P-51D-5

P-51D-5

P-51

P-47D-22-RE

P-51D-5

P-51

P-47D-22-RE

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.0	5.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

Show in game

This page is about the American fighter P-51D-5. For other versions, see P-51 (Family).

Description

The P-51D-5 Mustang is a rank III American fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB) and 5.0 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The P-51D is, undoubtedly, the shining star of the USAF branch. With its sleek laminar-flow wing, classic American M2 Brownings, high-visibility cockpit, and immensely powerful engine, the P-51 is most definitely a force to be reckoned with. It is endowed with very good high-altitude traits, endurance, and speed. Use it accordingly.

P-51D on the Inglewood assembly line, the fully “semi-monocoque” fuselage lowered on the one piece wing. From -> "Structures of aircraft" article

As standard with the USAAF, the Mustang has six M2 Browning machine guns in the wings. It can load bombs and rockets like most other planes in the USAAF. The armament, though effective, still requires patience to master. The M2s have a great range, but the damage decreases substantially as your proximity from your opponent increases. It is best to shoot for the engines and wings of any plane, because fuselage shots will waste your ammunition.

The armament is pretty versatile; the 12.7 mm M2 machine guns can easily destroy most soft targets: light tanks, AAA, SPAA, soft ground units, artillery, etc. Against bombers and heavy fighters the incendiary rounds will effectively set them alight.

The ground attack capability of the Mustang is notable, as it can carry 2 heavy 1000 lb bombs, as well as 6 rockets. Thus, the Mustang is also an effective attacker/ground attack aircraft.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 7,620 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
673	652	12700	24.0	24.9	14.9	14.9	396
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 7,620 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
724	698	12700	22.0	23.0	21.7	18	396

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		644	~10	~4

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 500	< 300	< 500	> 400

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,400 m	1,580 hp	1,728 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,400 m	1,320 hp	1,444 hp

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot's windscreen
• 19.05 mm Steel - Fore engine plate
• 6.35 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
• 8 mm Steel - Plate behind pilot's seat
• 11 mm Steel - Pilot's headrest

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-51D-5 is armed with:

• 6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (2 x 270 rpg outer + 500 rpg inner = 2,080 total)

Suspended armament

The P-51D-5 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 6 x HVAR rockets
• 6 x M8 rockets
• 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)
• 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (500 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs + 6 x HVAR rockets (200 lb total)
• 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs + 6 x HVAR rockets (500 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs + 6 x HVAR rockets (1,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

With a BR of 4.3, its performance is far better than most equivalently ranked aircraft such as the Fw 190 A-4. Climb rate is impressive and the 6 MGs have a very good ammo capacity, even more with the free reloads in AB.

In all battle modes side-climbing and then Boom & Zooming are by far the most effective tactics for use with the Mustang. Once at a high altitude, dispatching bombers and preying on fighters is quite easy, given the high endurance and weaponry of the P-51. ALWAYS maintain significant energy and speed with the P-51- the Mustang relies on energy to perform. Speeds lower than 400 km/h result in extremely sluggish performance and thus destruction. Therefore, always maintain speed and altitude.

Especially in RB, maintaining altitude is imperative with the P-51D. Without altitude, one will most definitely fall prey to faster climbers such as the Fw 190 D. By keeping speed the P-51 is also a very effective dog fighter.

The P-51D has a very high stall speed. You'd be better off not stalling in this plane. Only do it when necessary and when you know you're safe to do it. Knowing when to use flaps is important, as the aircraft lacks an airbrake.

Never go head-on in this plane. Your fragile airframe will be shredded by 20 mm cannons (or larger) which are plentiful at the level it fights. Avoid such situations.

Surprisingly the Mustang is a good dog-fighter at speeds above 400 km/h, but not good enough to beat Spitfires, or Japanese planes. Thankfully, you will rarely battle any allied planes, if at all. However, if caught by your main opponents, such as the Bf 109 or A6M5, out-running them and employing boom-and-zoom tactics will be very effective.

The 6 M2 Browning HMGs are very effective with the P-51. When combined with the "Tracer" belt (which is composed entirely with the extremely effective M20 API-T rounds), the Mustang's weapons are a force to be reckoned with. With bombers, a good burst to the engines is enough to send it up in flames. Not only are the guns powerful, but they possess very high ammunition capacity- 2,000 rounds total- plenty for an entire game. Additionally, once you reach 480 rounds left the P-51 fires only from 2 outboard M2s, providing additional endurance for the price of lower damage and power. This can be highly advantageous in RB and SB, but extremely disadvantageous in arcade.

