Mustang P51B
Nearly everyone has heard the story of the P51, NorthAmerican Aircraft contracted by the British to produce a front line fighter inrecord time. They didn't disappoint. With the advantage of contemporaryfighters to study such as the Spitfire, P40 and 109, they could pick the bestparts and forget the worst. The end result was a very fine aeroplane which was also avery practical machine to produce. Initially it was limited to ground attackand low level reconnaissance roles due to the poor altitude performance of itsAllison engine. The airframe was recognised as being outstanding and the RAFcarried out a number of experiments involving additional fuel tanks, bombshackles and armament changes, but the most exciting change of all was theexperimental installation of a Merlin 61 similar to that fitted to the MkIXSpitfire. The transformation was dramatic. The P51, once breathlessabove medium altitude now charged into the upper atmosphere where it could makethe most of its excellent aerodynamics. It was now ready to take on its role asthe supreme high altitude escort fighter. The 'B and C" model (virtually identical but built indifferent factories) really were the heroes of the Mustang family. They enteredthe air war when the Luftwaffe was most numerous and took on the German pilotswhen they were at their peak of efficiency with five years experience behindthem. Post war the historians largely favour the D model, but weshould remember that most of the US aces scored the bulk of their kills on theearlier model. Even Bud Anderson's famous "Old Crow" is depictedalmost without fail as a D model and yet he flew no less than three P51Bsbefore that and definitely preferred the early model. The B model was generallyfelt to be a little faster due to its more aerodynamic rear deck and the weightsaving of two .50 calibre machine guns. The addition of the two outboard guns to the D modelnoticeably reduced initial roll response making the B model feel a lot morelively and refined. Of course its deficiency was visibility from the cockpit,although many of the early aces had grown used to its limitations, others had aSpitfire style sliding "Malcom hood" fitted, which made a vast improvement. This was a field modby a British company and proved very popular. Some of the last surviving Bmodels were also fitted with the dorsal fin fillet of the late D models inorder to improve directional stability when overloaded with fuel. Check out the leading US aces and you will be surprised outhow many racked up the bulk of their victories on the sleek B and C model. Mustang P51B and the Warbirds Model The Warbirds P51B is a delightful model to build and fly.With an all up weight of around 6.5lb is easilyattainable and with just a 4s battery pack and a 600KV motor (notincluded) the model will perform justlike the real thing. The wide undercarriage and simple lines make this a simplefirst Warbird to build and operate. We also offer as an option, cranked oleolegs which have been machined to a very high standard and a beautiful aluminiumspinner, or a cheaper nylon version. The kit comes with the all of thewooden parts to enable you to build a high back "B " model or the low back "D "version . However , you do need to tell us which canopy you desire . Three canopy options are available :The original B (birdcage ), a retrofit Malcom hood as fitted to most RAFfighters and finally the tear drop "D" version . There are a huge variety of colour schemes available for theearly model P51, but among the best has to be the blue nosed version of the352FG. A number of decal sets are available with nose art packs for the morefamous aircraft. On the full size circuit 'Princess Elizabeth" can beseen at various air shows and there is no doubt that it offers a sleekerprofile than its iconic later brother. To make construction quick and easy,the kit features laser cut balsa and plywood parts, plus a set of vacformedexhaust stack , canopy , cowl and air scoop. Specifications Wingspan: 1450mm [57"] Weight6.6lb Requires 6 channel Radio , 4S 3600mah battery , 550-600KVBrushless motor . A note about the 352nd Fighter Group - the subject of theWarbirds P51B - Queen Elizabeth The 352nd FG had its beginnings in the merging of smallerunits into a superb fighting force which would account for 776 enemy aircraftdestroyed, fourth among all 8th Air Force units. The Group embarked from New York harbor July 1, 1943,arriving in Scotland July 5th and a few days later reached their new base atBodney, England. Training for combat became intense those next few months. TheGroup flew its first combat mission on September 9, 1943, an uneventful sweepout over the North Sea to escort returning B-17s. Some 40 pilots participatedin this mission. Although the 352nd had several minor encounters with the enemyin their early missions, it wasn't until November 26th that Major J. C. Meyer,C.O. of the 487th Squadron scored their first victory-an Me-109 attacking thebombers near Gronigen-the first of many victories for the 352nd.
During WWII the 352nd flew 420 missions, 59,387 operationalcombat hours, destroyed 776 enemy aircraft and had 29 aerial aces. Returning tothe U.S. at war's end, the unit was deactivated. Online build by Paul Johnson - https://www.modelflying.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=162099
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