![]() ![]() A prototype was finished in 117 days minus the engine, plus wheels which had to be borrowed from an AT-6 trainer. North American designers Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued, the latter had worked for Fokker and Messerschmitt in 1925, 3 immediately set about meeting the requirements. The British agreed on the new type, NA-73X, only on the stipulation that a prototype be on hand within 120 days. "Lee" Atwood 2 to formulate an outline for the project. 1 North American's only previous fighter experience was with theīut Dutch collaborated with J.L. It was said that "Dutch" got his inspiration for the P-51 after a 1938 tour of aircraft industries in Great Britain and Germany. "Dutch" Kendelberger, the president of North American offered to build an entirely new advanced fighter using the same Allison V-1710-39Įngine used on the P-40. Since the P-40 design went back to 1933, James H. In April 1940, the British Air Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation with the intent of having them buildįor the RAF. ![]() In late 1939, with the likelihood of full-scale war in Europe a major concern, the British Royal Air Force was looking seriously at methods of quickly increasing its fighter strength. If you can see the video controls but the video doesn't play click the link below. Try using the 'object' element listed further down the page. If you are reading this, it is because your browser does not support the 'video' element. With the forging of the American airframe with the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, it would be unmatched by any other piston aircraft of World War II. Once its full potential had been developed, the USA realized that this aircraft had been ignored for far too long a time. Originally overlooked by the USAAF, the P-51 did not see action with American forces until March 1943. Among one of the most famous fighters of World War II, the P-51 Mustang has its roots in both Britain and the USA. ![]()
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