Cockpit visibility is very impressive in SB due to the bubble cockpit. Visibility is superior to all planes in the 4-6 BR range aside from the P-47 or Griffin Spits.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm		FSBC mk.1
II		Compressor	Airframe		FRC mk.2	FSBC mk.5
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 12 mm MGs		FMBC mk.1
IV	G-suit	Engine injection	Cover		Rocket Launcher M10	FLBC mk.1

• The stock Mustang has fairly poor performance. Acceleration and climb rate is terrible. This can be rectified by grinding down the performance modifications. The "Offensive 12.7 mm" should be researched immediately, and stealth ammo equipped. Avoid researching ground attack mods until you research performance mods first, that includes the very important "G-Suit", as it greatly increases high-speed g-tolerance.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Outstanding Boom & Zoom capability
• Great performance at altitude
• Very fast at all altitudes, especially with a leveling-out dive
• Very agile at high speeds
• Good cockpit visibility
• Plenty of ammo
• High energy retention in turns
• Large fuel capacity (1 hour 45 minutes maximum flight time)
• Tracers consist entirely of API-T rounds, giving the 12.7 mm a significantly bigger punch than other machine guns
• Fantastic top speed and acceleration when spaded
• Very good sustained climb rate when spaded

Cons:

• Relatively prone to catching fire
• High stall speed
• Only utilises machines guns, no cannons
• Poor performance and climb, relatively low acceleration when stock
• Sluggish when carrying bombs and rockets (Increased weight and drag)
• Has an annoying tendency to quickly catch on fire.

History

In April of 1940, the British Purchasing Commission visited the United States in the hope of securing a new fighter to supplement their Spitfire and Hurricane. They approached the North American Aircraft Company with the proposal to build P-40s under license from Curtiss. Instead, North American proposed the idea of building a brand new superior fighter. The BPC accepted the proposal and the first prototype was set to be completed within 120 days. The design team was led by Lee Atwood, Raymond Rice, and Edgar Schmued (a German-born Austrian who was previously employed by Fokker). They quickly set to work on the new prototype designated NA-73X. The original prototype was assembled in 117 days and first flew on October 26, 1940. A majority of the early Mustangs produced were primarily used for testing by the USAAC. Shortly thereafter 320 NA-73s were ordered by the BPC. The first production model destined for the RAF made its maiden flight on May 1, 1941. The Lend-Lease contract was approved later that year on September 25th. These aircraft were designated Mustang I.

The Allison power-plant used on the early Mustangs was not designed for high altitude performance. In August of 1942, Major Thomas Hitchcock approached senior officers in the U.S. Army for a solution. He proposed the Mustang could be easily developed into a high altitude long-range fighter through the conversion to the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. America's World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker also endorsed the idea. Five Mustang Is were delivered to Rolls-Royce for the conversion and Merlin 65 engines were fitted to the airframe. Rolls-Royce would allow the Packard company to build the Merlin engines under license and this would be the answer to the USAAF's long-range fighter problem.

The P-51D was powered by a Packard Merlin V-1650-7 engine. The aircraft was fitted with six 12.7 mm Machine guns, a reflex gunsight, and a bubble canopy. A total of 7.956 D variant Mustangs were built.

The P-51D saw front-line service with the Eight Air-force immediately following D-Day. It quickly excelled as a high-altitude escort fighter.

In-game description

The North-American P-51 Mustang was an American fighter designed in the early 1940s and is considered the best US fighter of WWII. It was widely exported to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The P-51 participated in the Korean War and other post-WWII conflicts.

The most famous Mustang version was the P-51D with teardrop (or bubble) canopy. The main problem for the pilots of the earlier variants was a huge blind spot at the rear of the aircraft due to the canopy design. An earlier attempt to address the issue was a British-designed Malcolm hood, installed on many P-51Bs. It improved rearward visibility, but the search for a better solution continued. In January 1943, USAAF's Colonel Mark Bradley, while stationed in Britain, was introduced to the then-new "bubble" canopy, designed for use on Spitfires and Typhoons. The canopy had no framework and offered near 360-degree vision. To install the new canopy, the rear fuselage section of the Mustang had to lose some height. However, this change required minimal redesign to the airframe. The inaugural flight of the new P-51D took place at Inglewood, California on 17th November 1943.

Media

• Camouflages for the P-51 on live.warthunder

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Forums] P-51D Mustang