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The Mustang - Saga ... |
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built by Jürgen "Jerry" Lehrach (1:48) |
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The P-51 was without a doubt one of the most if not the most well known
aircraft of the W II era. The aircraft was popular with the pilots who appreciated
the excellent flying characteristics paired with a powerful Rolls-Royce
Merlin engine and the very effective defensive armament. The bomber crews
were grateful because "the little friends" could accompany them with auxiliary
tanks to the target deep into the Reich.
Less popular were the circular condensation trails the Mustangs left over
the Reich with their counterparts in the Luftwaffe who had to deal with
their ever increasing numbers. Goering was supposed to have remarked when
he saw the silver fighters over the capital: "When I saw the Mustangs over
Berlin, I knew that the war was lost." The development of this aircraft
began in 1940 and ended with specially designed racing aircraft during the
early eighties. Worldwide more than 15000 were built and the aircraft enjoyed
a successful operational career. The success story begins in October of
1940 with the development of the prototype: NA-73X. In only 100 days the
aircraft with the Allison engine was developed by North American Aviation
in Inglewood, CA. The British Purchasing Commission had initially ordered
the P-40 to help defend the island from the German onslaught since their
own production of fighters was felt inadequate.
Production lines for the P-40 were increased and North American Aviation
was asked to have their production lines ready within 4months to produce
the P-40. J.H. "Dutch" Kindelberger the president of NAA suggested to the
British that he would have a new fighter for them within that time frame
that would better meet their needs. On October 24th 1941 the first of 320
Mustang's Mk.I rolled on an English tarmac in Liverpool. Initially intended
as a high speed reconnaissance aircraft it soon appeared as a formidable
opponent over the European continent. This was due to its incredible range
and flying characteristics. The U.S Army Air Corps at first biased against
the aircraft and now convinced of its potential ordered 1000 aircraft in
a variety of versions. Amongst them were the ground attack version (A-36,
Apache) or as a fighter with 4 cannons or six machine guns (P-51 or P-51
A). |
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| The British nickname "Mustang" eventually replaced the
American "Apache". During early 1943 the Mustangs fought over Sicily and
southern Italy while the British tested the airframe with a Rolls-Royce
Merlin 61 engine. This helped the Mustang to be successful at high altitudes,
increased the airspeed and performance and made them superior to the standard
German fighters. The engine was fitted by Packard (and license built) as
the V-1650-3 and resulted in the P-51 B (British designation Mustang Mark
III with the Malcolm hood). She now sported a four bladed propeller, four
machine guns in the wings and a carburetor air scoop. The ultimate Mustang
was born. It was just in time because the bomber losses of the 8th Air Force
over Europe were high due to the lack of escorts for the whole mission.
In order to continue the strategy of precision daylight bombing, an escort
fighter was needed that could fly with the bombers to the target and back. |
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During early 1944 the P-51B appeared over the skies of
Europe and achieved very good results over the Luftwaffe Fighter force.
On March 6th 1944 for instance, 41 Luftwaffe fighters were shot down on
a mission over Berlin with a loss of only 5 Mustangs. Within a year, air
supremacy over Europe was achieved in this manner. While the battle for
Normandy was raging the P-51's started to fly without camouflage in their
pure natural aluminum finish. There were also some modifications added at
this time. The rear fuselage was straightened and a bubble top canopy was
added which gave the pilot a clear 360 degree view. Furthermore the P-51D
received a back fin to help stabilize the aircraft and an additional machine
gun in each wing.
Many US fighter groups in the European Theater were now equipped with the
Mustang. In the Pacific Theater the Mustang also played an important role
by escorting the B-29 Units based in Iwo Jima who methodically destroyed
everything on the Japanese mainland. After the war the Mustang become a
hot export item. It is easier to list the countries that did not have a
Mustang squadron in their air force than those that did. Decades after WW
II, Mustang's played a role in small conflicts around the globe. In Korea,
Mustangs played an important part in the ground support role as a night
fighter and as the F-82 or twin Mustang. (Two fuselages were connected similar
to the P-38 configuration) In the states the military career of the Mustang
ended in 1957 with the H model. Further developments by Cavallier and Piper
for the US Air Force did not end until the early eighties, but never were
produced in series.
The Mustang saga continues. To this day young and old are fascinated by
this racy aircraft at air shows around the world. The aesthetic design and
the roar of the Merlin's still thrill many. Many air races still feature
them because of their speed. |
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Models:
The P-51 family by Tamiya is still one of their best offerings. The P-51B
and D are available in 1/48 scale. The D is available in 1/72 scale. The
fit is up to usual Tamiya standards and the details are sufficient for this
scale. One can kit bash with the also excellent Hasegawa or Academy kits
(they also have the P-51A as well as the A-36 available) to correct some
of the minor flaws of the Tamiya kits. The aftermarket accessories available
for the Mustang can truly satisfy any detail maniac. There also is an abundance
of references both text and pictorial available. I just want to mention
Aires and Ultracast as two firms that provide the best support to build
an accurate Mustang replica. Squadron Signal publications are a must for
every Mustang modeler.
Conclusion: Great kits are available (of both the B and D versions) that
are easily put together even by beginners. Very little filling and sanding
are necessary. There are many accessories on the market and the painting
and marking possibilities for aircraft from around the world are endless.
What more do you need? (Maybe a new 1/32 scale Mustang from Tamigawa??). |
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meet the modeler |
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Jürgen "Jerry" LEHRACH |
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Hello, my name is Jürgen
Lehrach. I was born in 1977 in St. Pölten and very early
was interested in everything with wings. I started building
models when I was still in school and rediscovered it two years
ago.I had the urge to express my love for warbirds three dimensionally.
Certainly, my techniques have changed. Today's model builder
has a lot of help from accessories manufacturers and the improved
quality of the models to create a replica that is fairly close
to the original. A little talent and love for detail are also
helpful. Historical interest and research round out the picture.
The results can be astonishing. My special interest is the American
Air Force in Europe during the Second World War. I work for
the largest telecommunications company in Austria in the logistics
department. Aside from my affinity for plastics, I love to read.
Despite my lack of spare time, I do occasionally get involved
in strategy games and travel to airshows in other countries
with my girl friend. I also find time to hang out with my friends. |
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Email:  j.lehrach@mobilkom.at |
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This page: GALLERY: The Mustang-Saga (1:48) - built
by Jürgen Lehrach
was last modified on: Feb 14, 2006
The URL of the page is: http://www.rlm.at/cont/gal10_e.htm
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