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- North American P-51 Mustang Variants
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- NA-73X: Original privately financed prototype
1,100-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-F3R engine
Designed to carry four 0.5-in and four 0.3-in machine guns, none mounted- -
- NA-73 Mustang Mk I: 1st batch of 320 aircraft for RAF
1,150-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled V-1710-F3R Allison engine- 382 mph @ 13,000ft
- Four 0.5-in and four 0.303-in machine guns (two .0.5s mounted on underside of engine fired through the prop)
- Many fitted with cameras for reconnaissance
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- XP-51: Two (Nos 4 and 10) NA-73 aircraft for US evaluation
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- NA-83 Mustang Mk I: second run (300) for RAF with minor changes
One aircraft later fitted with twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 61,- Two fitted with twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 65 as Mustang Mk X
- One armed with two 40-mm Vickers 'S' cannon
- British experiments replacing stock Allison engine with Rolls Royce twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin engines led to dramatic performance improvements, especially at high altitude & subsequent use in all future production P-51s
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- NA-91 Mustang IA: 93 aircraft supplied by Lend-lease to RAF (from batch of 150)
Four 20-mm Hispano wing cannon
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- P-51 (NA-91) remaining Mustang IA batch (57 aircraft) retained
- by US after 12/8/41
Four 0.5-in machine guns- Fitted with two K24 cameras as P-51-1s, later redesignated F-6A
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- P-51A (NA-99)
- 6433 lbs empty, 8600 lbs normal, 10,600 lbs max
- Allison V-1710-81 (export V-1710-F20R) engine, 1,200 hp @ takeoff , 1125 hp @ 18,000 ft
- 340 mph @ 5000 ft, 360 mph @ 10,000 ft, 380 mph @ 15,000 ft, 390 mph @ 20,000 ft
- 2.2 minutes to 5,000 ft, 4.4 minutes to10,000ft, 9.1 minutes to 20,000ft. Service ceiling was 31,350 ft
- No nose guns, four 0.5-in wing machine guns, pylons for two 500-lbs bombs
- 310 built, 50 to RAF as Mustang Mk II
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- XP-51B (NA-101) originally XP-78
Based on RAF experiments, two P-51s re-engined with 1,450 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-3 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlins
- 441 mph at 29,800 ft
- carburetor air intake moved from above to below nose
- exhaust expelled through individual stacks
- ailerons modified
- Intercooler & radiators extensively modified
- No guns
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- P-51B (NA-102/104) production version of XP-51B,
- 6,840lbs empty, 9,200lbs normal, 11,200lbs max
- 1,620 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-3 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin
- 388 mph @ 5000 ft, 406 mph @ 10,000 ft, 427 mph @ 20,000 ft, 430 mph @ 25,000 ft, 440 mph @ 30,000 ft
- 1.8 minutes to 5000 ft, 3.6 minutes to 10,000 ft, 7 minutes to 20,000 ft. Service ceiling 42,000 ft
- Four 0.5-inch Browning MG53-2 guns in wings, 350 rounds each gun, and 280 rounds each outer gun
NA-104 wing hardpoints strengthened for 1,000-lbs bombs
Final 550 aircraft added 85-US gal rear fuselage tank (P-51B-7-NAs), also retrofitted to some earlier aircraft
- Green camouflage paint removed later in production run to reduce weight/drag
- 1,988 built, 25 to RAF
- Mustang Mk III British equivalent P-51B/C (274 P-51Bs and 626 P-51Cs)
- British addition of "Malcolm Hood" or "Bubble" canopy on Mustang III improved visibility, retrofitted to many P-51B/Cs
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- P-51C (NA-103/111) Similar to P-51 B but built in Dallas TX , (not Inglewood CA)
- 6985 lbs empty, 9800 lbs normal, 11,800 lbs max
- 1695 hp Packard twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin V-1650-7
- 395 mph @ 5000 ft, 417 mph @ 10,000 ft, 426 mph @ 20,000 ft, 439 mph @ 25,000 ft, 435 mph @ 30,000 ft
- 1.6 minutes to 5000 ft, 3.1 minutes to 10,000 ft, 6.9 minutes to 20,000 ft. Service ceiling 41,900 ft
- 1,750 built
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- XP-51D (NA-106) Two P-51 Bs with teardrop canopy, cut-down rear fuselage
Six 0.5-in wing guns (Not mounted)
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- P-51D (NA-109/111/122/124) production version of XP-51 D
- 7,125lbs empty,10,100lbs normal, 12,100lbs max
- 1,685-hp V-1650-7 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin engine
- 395 mph @ 5000ft, 416 mph @ 10,000ft, 424 mph @ 20,000 ft, 437 mph @ 25,000 ft
