Back to North American P-51 Mustang
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NA-73X: Original privately financed prototype
1,100-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-F3R engine
Designed to carry four 0.5-in and four 0.3-in machine guns, none mounted
NA-73 Mustang Mk I: 1st batch of 320 aircraft for RAF
1,150-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled V-1710-F3R Allison engine
382 mph @ 13,000ft
Four 0.5-in and four 0.303-in machine guns (two .0.5s mounted on underside of engine fired through the prop)
Many fitted with cameras for reconnaissance
XP-51: Two (Nos 4 and 10) NA-73 aircraft for US evaluation
NA-83 Mustang Mk I: second run (300) for RAF with minor changes
One aircraft later fitted with twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 61,
Two fitted with twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 65 as Mustang Mk X
One armed with two 40-mm Vickers ‘S’ cannon
British experiments replacing stock Allison engine with Rolls Royce twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin engines led to dramatic performance improvements, especially at high altitude & subsequent use in all future production P-51s
NA-91 Mustang IA: 93 aircraft supplied by Lend-lease to RAF (from batch of 150)
Four 20-mm Hispano wing cannon
P-51 (NA-91) remaining Mustang IA batch (57 aircraft) retained
by US after 12/8/41
Four 0.5-in machine guns
Fitted with two K24 cameras as P-51-1s, later redesignated F-6A
P-51A (NA-99)
6433 lbs empty, 8600 lbs normal, 10,600 lbs max
Allison V-1710-81 (export V-1710-F20R) engine, 1,200 hp @ takeoff , 1125 hp @ 18,000 ft
340 mph @ 5000 ft, 360 mph @ 10,000 ft, 380 mph @ 15,000 ft, 390 mph @ 20,000 ft
2.2 minutes to 5,000 ft, 4.4 minutes to10,000ft, 9.1 minutes to 20,000ft. Service ceiling was 31,350 ft
No nose guns, four 0.5-in wing machine guns, pylons for two 500-lbs bombs
310 built, 50 to RAF as Mustang Mk II
XP-51B (NA-101) originally XP-78
Based on RAF experiments, two P-51s re-engined with 1,450 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-3 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlins
441 mph at 29,800 ft
carburetor air intake moved from above to below nose
exhaust expelled through individual stacks
ailerons modified
Intercooler & radiators extensively modified
No guns
P-51B (NA-102/104) production version of XP-51B,
6,840lbs empty, 9,200lbs normal, 11,200lbs max
1,620 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-3 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin
388 mph @ 5000 ft, 406 mph @ 10,000 ft, 427 mph @ 20,000 ft, 430 mph @ 25,000 ft, 440 mph @ 30,000 ft
1.8 minutes to 5000 ft, 3.6 minutes to 10,000 ft, 7 minutes to 20,000 ft. Service ceiling 42,000 ft
Four 0.5-inch Browning MG53-2 guns in wings, 350 rounds each gun, and 280 rounds each outer gun
NA-104 wing hardpoints strengthened for 1,000-lbs bombs
Final 550 aircraft added 85-US gal rear fuselage tank (P-51B-7-NAs), also retrofitted to some earlier aircraft
Green camouflage paint removed later in production run to reduce weight/drag
1,988 built, 25 to RAF
Mustang Mk III British equivalent P-51B/C (274 P-51Bs and 626 P-51Cs)
British addition of “Malcolm Hood” or “Bubble” canopy on Mustang III improved visibility, retrofitted to many P-51B/Cs
P-51C (NA-103/111) Similar to P-51 B but built in Dallas TX , (not Inglewood CA)
6985 lbs empty, 9800 lbs normal, 11,800 lbs max
1695 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-7
395 mph @ 5000 ft, 417 mph @ 10,000 ft, 426 mph @ 20,000 ft, 439 mph @ 25,000 ft, 435 mph @ 30,000 ft
1.6 minutes to 5000 ft, 3.1 minutes to 10,000 ft, 6.9 minutes to 20,000 ft. Service ceiling 41,900 ft
1,750 built
XP-51D (NA-106) Two P-51 Bs with teardrop canopy, cut-down rear fuselage
Six 0.5-in wing guns (Not mounted)
P-51D (NA-109/111/122/124) production version of XP-51 D
7,125lbs empty,10,100lbs normal, 12,100lbs max
1,685-hp V-1650-7 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin engine
