P-51D Mustang
Military History
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat World War II fighter aircraft. Designed and built in just 117 days to a specification issued to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission, the Mustang first flew in Royal Air Force (RAF) service as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft before conversion to a bomber escort, employed in raids over Germany, helping ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. The P-51 was in service with Allied air forces in Europe and also saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War.
At the start of Korean War the Mustang was the United Nations' main fighter but the role was quickly shouldered by jet fighters, including the F-86, after which the Mustang became a specialised ground-attack fighter-bomber. In spite of being superseded by jet fighters the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s.
As well as being economical to produce, the Mustang was a fast, well-made, and highly durable aircraft. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650, a two-stage two-speed supercharged version of the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and was armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.
The Foundation's P-51D is painted in the markings of Capt. William T. Whisner's "Moonbeam McSwine". In the fall of 1943 Capt. Whisner joined the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group based in Bodney England. The Fighter group was famously known as "the Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney". During World War II, Capt. Whisner was credited with 15 1/2 aerial victories, making him a triple Ace. He went on to become an Ace in the Korean War as well, flying the F-86 Sabre. Whisner, by this time a full Colonel, went on to serve two tours as a fighter pilot and Squadron commander in Vietnam. He retired from active duty in 1989 and settled in his home state of Louisiana. On July 21, 1989, Colonel Whisner died from a yellow jacket bee sting while gardening in his back yard.
Read more information on the P-51 Mustang from the free online resource 'Wikipedia'.
P-51D-25-NA - Constr #: 122-31945 - Serial No: 44-12473 (U.S. Army Air Force)
| Date | Squadron | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 Oct | Manufactured at Inglewood plant Los Angeles, California | |
| 1945 Mar | Accepted by USAF and shipped to England for 8th Air Force | |
| 1945 Jul | Returned to USAF Depot Newark, New Jersey | |
| 1947 Mar | 182nd Fighter | Texas ANG - Brooks AFB San Antonio, Texas |
| 1950 Nov | 136th Fighter Group | CONAC Langley AFB, Virginia |
| 1951 May | 120th Fighter | COLO ANG Buckley Field Denver, Colorado |
| 1953 Mar | 109th Fighter | Minn. ANG St. Paul, Minnesota |
| 1956 Dec | McClelland AFB for Storage Sacramento, California | |
| 1958 Aug | Sold surplus to Delta A&E Parts for $1,307.50 | |
| 1958 Dec | Trans Florida Aviation Sarasota, Florida | |
| 1963 | Howard Olsen Midland, Texas - Restored by Cavalier Aircraft | |
| 1968 | FAS 406 | Sold to El Salvador Airforce |
| 1975 Oct | Acquired by Gordon Plaskett - Restored to "Moonbeam McSwine" | |
| 1981 Mar | Acquired by Vlado Lenoch - Raced at Reno in 1997, 1999 and 2000 - Flew with USAF Heritage Flight Program | |
| 2012 Dec | Acquired by Frederic Akary of France | |
| 2018 Mar | Acquired by Warbird Heritage Foundation Waukegan, Illinois |
SPECIFICATIONS
| Manufacturer: | North American Aviation, Inc. |
| Model: | P-51D-25-NA |
| Year Built: | 1944 |
| Constr # / Plant: | 122-31945 / Inglewood, CA |
| Serial No: | 44-12473 |
| N-Number: | N51VL |
| Engines: | One |
| Packard "Rolls Royce" Merlin V-1650-7 liquid-cooled supercharged V-12 | |
| 1,490 hp. / 1,720 hp. at WEP | |
| Length: | 32 ft. 3 in. |
| Height: | 12 ft. 2 in. |
| Wingspan: | 37 ft. |
| Weight: | Empty: 7,635 lbs. |
| Max Takeoff: 12,100 lbs. | |
| Performance: | Range: 2,300 miles |
| Range: 1,200 miles - Internal Fuel | |
| Ceiling: Over 41,900 ft. | |
| Stall Speed: 100 MPH | |
| Cruise Speed: 362 MPH | |
| Max Speed: 437 MPH at 25,000 ft. |
GALLERY
Explore the photos of our aircraft on this page by clicking the play arrow, or click on the square in the upper right hand corner to go to full screen. Once on the page, click play. To return to this page, click upper right hand button again. In full screen mode, you can double click the image to get a close-up view.
In-Flight Photos
Exterior / Interior Photos
Historial Photos
AVAILABILITY
Our P-51 Mustang "Moonbeam McSwine" is available for airshows and special events. For additional information, please contact us!