P-51 Mustang - America's best fighter in World War II 0
The P-51D Mustang squadron flew demonstrations.
The P-51 Mustang is considered one of the best fighters of World War II because its combination of speed, range, maneuverability and firepower gives it great flexibility.
When World War II broke out in 1939, the British government ordered a large number of North American fighters to supplement the Royal Air Force, after being unable to purchase Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft.
The P-51 fighter has one seat, is 9.8 m long, 4.1 m high, has a wingspan of 11.2 m, weighs more than 3.4 tons, and has a maximum takeoff weight of more than 5.4 tons.
During the test flight on October 26, 1940, the XP-51 prototype had a much higher speed than the P-40 aircraft, but performance decreased significantly when operating at altitudes above 4.5 km.
In the process of overcoming design errors such as performance at high altitudes and difficulty in rear visibility, North American launched the P-51D version with a transparent glass cockpit.
After North American overcame this limitation, the US Air Force signed a contract to buy 320 P-51 fighters and began sending them into combat on May 10, 1942.
The XP-51 during testing.
When deployed to Europe, the P-51 was key to maintaining the Combined Bombardment Strategy against Nazi Germany.
In addition to escort duties, the P-51 is also a fighter that easily dominates the air, often knocking out German fighters while still doing well in ground attack missions.
P-51 Mustang – America’s best fighter in World War II
P-51 fighter flying demonstration
After the war, the P-51 remained the standard fighter in the US Air Force.
According to Aviation History, the P-51 was the best aircraft of World War II, with a total of 14,819 aircraft of many different variants built for the US air force.
