Difference between revisions of "P-51 Mustang"
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| − | While the P-51 is most famous for its service in the European theater, several Mustang units served in Asia and the Pacific. The first Mustangs in the theater were assigned to the China-Burma-India front in September 1943. Mustangs also joined the fighting in the Philippines and central Pacific in 1945.<ref>Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI, by John Stanaway, Osprey Publishing, 1999</ref> | + | While the P-51 is most famous for its service in the European theater, several Mustang units served in Asia and the Pacific. The first Mustangs in the theater were assigned to the [[China]]-[[Burma]]-[[India]] front in September 1943. Mustangs also joined the fighting in the [[Philippines]] and central Pacific in 1945.<ref>Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI, by John Stanaway, Osprey Publishing, 1999</ref> |
==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 the Korean War, scoring the first aerial victories of the war for the USAF.<ref>Rolling Thunder, 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 the Korean War, scoring the first aerial victories of the war for the [[USAF]].<ref>Rolling Thunder, by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997</ref> Some also served as night fighters. |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 19:49, February 15, 2008
The P-51 Mustang was an allied fighter plane of WWII. This plane served in the European and Pacific Theaters, and is probably the most well known airplane of the war. It had a Rolls Royce engine and six heavy machine guns. Over 15,000 P-51s were produced during the war, and many of them served in the Korean War as well, mainly in ground support missions.[1] The most numerous (and well-known) version of this fighter was the P-51D, with a distinctive bubble canopy and large fuel capacity.[2]
While the P-51 is most famous for its service in the European theater, several Mustang units served in Asia and the Pacific. The first Mustangs in the theater were assigned to the China-Burma-India front in September 1943. Mustangs also joined the fighting in the Philippines and central Pacific in 1945.[3]
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.[4] 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 the Korean War, scoring the first aerial victories of the war for the USAF.[5] Some also served as night fighters.
References
- ↑ Aces, by William Yenne, 2000
- ↑ Aircraft vs. Aircraft, by Norman Franks, Barnes & Noble Books, 1998
- ↑ Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI, by John Stanaway, Osprey Publishing, 1999
- ↑ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II, by Bill Gunston, Salamander Military Press, 1990
- ↑ Rolling Thunder, by Ivan Rendall, Dell Publishing, 1997