P-51D-30

P-51D-30

P-47N-15

P-51H-5-NA

P-51D-30

P-47N-15

P-51H-5-NA

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	5.0	5.3

Class:

Fighter

Research:46 000

Purchase:155 000

Show in game

This page is about the American fighter P-51D-30. For other uses, see P-51 (Family).

Description

The P-51D-30 Mustang is a rank IV American fighter with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB), 5.0 (RB), and 5.3 (SB). It was added to the game as of Update 1.33.

The P-51D was a further development of earlier Allison-engined P51s in that it received the excellent Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which gave it excellent high-altitude performance. This, combined with excellent endurance, made the P51 well-suited for bomber escort duties.

Ingame, the P51D-30 runs a 75" boost that allows it to outspeed nearly every single vehicle at 5.0 BR. It possesses an excellent climb rate and good high-speed handling which makes it extremely well suited for Boom and Zoom. Additionally, bombs and rockets can be carried making the P51 a good ground striker in Ground RB.

• Use this plane as a Boom & Zoom fighter. Altitude and speed are your biggest friends while in combat.
• The P-51D has a laminar flow wing, hence it is fast and very agile at high speeds. The laminar flow wing reducing drag especially when going fast, which means that the aircraft turns best at high speeds.
• The P-51D out dives nearly all opponents at 5.0, and is also very agile at high speeds.
• The plane has a great endurance with its 1,880 rounds of ammo and 27 minutes of fuel minimum. Use this to your advantage.
• It has a very high stall speed. You'd be better off to not stall in this plane. Only do it when necessary and when you know you're safe to do it.
• .50 cals are extremely effective and long range head-on shots are very viable.
• The P-51D-30 is not a turn fighter but is definitely manoeuvrable enough to dogfight at high speed.
• Optimal climb speed is 250 kph IAS.
• It's recommended to use Manual Engine Control with the P-51D-30. The D-30 has indefinite WEP and Meredith Effect modelled so radiator drag at high speeds is not an issue
• If using MEC, Supercharger Gear 2 should be engaged at 3,300 m.

General info

Flight Performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,400 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
689	670	12,700	21.4	21.8	15.8	18.2	396
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,400 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
761	721	12,700	19.1	20.0	33.0	22.7	396

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
644	362	265	~11	~5

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	1,959 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,400 m	1,370 hp	1,699 hp

Survivability and armour

• 38 mm Bulletproof glass in front of the pilot.
• 19.05 mm Steel plate in front of the engine.
• 6.35 mm Steel plate between the engine and pilot.
• 15.87 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-51D-30 is armed with:

• 6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, wing-mounted (400 rpg inner, 270 outer x2 = 1,880 total)

Suspended armament

The P-51D-30 can be outfitted with the following ordinances:

• Without load
• 6 x 127 mm HVAR rockets
• 2 x 1000 lbs AN-M65A1 bombs
• 6 x 114 mm M8 rockets

Usage in the battles

Offense
Probably the best assets the P-51D has are its speed, weaponry, and energy retention. In game and in real life the P-51D achieves ideal performance above 7 km; however, even at low altitudes, the P-51 is still incredibly fast. If one climbs at the ideal speed of 250 kph IAS side climbing is not necessary- a high enough altitude will be achieved by the time the first contact is initiated that the P-51D-30 can simply evade incoming fire and speed away, untouchable.

When an enemy is spotted moving away from the P51-D, enter a mild dive and go for a strafing run. After that, it is important to continue heading in the same direction so the speed is maintained. Doing this, even the most agile fighters won't be able to turn quickly enough to fire on you. If you miss on your strafe run or have an enemy behind you, you should get at least 2+km from the enemy and then start to turn towards him, depending on his speed. If your speed is under 500 kph, a bigger distance should be achieved before attempting a turn. This ensures that your turn will be completed before the enemy gets within 1 km distance before you can line up your shot. Head-ons are actually very effective against fragile/lightly gunned vehicles such as the A6M and Spitfire. The high rate of fire and velocity of the 50 cals make long-range sniping very viable.

When engaging enemy bombers, aim for engines and wings. A good burst will rip off wings with ease and/or start several fires.

Defense
Shallow dives and altitude are your friends- at 5.0 there is no vehicle short of an Fw 190 D13 that can catch a P-51D-30 above 5 km. Furthermore, the P-51D-30 is near untouchable in a dive- careful, however, as planes such as the G55S can and will catch a P-51 in a steep dive. In such a case, initiate a shallow dive which will make use of your superior energy retention and top speed.

Defensive dives are a strong suit of the P-51D as the flaps and airframe are very durable- spiral dives can easily rip the wings of more fragile Bf 109s and Spitfires.

It is possible in arcade to perform Pugachev's Cobra (due to the agility at high speeds) in some situations but should not be attempted unless you are at high speed and know what you are doing as it does require a large amount of skill to pull off successfully.

Specific enemies worth noting

5.7 Griffon/LF Spitfires, Fw 190 Ds, and Ta 152 H-1s are all vehicles of concern. They are also at a significantly higher BR and will not be encountered particularly often.

Griffon/LF Spitfires can be outrun, Fw 190 Ds can be out-turned, and Ta 152 Hs can be out-dived.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not ontrollable	Not controllable

Modules

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

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Outstanding Boom & Zoom capability
• Great performance at altitude
• Excellent .50 calibre machine guns
• Very fast at all altitudes
• Very agile at high speeds
• Good turn radius at high speeds
• Good cockpit visibility
• Plenty of ammo
• Useful close-support capability (ground attack)
• Refueling isn't something to worry about (27 min)

Cons:

• Can't sustain much damage
• Sluggish at low speeds
• High stall speed
• Average climb rate
• Minimum fuel load is rather big
• High repair cost in RB for a 5.0 plane

History

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. The P-51D-30 was developed soon before the war ended. It mainly served in the Korean war.

In-game description

"A single-seat all-metal cantilever monoplane fighter with a single engine, closed cockpit and retractable landing gear.

The P-51D model Mustangs lacked one of the main flaws of the P-51B and P-51C models – poor visibility from the cockpit, particularly to the rear. The P-51D fighters received a new drop-shaped cockpit canopy without bracing, providing a perfect 360° view.

Over time, the German Luftwaffe's resistance became weaker. Sightings of enemy planes in the sky grew rarer and rarer. This influenced the Mustang's continued evolution. Model P-51D aircraft were no longer painted – camouflage on the ground and in the air came to be considered excessive. The fighters now gleamed with polish metal. Its weight had decreased slightly, and its aerodynamics improved. On average, this resulted in a small addition to its speed.

Mustangs then began to attack ground targets more often than air targets. They received rocket equipment to increase their efficiency as fighter-bombers and attack aircraft.

The P-51D-30 could carry a “cluster” of three “tubes” – directional M10s, M14s or M15s for launching unguided M8 rockets. In place of these, it could also carry clips for the suspension of unguided 127 mm HVAR rockets. The P-51D was able to carry up to six heavy rockets along with suspended fuel tanks, and up to ten rockets without them. The aircraft's rocket armament significantly increased its ability to damage small moving targets.

The P-51D became the most mass-produced Mustang model, a symbol of American aviation and one of the best fighters of World War II. In total, 8,156 of them were built.

Apart from the RAF and USAAF, the P-51 was in service with France, China, Australia and the Netherlands during World War II.

The P-51D remained in service with the USAAF for many years after World War II. In 1948, the USAF, newly formed as a separate type of army, abolished the letter “P” (“pursuit”) as a designation for fighter and replaced it with the letter “F” (“fighter”). The designation P-51 changed to F-51 accordingly."

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read 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.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
• other literature.