395 mph @ 5000ft, 416 mph @ 10,000ft, 424 mph @ 20,000 ft, 437 mph @ 25,000 ft
Initial climb 3,475ft/minute, 1.7 minutes to 5,00ft, 3.3 minutes to10,000ft, 7.3 minutes to 20,000ft
Service ceiling 41,900 ft
Six 0.5-in wing guns
K-14 computing gyro gun sight
Tear drop Plexiglas canopy now standard
Dorsal fin for stability added early in production, retrofitted to many Bs, Cs, & early Ds
Block 25 on, provision for four 5-in rockets added
Production: 6,502 (Inglewood) 1,454 (Dallas) — 280 to RAF as Mustang Mk IV
Redesignated F-51D in 1948
The P-51D was the definitive World War II variant
FP-51D: post-war redesignation of F-6D, redesignated RF-51D in 1948
TP-51D: two-seat trainer version of P-51D
Four 0.5-in wing guns
Production: 10 built in Dallas, also several conversions of existing aircraft
Redesignated TF-51D in 1948
ETF-51D: One TF-51D converted for carrier landing tests
P-51E: designation planned for Dallas P-51 But not used, aircraft completed as P-51 D-NT
XP-51F (NA-105): lightweight model (9,060 lbs)
Structure almost completely redesigned
V-1650-7 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin w/Simmons automatic boost control for constant manifold pressure
5635 lbs. empty, 7610 lbs. Normal, 9,060 lbs. max,
466 mph @ 29,000 ft, 4.9 minutes to 19, 500ft, service ceiling 42,500 ft
Four 0.5 wing mounted machine guns
Redesigned cooling & hydraulic systems
Low-drag wing w/straight leading edge
Three completed, one to RAF
XP-51G (NA-105) two aircraft similar to XP-51F (one to RAF)
5750 lbs. empty, 7265 lbs. normal, and 8885 lbs. max,
1,675-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 145M engine, 1,910 hp
472 mph at 20,750 ft, 3.4 minutes to 20,000ft, service ceiling 45,700 ft
Rotol five-bladed propeller
P-51H (NA-126/129) lightweight version similar to XP-51F except longer fuselage, taller fin
V-1650-9A twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 1,380 hp /take-off, 2,218 hp/at altitude w/water injection
6585lbs empty, 9500lbs normal, 11,500lbs max
1380 hp @ takeoff , 2218 hp war emergency power @ 10,200 ft., 1900 hp @ 20,000 ft w/water injection
444 mph at 5000 ft, 463 mph at 15,000 ft, and 487 mph at 25,000 ft
5000ft in 1.5 minutes, 15,000ft in 5 minutes
Six 0.5-in wing guns
555 NA-126 s completed, 1,445 NA-129s cancelled
First flown by Bob Chilton on February 3, 1945, whether or not the P-51H participated in combat in World War II is still controversial
XP-51J (NA-105): two aircraft similar to XP-51F but powered by 1,720-hp Allison V-1710-119
P-51 K (NA-111) Dallas version of P-51D with smaller diameter Aeroproducts propeller
Block 10 & later: four stubs for 5-in rockets
1,500 built — 594 to RAF as Mustang Mk IVA
Redesignated F-51K in 1948
P-51L (NA-129) Cancelled (1,700) production version of P-51H with V-1650-11
Stromberg speed/density injection carburetor, 2270 hp w/water injection
P-51M (NA-124) Dallas version of P-51H with V-1650-9A; one completed, 1,628 cancelled
A-36A (NA-97) “Apache,” later “Invader,” finally “Mustang” dive bomber variant with hydraulic retractable dive brakes in wings
8,370 lbs normal, 10,700 lbs max
Six 0.5-in machine guns (two in lower fuselage nose & four in the wings), 2 X 500 lbs bombs
Pylons for two 500-lbs bombs;
Allison twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled V-1710-87 (F21R) 1325 hp at 3000 ft
356 mph @ 5000 ft “clean,” 310 mph w/two 500-lbs bombs
500 built, three to RAF
F-6A: 57 P-51 s fitted with two K24 cameras in fuselage for reconnaissance
Four 20-mm cannon in wings
F-6B: 35 P-51 As fitted with two K24 cameras
Four 0.5-in wing guns
F-6C: tactical reconnaissance version of P-51 B/C with two K24 or one K17 and one K22 camera
71 P-51Bs; 20 P-51Cs converted
F-6D: 136 P-51 Ds with fuselage camera
Further conversions made from P-51 Ds
Redesignated FP-51 D and then RF-51 D
A few converted to two-seat configuration designated TRF-51D
F-6K: 163 P-51 Ks with camera installations
Redesignated FP-51K and then RF-51 K
All Aero 