North American P-51 "Mustang"
Model Airplane News Cover Art for September, 1941, May, 1944, and June, 1955
by Jo Kotula
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The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat World War II fighter aircraft. It was designed, built and airborne in just 117 days. The Mustang first flew in RAF service as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. However, its most noted service was as a bomber escort, employed in raids over Germany to attain Allied air superiority. The P-51 was in service with Allied air forces in Europe and also saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. The Mustang began the Korean War as the United Nations' main fighter, but was relegated to a ground attack role when superseded by jet fighters early in the conflict. Nevertheless, it remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s.

  



North American P-51 "Mustang"
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The Mustang was a fast, well-made, and highly durable aircraft -- and not only that, it was very economical to produce. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by a Packard supercharged engine, and was armed with six .50 caliber Browning machine guns. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing. In the mid-1960s, Ford Motor Company's youth-oriented Mustang automobile was named after the fighter due to its awsom reputation for speed and grace.

Here is a video of the North American P-51 "Mustang" in action:

In addition to the cover of Model Airplane News, this airplane was also featured in the WINGS "Friend or Foe" trading card series of the early 1950s

Trading card representation of the North American P-51 "Mustang"
Click Here to see all 200 cards in the series
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Click Here for more information about the North American P-51 "Mustang".

The North American P-51 Mustang attained its peak of popularity at the end of World War II. This is a Cleveland "Industrial Training" kit for the airplane, and was intended to prepare people for work in the aviation industry. There were much more detailed (and larger) models available from Cleveland. This design has proven to be very popular with folks who build gasoline powered models. It flies very well and is ultra-fast just like its real-life counterpart.

     

Cleveland Model of the North American P-51 Mustang

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You can buy the plans and patterns that will enable you to make this model right now. Click Here to go to the exact location on the Cleveland Website to get them.

North American P-51 Mustang at the Cleveland Site
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