Changes

===Merlin engine===

===Merlin engine===

In 1942 the British experimented by replacing the Allison with their own more powerful liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce Merlin supercharged engine; the P-51 suddenly became the fastest single-engined fighter of the time. While it took a great deal of training to handle this "hot" plane properly, it could outperform anything but a jet. The new P-51B and P-51C models could fly 453 mph at 28,800 feet (versus 250 mph that high with the old Allison engines) and could climb to 20,000 feet in 6 minutes instead of 11. Washington now ordered all-out production. With Packard Corporation making the Merlin engine under license, the P-51B started rolling off North American's assembly lines in Los Angeles and Dallas in June, 1943.

In 1942 the British experimented by replacing the Allison with their own more powerful liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce Merlin supercharged engine; the P-51 suddenly became the fastest single-engined fighter of the time. While it took a great deal of training to handle this "hot" plane properly, it could outperform anything but a jet. The new P-51B and P-51C models could fly 453 mph at 28,800 feet (versus 250 mph that high with the old Allison engines) and could climb to 20,000 feet in 6 minutes instead of 11. Washington now ordered all-out production. With Packard Corporation making the Merlin engine under license, the P-51B started rolling off North American's assembly lines in Los Angeles and Dallas in June, 1943.

==Escort role==

==Escort role==

Equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks that were jettisoned when empty, the combat radius widened to 850 miles. Mustangs in March, 1944, began escorting [[B-17|B-17 heavy bombers]] at high altitude to all European targets and back, repelling any Luftwaffe fighters that dared to challenge. Actually shooting down an enemy fighter required rare skills that even the best pilots seldom had. Of the 5,100 fighter pilots who escorted the bombers of the 8th Air Force, only 300 shot down 5 or more planes and became "aces"; however, these 300 aces accounted for half of the 5,300 kills made by escorts.<ref> Weigley, ''American Way of War'' p. 342; Mike Spick, ''The Ace Factor: Air Combat and the Role of Situational Awareness'' (1988) </ref>  

Equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks that were jettisoned when empty, the combat radius widened to 850 miles. Mustangs in March, 1944, began escorting [[B-17|B-17 heavy bombers]] at high altitude to all European targets and back, repelling any Luftwaffe fighters that dared to challenge. Actually shooting down an enemy fighter required rare skills that even the best pilots seldom had. Of the 5,100 fighter pilots who escorted the bombers of the 8th Air Force, only 300 shot down 5 or more planes and became "aces"; however, these 300 aces accounted for half of the 5,300 kills made by escorts.<ref>Weigley, ''American Way of War'' p. 342; Mike Spick, ''The Ace Factor: Air Combat and the Role of Situational Awareness'' (1988)</ref>  

Some 15,600 P-51s were produced at an average cost of $50,000--versus $80,000 for the bigger Thunderbolt and $150,000 for the B-17. The slower, shorter-range [[P-47]] was already escorting bombers part of the way into Germany; in a reversal of roles, that mission in January 1944 went to the P-51 while the P-47 was assigned to tactical targets on the ground. The Thunderbolt's air-cooled engine was less vulnerable to ground flak; one bullet hole in the plumbing of a water-cooled Merlin engine would drain off the coolant and crash the Mustang. In early 1944 the Mustangs cleared the skies of the Luftwaffe--it was 30-70 mph faster than the Focke-wolfe FW-190 and Messerschmitt [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|ME-109]], could climb at the same rate, dive faster, and turn more sharply. From mid-1944, American pilots began wearing the Berger G-suit, which automatically constricted blood flow to the lower body during high rate maneuvers, enabling the pilots to engage in more extreme maneuvers without blacking out. Mustangs claimed 4,950 kills in the air and 4,100 on the ground (plus some V-1s), while losing 2,520 planes in combat. The [[Me-262|Messerschmitt 262]] jets were faster than the Mustangs, but they were few in number, and suffered from lack of resources due to constrained supply lines. They rarely challenged the Mustangs. Many of the jets were destroyed while they were taking off, landing, or parked on the ground. Luftwaffe boss [[Herman Goering]] admitted that when he saw the American bombers over Berlin in March, 1944, escorted by fighters he knew the war was lost.

