North American P-51D Mustang IV

  • Period: Second World War (1939-1945)
  • Uses: Fighter
  • First Flight: October 25, 1940
  • Display Status: On the Museum Floor.

The versions of this superb airplane fitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine were arguably the finest all-round fighters of Second World War. Its long range permitted bomber escort from Britain to southern Germany and back. The Mustang was also the first US Air Force fighter to serve in the Korean War. The RCAF flew Mustangs in Second World War and in 1947 received 130 aircraft to equip two regular and six auxiliary squadrons. The Mustang retired from RCAF service in 1960.

Although designed and built in 117 days, the Mustang incorporated such advances as a laminar-flow wing and simple lines for easy production. A long-range night fighter version, the “Twin Mustang”, was two Mustangs overlapping one wing each to create a twin-engine, two-pilot airplane. Stock and modified Mustangs were still competing in air racing in the 1990s.

Museum Example

  • Registration #: 9298 (RCAF)
  • Manufacturer: North American Aviation Inc., United States
  • Manufacture Date: 1945
  • Construction #: 122-39806
  • Aquisition Date: 1964
  • Provenance: Transfer from RCAF

The Museum aircraft, manufactured in 1945, served first with the US Army Air Forces, then from 1951 with the RCAF, until its transfer to the Canadian War Museum in 1964.

Specifications

Wing Span:
11.3 m (37 ft 1/4 in)
Length:
9.8 m (32 ft 3 in)
Height:
4.2 m (13 ft 8 in)
Weight, Empty:
3,465 kg (7,635 lb)
Weight, Gross:
5,488 kg (12,100 lb)
Cruising Speed:
418 km/h (260 mph)
Max Speed:
703 km/h (437 mph)
Rate of Climb:
6,100 m (20,000 ft) / 10 min
Service Ceiling:
12,950 m (42,500 ft)
Range:
3,347 km (2,080 mi)
Crew:
one
Power Plant:
one Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin V-1650-7, 1,680 hp, Vee engine