North American P-51 Mustang Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids P-51 Mustang

P-51D of 375th Fighter Squadron, with underwing drop tanks
Role	Fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	North American Aviation
First flight	26 October 1940
Introduction	January 1942 (RAF)
Retired	Retired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)
Primary users	United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force
Number built	More than 15,000
Variants	North American A-36 Rolls-Royce Mustang Mk.X CAC Mustang Cavalier Mustang
Developed into	North American F-82 Twin Mustang Piper PA-48 Enforcer

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a super cool American fighter plane. It was used a lot during World War II and the Korean War, among other fights.

This amazing plane was designed very quickly in 1940 by a team at North American Aviation (NAA). The British government asked NAA to build an older type of fighter plane. But NAA had a better idea! They offered to design and build a brand-new, more modern fighter instead. The first prototype plane was ready in just 102 days and flew for the first time on October 26, 1940.

How the Mustang Became a Legend
- The Game-Changing Engine
Mustangs in World War II
Mustangs After World War II
Mustangs in Movies and Books
Building Your Own Mustang (Models and Replicas)
Images for kids
See also

How the Mustang Became a Legend

When the Mustang was first built, it used an engine called the Allison V-1710. This engine was good, but it didn't work very well when the plane flew really high up in the sky. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) used these early Mustangs for scouting missions and as fighter-bombers.

The Game-Changing Engine

Everything changed when the Mustang got a new engine: the Rolls-Royce Merlin. This powerful British engine made the Mustang much better at high altitudes, above 15,000 ft (4,600 m). It could now fly high and fast, easily fighting against enemy planes.

The most famous version was the P-51D. It had a special version of the Merlin engine built in America. This P-51D was armed with six powerful .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns.

Mustangs in World War II

From late 1943, P-51 Mustangs became super important for the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe. They were used to fly alongside big bombers, protecting them on long missions over Germany. Before the Mustang, bombers often flew alone and were easy targets for enemy fighters.

Mustangs helped the Allies gain control of the skies in 1944. This meant Allied planes could fly more safely, and enemy planes had a much harder time. Mustangs were also used in other parts of the world, like North Africa, Italy, and the Pacific. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft. That's a lot of planes!

Mustangs After World War II

When the Korean War started, the Mustang was renamed the F-51. It was still the main fighter plane for the United States. But soon, new jet fighters like the North American F-86 Sabre took over the main fighting roles. The Mustang then became a special fighter-bomber, attacking targets on the ground.

Even after jet planes became common, some countries kept using the Mustang until the early 1980s. Today, many Mustangs are still flying! They are popular as "warbirds" (old military planes kept flying) and are often seen in air racing competitions.

Mustangs in Movies and Books

The P-51 Mustang is so famous that it has appeared in many movies and books.

This P-51C Mustang is like the ones flown by the brave Tuskegee Airmen. It's shown in the movie Red Tail Reborn.

Red Tail Reborn (2007) tells the story of how a P-51C Mustang was restored to fly again. This plane honors the famous Tuskegee Airmen.

Building Your Own Mustang (Models and Replicas)

Because the P-51 is such an iconic plane, many companies make model kits of it. You can build your own small version of the Mustang with different levels of detail.

There are also companies that make larger, flying replicas of the Mustang. These are smaller versions of the real plane that people can actually fly! They are often ½, ⅔, or ¾ the size of the original. Some examples include the Titan T-51 Mustang and the Thunder Mustang. These replicas let people experience flying a Mustang, but they are easier and safer to handle than the real thing.

Images for kids

The very first North American NA-73X prototype.
An early XP-51 Mustang, used for testing by the U.S. Army Air Corps.
A Royal Air Force Mustang Mk III plane on the ground in 1943.
P-51 Mustangs of the 375th Fighter Squadron in mid-1944.
Brave pilots of the all-Black American 332nd Fighter Group, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen, in Italy.
A U.S. Air Force worker checking the machine guns on a P-51B Mustang in Italy, around 1944.
The P-51D "Glamorous Glen III," flown by famous pilot Chuck Yeager.
The P-51D Mustang "Detroit Miss," flown by pilot Urban L. Drew.
A P-51 Mustang taking off from the island of Iwo Jima during World War II.
Medal of Honor winner Lt. Col. James H. Howard in his P-51 Mustang cockpit.
An F-51 Mustang, loaded with bombs and rockets, moving through a puddle in Korea.
A West Virginia Air National Guard F-51D.
P-51Ds of the Australian Air Force in Japan, 1947.
A Cavalier Mustang, which used to belong to the Bolivian Air Force.
A P-51 of the Republic of China Air Force in 1953.
A P-51D Mustang displayed in a museum in China.
Guatemalan Air Force P-51Ds.
An Indonesian Air Force P-51.
A P-51D at the Israeli Air Force Museum.
An Italian P-51D Mustang.
A Netherlands North American P-51 Mustang.
A P-51D performing at an airshow in New Zealand.
A Philippine Air Force P-51D.
North American F-51D Mustang fighters of the South African Air Force in Korea, 1951.
An F-51D in South Korean Air Force service.
A Swedish Air Force J 26 on display at a museum.
A restored Swiss Air Force P-51D at a museum.
A Cavalier P-51 Mustang with extra fuel tanks on its wingtips.
Miss Helen, a P-51D still flying today.
The Rebel, a P-51D, at the 2014 Reno Air Races.
The TP-51C "Betty Jane," a special two-seat Mustang, at an airshow.
A drawing showing different views of the P-51D Mustang.
The wing of a P-51 with its three .50 caliber machine guns.