USA North American P-51 Mustang
Bob Hart
August 29, 2006
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This article is part of a continuing series by Bob Hart on the Best Fighter Aircraft of WWII. Feedback and discussion is welcome.
 | | Max Speed | 437 mph | | Climb rate | 3,475 ft per min | | Ceiling | 42,000 ft | | Range | 2,300 miles with drop tank | | Loaded weight | 10,100 lbs | | Armament | 6 x .50 cal (12.7mm) machine guns, 2,000 lb bombload. | | Top Aces | George Preddy
John C. Meyer
Ray Wetmore
Dominic Gentile | | ** All stats for D model. ** |
Contrary to popular belief it was not the P-51D Mustang responsible for the destruction of the Luftwaffe fighter force over Germany in February-March 1944, it was the older B/C versions which had appeared during 1943.
Early Mustang variants, powered by the Allison V-1710 engine suffered poor high altitude performance and the marriage of the Rolls Royce Merlin 60 series engine with the airframe resolved this problem. Licenced built Packard-Merlin V-1650-7 powered Mustangs began rolling off the production lines in May 1943.
In the autumn 1943 the 8th Air Force bomber formations were so badly mauled by Luftwaffe fighter force, a halt was called to unescorted daylight bomber operations over Germany until suitable long range escort fighters were available in number.
The appearance of the long range escorts in February 1944 was a nasty shock for the Luftwaffe and the ranks of the heavily laden and unwieldy bomber destroyers were decimated. As General of the Fighters, Adolf Galland recalled after the war it was not the loss of large numbers of fighters that was the biggest headache for the Luftwaffe, but the deaths of so many experienced pilots. A blow the Luftwaffe never recovered from.
The P-51 Mustang was so superior in performance to the Fw-190's and Me-109's a crisis in confidence struck the Jagdwaffe and it wasn't until the appearance of the Fw-190D the Germans once again had a competitive fighter.
The P-51D Mustang was so fast and responsive many pilots claim it was the best aircraft they ever flew. Distinctive in appearance with its bubble top canopy and large air scoop, the Mustangs were also responsible for the destruction of thousands of ground targets after completion of bomber escort duties. With justification the Mustang can lay claim to the title of the best fighter of the war, if solely for the role it played in gaining air superiority over Germany.
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