- Initial climb 3,475ft/minute, 1.7 minutes to 5,00ft, 3.3 minutes to10,000ft, 7.3 minutes to 20,000ft
- Service ceiling 41,900 ft
- Six 0.5-in wing guns
- K-14 computing gyro gun sight
- Tear drop Plexiglas canopy now standard
- Dorsal fin for stability added early in production, retrofitted to many Bs, Cs, & early Ds
- Block 25 on, provision for four 5-in rockets added
Production: 6,502 (Inglewood) 1,454 (Dallas) -- 280 to RAF as Mustang Mk IV
Redesignated F-51D in 1948- The P-51D was the definitive World War II variant
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- FP-51D: post-war redesignation of F-6D, redesignated RF-51D in 1948
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- TP-51D: two-seat trainer version of P-51D
Four 0.5-in wing guns
Production: 10 built in Dallas, also several conversions of existing aircraft
Redesignated TF-51D in 1948- -
- ETF-51D: One TF-51D converted for carrier landing tests
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- P-51E: designation planned for Dallas P-51 But not used, aircraft completed as P-51 D-NT
- XP-51F (NA-105): lightweight model (9,060 lbs)
- Structure almost completely redesigned
- V-1650-7 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin w/Simmons automatic boost control for constant manifold pressure
- 5635 lbs. empty, 7610 lbs. Normal, 9,060 lbs. max,
- 466 mph @ 29,000 ft, 4.9 minutes to 19, 500ft, service ceiling 42,500 ft
- Four 0.5 wing mounted machine guns
- Redesigned cooling & hydraulic systems
- Low-drag wing w/straight leading edge
Three completed, one to RAF
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- XP-51G (NA-105) two aircraft similar to XP-51F (one to RAF)
- 5750 lbs. empty, 7265 lbs. normal, and 8885 lbs. max,
- 1,675-hp twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 145M engine, 1,910 hp
- 472 mph at 20,750 ft, 3.4 minutes to 20,000ft, service ceiling 45,700 ft
- Rotol five-bladed propeller
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- P-51H (NA-126/129) lightweight version similar to XP-51F except longer fuselage, taller fin
V-1650-9A twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled Merlin 1,380 hp /take-off, 2,218 hp/at altitude w/water injection
- 6585lbs empty, 9500lbs normal, 11,500lbs max
- 1380 hp @ takeoff , 2218 hp war emergency power @ 10,200 ft., 1900 hp @ 20,000 ft w/water injection
- 444 mph at 5000 ft, 463 mph at 15,000 ft, and 487 mph at 25,000 ft
- 5000ft in 1.5 minutes, 15,000ft in 5 minutes
- Six 0.5-in wing guns
555 NA-126 s completed, 1,445 NA-129s cancelled
- First flown by Bob Chilton on February 3, 1945, whether or not the P-51H participated in combat in World War II is still controversial
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- XP-51J (NA-105): two aircraft similar to XP-51F but powered by 1,720-hp Allison V-1710-119
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- P-51 K (NA-111) Dallas version of P-51D with smaller diameter Aeroproducts propeller
Block 10 & later: four stubs for 5-in rockets
1,500 built -- 594 to RAF as Mustang Mk IVA
Redesignated F-51K in 1948
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- P-51L (NA-129) Cancelled (1,700) production version of P-51H with V-1650-11
- Stromberg speed/density injection carburetor, 2270 hp w/water injection
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- P-51M (NA-124) Dallas version of P-51H with V-1650-9A; one completed, 1,628 cancelled
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- A-36A (NA-97) "Apache," later "Invader," finally "Mustang" dive bomber variant with hydraulic retractable dive brakes in wings
- 8,370 lbs normal, 10,700 lbs max
- Six 0.5-in machine guns (two in lower fuselage nose & four in the wings), 2 X 500 lbs bombs
- Pylons for two 500-lbs bombs;
Allison twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled V-1710-87 (F21R) 1325 hp at 3000 ft- 356 mph @ 5000 ft "clean," 310 mph w/two 500-lbs bombs
- 500 built, three to RAF
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- F-6A: 57 P-51 s fitted with two K24 cameras in fuselage for reconnaissance
Four 20-mm cannon in wings
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- F-6B: 35 P-51 As fitted with two K24 cameras
Four 0.5-in wing guns
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- F-6C: tactical reconnaissance version of P-51 B/C with two K24 or one K17 and one K22 camera
71 P-51Bs; 20 P-51Cs converted
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- F-6D: 136 P-51 Ds with fuselage camera
Further conversions made from P-51 Ds
Redesignated FP-51 D and then RF-51 D
A few converted to two-seat configuration designated TRF-51D
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- F-6K: 163 P-51 Ks with camera installations
Redesignated FP-51K and then RF-51 K
- NA-73X: Original privately financed prototype