tulio escreveu:Plinio Jr escreveu:
O P-51 entrou em serviço com a USAAF entre 1943-44, a RAF que era importante aliado começou a recebe-los em meados de 1944,
It wasn't until
1942 that the USAAF decided to order 310 P-51As and 300 ground attack/bomber A-36A Mustangs. The reason for the delay in procurement of the type was for somewhat murky reasons, uncovered during an inquiry known as the Truman Report.9 The demand for kick-backs was refused by Dutch Kindelberger in order to get a production award. "Ultimately, even those who sought to block the procurement could not sustain their position, because of the obvious qualities of the airplane."10 The P-51A had an Allison V-1710-81 (F20R) engine which developed 1,200 hp for takeoff and increased maximum speed to 390 mph. The British designation for the P-51A was the Mustang II and
fifty were delivered late in 1942. http://www.aviation-history.com/north-american/p51.html
Esta versão P-51A é fraca e não chegou a operar em atividade no front europeu com os americanos, com excessão a versão A-36 Invader que atuou no front italiano até meados de 1943 sendo substituido por P-47s.
Esta versão A fora realmente recebida pela RAF em meados de 1942, mas era utilizada em missões de reconhecimento armado, em regiões pouco defendidas, esta aeronave era chamada de Mustang IA .
Este P-51A era uma aeronave com bom desempenho, principalmente a baixas e altitudes, o que levou a USAAF a RAF a usa-los como caças-bombardeiros.
In P-51A Mustang was designed by Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued for the North American Aviation Company in 1940.
Its first flight took place on 26th October, 1940. The Royal Air Force was impressed with its performance an placed an order for 320 aircraft. The aircraft had a maximum speed of 390 mph (628 km) and had a range of 730 miles (1,200 km). It was 32 ft 3 in (2.65 m) long with a wingspan of 37 ft (11.28 m). The aircraft was armed with 4 machine-guns and could carry 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs.
The Royal Air Force ordered more and 820 were delivered in October 1941. The North American Aviation Company continued to work on improving the aircraft and in 1943 began producing the P-51B Mustang. This new aircraft could reach a speed of 440 mph (710 km) at 30,000 ft (9,000).
Para suprir as necessidades de caça/escolta, principalmente melhorar o desempenho a médias e grandes altitudes desenvolveu-se o P-51B, que entrou em combate com a 354th FG no final de 1943 e com a RAF (chamado de Mustang Mk III) em meados de 1944.
P-51A nas cores da USAAF
Um A-36 Apache da USAAF, usado no front mediterraneo entre meados de 1942 a 1943.
Mustang IA sendo entregue, com as cores da RAF ainda com insignias da USAAF
P-51B do 357th FG, que atuou na Europa...
[/img]http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/URG/images/p51-19.jpg[/img]
Outro P-51B sendo recebido durante a guerra na Europa
