North American P-51A Mustang Model Airplane

Item#: 80627

Wing Span: 17.76"
Length: 15.45"

This North American P51 Mustang Airplane Model comes with a customized detachable stand, a personalized inscriptions plaque and a laminated 332d Air Expeditionary Wing logo that adds magnificence into this detailed Display Model.

North American P51 Mustang History :

As war was breaking out in Europe the British Royal Air Force needed to quickly increase its fighter strength. In 1940 the British RAF approached North American asking them to build them the P-40. Because the design of the P-40 went back to the 1933 era then President of North American James Kendelberger suggested to build an entirely new advanced fighter. The aircraft would use the same Allison C-1710-39 engine which had proven its self to be reliable. North American’s only fighter aircraft experience was with the NA-50A. The British agreed to a new type if it could be on line in 120 days, an almost impossible task. North American designers Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued who had worked for Fokker and Messerschmitt in the 1925’s set about to meet the requirement. The prototype was finished in 117 days minus the engine. The landing gear was borrowed for and AT-6 Trainer and six weeks later the aircraft took to the skies.

During the first flight the XP-51 achieved a speed of 382 mph, 25 mph faster than the P-40 out -performing even the Spitfire. The British Purchasing Commission was so impressed with the aircraft’s performance and confirmed an order of 320 aircraft Mustang I’s. The U.S. Army was also impressed with the aircraft’s performance and after releasing the design for export ordered two aircraft for their own evaluation. At this time the NA-73 was assigned the XP-51 designation. The RAF ordered an additional order 150 aircraft however following the attack on Pearl Harbor the U.S. Army decided to keep 53 of the aircraft for reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft picked up the name Apache for a short period of time then the name Mustang was adopted and stuck ever since.

Several variants were produced during the long production run. The P-51 Mustang was flown by Chuck Yeager and the Tuskegee Airmen. In 1942 the USAAF then ordered 310 P-51A and 300 P-51A-36A Mustangs. The P-51A aircraft underwent and engine change to the Allison V-1710-81 with 1,200 hp. This increased the aircraft speed to over 390 MPH. The British RAF designated the Aircraft the P-51A Mustang II.

Further improvements to the aircraft included the P-51D with the teardrop canopy which eliminated the blind area created by the faired cockpit and the larger vertical stabilizer to compensate for the affect of the teardrop canopy. The P-51D also incorporated the Packard built Merlin V1650-7 engine producing 1,695 hp which increased the speed of the aircraft to 437 mph at 25,000 feet. The P-51D Model featured here was equipped with six .50 Machine guns with 1,880 rounds on board instead of the four .50 Machine Guns featured on previous versions.

The P-51 was certainly one of aviations elite aircraft ever built. A total of 14,819 aircraft were manufactured for the U.S. Army alone. The Mustang maintains the record for over 4,950 enemy shot down. The ledged lives on as several Mustangs are still flying to the enjoyment of crowds all over the world.