting heavy bombers on raids against Germany and targets in occupied countries. After the Allied landings in Normandy in the summer of 1944, the P-51 was actively used as a fighter-bomber.

In addition to the United States and Great Britain, Mustangs were sold to 25 other countries, mainly in the post-war period. These included Australia, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Indonesia, Canada, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Netherlands, France, and Uruguay. They continued to be used in combat operations, for example, in the wars in Korea and the Middle East. Many aircraft served for a very long time, and the last ones were “retired” in the Dominican Republic in 1984. Dozens of Mustangs are still in flying condition and participate in air shows and air races.

Overall, the P-51 was technically and technologically at the pinnacle of piston fighter development and joined the ranks of legendary aircraft in world aviation.