|
The North American P-51 Mustang was initially produced in response to a 1940 RAF requirement for a fast, heavily armed fighter able to operate effectively at altitudes in excess of 6100m (20,000ft). The protoype first flew on October 26, 1940. Although the initial aircraft did not perform well at high altitude, once it was fitted with a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engine, there was a dramatic improvement in performance. There is no doubt at all the the Mustang won the daylight battle over Germany. In the Pacific, Mustangs operated from the captured islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, escorting B-29s to their targets and neutralizing the Japanese air force on the ground.
|