Some 15,600 P-51s were produced at an average cost of $50,000—versus $80,000 for the bigger Thunderbolt and $150,000 for the B-17. The slower, shorter-range [[P-47]] was already escorting bombers part of the way into Germany; in a reversal of roles, that mission in January 1944 went to the P-51 while the P-47 was assigned to tactical targets on the ground. The Thunderbolt's air-cooled engine was less vulnerable to ground flak; one bullet hole in the plumbing of a water-cooled Merlin engine would drain off the coolant and crash the Mustang. In early 1944 the Mustangs cleared the skies of the Luftwaffe—it was 30-70&nbsp;mph faster than the Focke-wolfe FW-190 and Messerschmitt [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|ME-109]], could climb at the same rate, dive faster, and turn more sharply. From mid-1944, American pilots began wearing the Berger G-suit, which automatically constricted blood flow to the lower body during high rate maneuvers, enabling the pilots to engage in more extreme maneuvers without blacking out. Mustangs claimed 4,950 kills in the air and 4,100 on the ground (plus some V-1s), while losing 2,520 planes in combat. The [[Me-262|Messerschmitt 262]] jets were faster than the Mustangs, but they were few in number, and suffered from lack of resources due to constrained supply lines. They rarely challenged the Mustangs. Many of the jets were destroyed while they were taking off, landing, or parked on the ground. Luftwaffe boss [[Herman Goering]] admitted that when he saw the American bombers over Berlin in March, 1944, escorted by fighters he knew the war was lost.

==The Pacific Theater==

==The Pacific Theater==

==F-82 Twin Mustang==

==F-82 Twin Mustang==

This plane was a long-range fighter made by combining two lengthened Mustang fuselages with a common wing.  The resulting twin-engine, two pilot fighter had a greater speed and longer range than the P-51.<ref>''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II'', by Bill Gunston, Salamander Military Press, 1990</ref>  The plane was first conceived as a long-range escort fighter for [[B-29]] bombing raids on [[Japan]], but the first planes weren’t delivered until after the Japanese surrender.  However, the Twin Mustang saw service as an interceptor in first year of the Korean War.  On June 27, 1950, Twin Mustangs flying cover over [[Kimpo]] airport scored the first aerial victories of the war for the [[USAF]] when they shot down three single-engine [[Yakovlev Yak-7|Yak-7]] fighters for no losses.<ref>''Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref>  Some also served as night fighters.

This plane was a long-range fighter made by combining two lengthened Mustang fuselages with a common wing.  The resulting twin-engine, two pilot fighter had a greater speed and longer range than the P-51.<ref>''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II'', by Bill Gunston, Salamander Military Press, 1990</ref>  The plane was first conceived as a long-range escort fighter for [[B-29]] bombing raids on [[Japan]], but the first planes weren’t delivered until after the Japanese surrender.  However, the Twin Mustang saw service as an interceptor in first year of the Korean War.  On June 27, 1950, Twin Mustangs flying cover over [[Kimpo]] airport scored the first aerial victories of the war for the [[USAF]] when they shot down three single-engine [[Yakovlev Yak-7|Yak-7]] fighters for no losses.<ref>''Rolling Thunder: Jet Combat From World War II to the Gulf War'', by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref>  Some also served as night fighters.

== See Also ==

== See also ==

* [[World War II in the Air]]

* [[World War II in the Air]]

[[category:Air Power]]

[[Category:Air Power]]

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

* Bowman, Martin. ''P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190: Europe 1943-45'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/P-51-Mustang-Fw-190-1943-45/dp/1846031893/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210610630&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]

* Bowman, Martin. ''P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190: Europe 1943-45'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/P-51-Mustang-Fw-190-1943-45/dp/1846031893/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210610630&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]

* Cooling, Benjamin Franklin ed. ''Close Air Support'' (1990) GPO

* Cooling, Benjamin Franklin ed. ''Close Air Support'' (1990) GPO

* Craven, Wesley and James Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces In World War II''] official history. (1948-55)  

* Craven, Wesley and James Cate, eds. ''The Army Air Forces In World War II''] official history. (1948–55)  

** [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v3.pdf Volume Three: ''Europe: Argument to V-E Day January 1944 to May 1945'']

** [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v3.pdf Volume Three: ''Europe: Argument to V-E Day January 1944 to May 1945'']

** [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v6.pdf Volume Six: ''Men and Planes'']

** [http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/aaf_wwii-v6.pdf Volume Six: ''Men and Planes'']

==See also==

==See also==

* [[P-47]]

* [[P-47]]

==External Links==

==External links==

*[http://www.acepilots.com/planes/p51_mustang.html History of the Mustang] at Acepilots.com

*[http://www.acepilots.com/planes/p51_mustang.html History of the Mustang] at Acepilots.com

*[http://www.americancombatplanes.com/p51_1.html P-51 Mustang] by Ray Wagner

*[http://www.americancombatplanes.com/p51_1.html P-51 Mustang] by Ray Wagner