North American P-51 Mustang

Template:P51

"*Once* *the Mustang got Rolls-Royce Merlin power in the P-51B, it excelled in every role, including tactical fighter-bomber. The Mustang’s only flaw as a fighter-bomber was its liquid-cooled engine, a liability it shared with other front-line aircraft, including the Spitfire, Typhoon, Tempest, and Bf 109. A piece of flak or a small-arms round in the coolant system could turn this otherwise potent attack aircraft into a very short-range glider."*

"*The bubble canopy of the D model added superior visibility. Fast and agile as an interceptor, the P-51 gave Allied forces excellent tactical support in the ground attack role. Its heavy gun armament, combined with bombs and rockets, helped the Ninth Air Force suppress enemy ground forces and transport, speeding the advance of Patton’s Third Army across France and into Germany. "*

-In-game description of the North American P-51B and P-51D Mustang

The P-51 Mustang is without a doubt, the most spectacular American fighter-bomber of the second world war. With long range to escort bombers, agility to evade and or swarm enemy fighters, and armament strong enough to blast planes out of the sky and puts enemy units on the ground, the American Mustang is a all-round adversary for your rivals. No engine has a sexier sound emitting than from that of the P-51's front Merlin engine.

## Specifications

**P-51B SPECIFICATIONS**

WEIGHT: 7,125/11,600 lb. (3,230/5,206 kg)

SPAN: 37' 0.25" (11.29 m) LENGTH: 32' 2.5" (9.81 m)

ENGINE: One Rolls-Royce/Packard V-1650-3 liquidcooled V-12 with 1,380 hp

ARMAMENT: Four 0.5-in. Browning machine guns with 400 r.p.g., plus two 500-lb. or 1000-lb. bombs

MAX SPEED @ ALTITUDE: 440 mph (708 km/h) @ 30,000 ft (7,620 m)

CEILING: 41,800 ft (12,740 m)

INITIAL CLIMB RATE: 2,780 ft/min (847 m/min)

RANGE: 1,300 mi (2,092 km); 2,080 mi (3,347 km) with drop tanks

**P-51D SPECIFICATIONS**

WEIGHT: 7,125/11,600 lb. (3,230/5,206 kg)

SPAN: 37' 0.25" (11.29 m) LENGTH: 32' 2.5" (9.81 m)

ENGINE: One Rolls-Royce/ Packard V-1650-7 liquidcooled
V-12 with 1,490 hp

ARMAMENT: Six 0.5-in. Browning machine guns with 270 r.p.g. (outboard & center pairs) & 400 r.p.g. (inboard pair), plus two 500-lb. or 1000-lb. bombs or six 5-in. rockets

MAX SPEED @ ALTITUDE: 437 mph (703 km/h) @ 25,000 ft (9,144 m)

CEILING: 41,900 ft (12,780 m)

INITIAL CLIMB RATE: 3,125 ft/min (952 m/min)

RANGE: 1,300 mi (2,092 km); 2,080 mi (3,347 km) with drop tanks

\* \* \*

STRENGTHS (ALL P-51 VARIANTS)

- Excellent acceleration, speed, handling, and
maneuverability.

- Enormous range.

- Heavy firepower from six .50-inch guns.

- Excellent pilot visibility.

WEAKNESSES (ALL P-51 VARIANTS)

- Very sensitive to sudden throttle application, which can cause severe swing or rollover and crash on takeoff.

- Treacherous handling with aft fuselage tank full.

- Liquid cooling increases engine vulnerability to
damage from flak and small arms fire.

## Armament (P-51B)

Four 0.5-in. Browning machine guns with 400 r.p.g, 2 on each wing

2x 1,000lb bombs

2x 500lb bombs

2x 250lb bombs

2x 100lb bombs

6x Bazooka Rockets + 2x 250lb bombs

6x Bazooka Rockets + 2x 500lb bombs

2x 108 gal drop tanks

## Armament (P-51D)

Six 0.5-in. Browning machine guns with 270 r.p.g., 3 on each wing

2x 1,000lb bombs

2x 500lb bombs

2x 250lb bombs

2x 100lb bombs

6x Bazooka Rockets + 2x 250lb bombs

6x Bazooka Rockets + 2x 500lb bombs

2x 108 gal drop tanks

## Trivia

The P-51B available for unlock in Campaign mode as a American fighter pilot in 12/1/1943, while the P-51D is in 05/1/1944.