The North American P-51 Mustang is an American long range single seat fighter aircraft that entered service in 1942, and which became decisive once fitted with the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, giving it the range to escort heavy bombers deep into enemy territory during the Second World War. It is widely regarded as one of the finest piston engine fighters of the war.
Facts
SignificanceA long-range fighter-bomber that became the dominant Allied escort fighter of WWII, fundamentally changing air combat strategy by enabling daylight bombing over Germany. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderNorth American Aviation 1 Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: North American P-51 Mustang
WikipediaFighting the Luftwaffe section
Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring, commander of the Luftwaffe during the war, was quoted as saying, When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up.
Design and development section
The prototype NA-73X was rolled out in September 1940, just 102 days after the order had been placed; it first flew on 26 October 1940.
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