Delphic Designs
Technical Illustration as Fine ArtMustang Products
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The P-51 Mustang is regarded by many to be the premier long-range fighter of World War II. When paired with Rolls-Royce's Merlin engine, the P-51 Mustang had an outstanding speed and service ceiling. The Mustang was designed by North American Aviation's, Edgar Schmued, a self-taught German Immigrant. Between 1941-45, the AAF ordered 14,855 Mustangs (including A-36 dive bomber and F-6 photo recon versions), of which 7,956 were P-51Ds.
The interior view of the Mustang reveals the engineering that helped win the air war in Europe. The cutaway includes a cross section of the laminar-flow, low-drag airfoil whose curves made the wings the most efficient of the war. The landing gear design minimized the landing accidents that the ME 109 and Spitfire were so prone to. The Mustang's landing gear opened out rather than opening in, giving the Mustang a much wider wheel base for landing by tired pilots. The simplicity of the fuselage frame allowed the Mustang to be mass produced in large numbers. The integrated design of the water cooler and oil cooler minimized parasitic drag and actually produced forward thrust at high speeds due to the Meredith effect. The large fuselage fuel tank behind the pilot gave the Mustang the range to reach Berlin. The Rolls-Royce Merlin minimizes the frontal area of the Mustang while generating high horsepower at altitude by placing the intercooler and supercharger behind the engine.
The exterior view depicts Chuck Yeager's "Glamorous Glenn III", a P-51D Mustang, as it was in 1944. Chuck Yeager was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group in which he flew combat missions over Europe from February of 1944 until the end of WWII. On his eighth mission he was shot down over German-occupied France. He was able to escape capture and made his way back home through Spain. While in combat Chuck downed thirteen enemy aircraft including five ME-109's on a single day and one of Germany's first jet fighters. After the war, Yeager became an experimental test pilot and was the first man to break the sound barrier.
The interior view of the Mustang reveals the engineering that helped win the air war in Europe. The cutaway includes a cross section of the laminar-flow, low-drag airfoil whose curves made the wings the most efficient of the war. The landing gear design minimized the landing accidents that the ME 109 and Spitfire were so prone to. The Mustang's landing gear opened out rather than opening in, giving the Mustang a much wider wheel base for landing by tired pilots. The simplicity of the fuselage frame allowed the Mustang to be mass produced in large numbers. The integrated design of the water cooler and oil cooler minimized parasitic drag and actually produced forward thrust at high speeds due to the Meredith effect. The large fuselage fuel tank behind the pilot gave the Mustang the range to reach Berlin. The Rolls-Royce Merlin minimizes the frontal area of the Mustang while generating high horsepower at altitude by placing the intercooler and supercharger behind the engine.
The exterior view depicts Chuck Yeager's "Glamorous Glenn III", a P-51D Mustang, as it was in 1944. Chuck Yeager was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group in which he flew combat missions over Europe from February of 1944 until the end of WWII. On his eighth mission he was shot down over German-occupied France. He was able to escape capture and made his way back home through Spain. While in combat Chuck downed thirteen enemy aircraft including five ME-109's on a single day and one of Germany's first jet fighters. After the war, Yeager became an experimental test pilot and was the first man to break the sound barrier.
References
- American Aero Services - Great restoration photos of P-51D Mustang, Corsair, B-17G Flying Fortress, and more.
- North American P-51D Mustang, Aero Detail 13 By Nohara and Shiwaku (Dai Nippon Kaiga Books); ISBN - Great color photos
- Rolls-Royce and the Mustang By Divid Birch (Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust); ISBN 0 9511710 0 3 - The definative story of the Mustang's conversion to the Merlin.
- The Merlin in Perspective - the Combat Years By Alec Harvey-Bailey (Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust); ISBN 1 872922 06 6 Alec and his father were executives at Rolls-Royce during the war years and gives an excellent history of the Merlin engine.
- Mustang Designer Edgar Schmued and the P-51 By Ray Wagner; ISBN 1-56098-994-7 Learn about the man behind the Mustang fromn his personal papers.
- P-51 Mustang Restored By Paul Hogan; ISBN 0-87938-991-5 Great interor photos from the restoration of Lil' Margret, a F-6D photo reconnaissance version of the P-51
- P-51 Mustang Production Line to Frontline series By Michael O'Leary; ISBN 1 85532 703 1 - Great photos of the North American Aviation Inglewood factory.
- Pilot Training Manual for the F-51D Mustang ISBN 0-911139-09-05 - Great diagrams and charts.
- Development of the Long-Range Escort Fighter: P-51 Mustang By Paul A. Ludwig; ISBN 1-903223-14-8 - Great explanation of capabilities of the P-51 and how it was initially resisted by the Army Air Force.
- Swiss Mustangs - A great resource on Mustangs that served in the Swiss Air Force.
