North American Aviation P-51D/K

The North American P-51 Mustang is an American single-seat, single-engine, long-range, monoplane fighter-bomber developed for the British. The maiden flight took place on October 26, 1940, entering service in January 1942 with No.26 Squadron Royal Air Force (RAF). The type served in most WWII theatres and later the Korean War. North American Aviation built all the Mustangs except a small number produced in Australia. The USAF withdrew their last Mustangs from service in 1957 and the RAF in 1947.

Produced in several variants the P-51D/K was the most numerous and recognisable, manufactured in California (P-51D) and Texas (P-51K). The RAF identified the -D as the Mustang Mk IV and -K as the Mk.IVa.

The airframe construction is mainly of metal with a semi-monocoque fuselage, low mounted cantilever wing and a conventional tail. The retractable undercarriage is a tailwheel type with the main units, mounted to the wings retracting inwards into the fuselage.

The aircraft uses a single Packard V-1650-7 Merlin V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, driving a four-bladed, constant-speed, variable-pitch Hamilton Standard propeller. The P-51D has a cruise speed of 583 km/h (362 mph), a maximum speed of 708 km/h (440 mph), range of 2,655 km (1,650 mi) with drop tanks and a service ceiling of 12,800 m (41,900 ft).

Armament consisted of six wing-mounted 0.50 calibre (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns, two wing hardpoints capable of carrying 450kg  (1,000 lbs) of bombs or rockets or drop tanks.