P 51 Mustang Fighter Plane
At the start of the korean war however the mustang once again proved its usefulness.
P 51 mustang fighter plane. They agreed to produce the first prototype only 4 months after signing the contract in april 1940. The p 51 originated with an april 1940 proposal to the british aircraft purchasing commission by the chief designer of north american aviation j h. Dutch kindelberger to design a fighter from the ground up rather than produce. Redesignated the f 51 in 1948 the aircraft was soon eclipsed in the fighter role by newer jet planes.
For the next few months thousands of p 51 s focused on massive all fighter sweeps of german territory with the sole goal of exterminating the remnants of the luftwaffe. Ww ii fighter plane that dominated the wartime skies of europe. North american p 51 mustang generally considered the best fighter of wwii. Mustangs met and conquered every german plane from the early junkers to the sleek twin jet messerschmitt 262s.
Following the war the p 51 was retained as the usaaf s standard piston engine fighter plane. The north american aviation p 51 mustang is an american long range single seat fighter and fighter bomber used during world war ii and the korean war among other conflicts the mustang was designed in april 1940 by a design team headed by james kindelberger of north american aviation naa in response to a requirement of the british purchasing commission. Lou iv on the left side the fourth aircraft named after his daughter and athelene on the right. A veteran of world war ii and the korean war north american aviation s p 51 mustang was the first u s.
Army air forces p 51 mustang fighter airplanes in formation over the italian countryside during world war ii. N orth american aviation originally designed the mustang in response to a british specification. 1945 p 51d s n 45 11495 n5551d little rebel award winning p 51d with just 88 hrs since complete restoration. Built fighter airplane to push its nose over europe after the fall of france.
P 51s were the nemesis of the luftwaffe shooting down 4 950 enemy aircraft while achieving a kill ratio of 11 1. By stephen sherman apr.