P 51 Mustang

P 51 Mustang
Shopping for needed airplanes, a commission asked NA to license-manufacture the P-40 Tomahawk. A designer proposed something new. From the British request to first flight was 5 months, although the prototype soon crashed, they entered orders for 620 (during the critical Battle of Britain). Not long after, the U.S. Army Air Corps tested it with the original Allison (exhibiting power loss at altitude), then ordered it as a dive bomber(!?!). It was the Brits who adapted one to their RR Merlin- whoo boy! Quickly, the manufacturer arranged for Packard-built Merlins and the P-51B resulted. Just in time, for strategic bombing was costing too many aircrew and their planes.Keywords: MILITARY AVIATION