NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG - EXCALIBUR
Absolute legend and one of the best WWII fighter planes ever! It was a single-seat fighter aircraft, most often used to escort American bombers on their way to Germany or Japan. It also participated in the subsequent Korean War, but was later replaced by fighter jets.
It was created at the request of Great Britain, which wanted to acquire a licensing contract for the production of Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters. However, North American preferred to offer its business partner to develop a better aircraft with the same engine. The first prototype of the aircraft, later called the Mustang, was produced in 1940. The original Allison engines were later found to be inadequate for some flight operations, so American engineers later replaced the Allison engine with a Packard engine. The first production Mustang with a Packard engine was the P-51B and they were first used in combat in 1943. They excelled in the War of Europe, especially for their speed and long range, which is why they often accompanied B-17 and B-24 bombers in their raids. The D version received even more powerful barrel armament than its predecessors, with four half-inch machine guns replaced by six. A total of 7956 P-51Ds were produced.
This historic piece will be one of the main highlights of the LEGENDY NEBES airshow. The history of this aircraft dating back to 1945 when it was manufactured at the North American factory in Dallas. It served in the U.S. Army until 1963, when it was purchased by a Mr. Steverson, who put the aircraft to a new purpose. The aircraft began to participate in various air shows in the USA, although under different owners. The next major owner was James M. Read in 1997, who gave the aircraft a new paint job, which can still be seen today - blue fuselage paint with invasive stripes on the lower wing and fuselage, checkered rudder and the code designation PE-R (328th Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, 8th USAF). On the front of the fuselage was painted a silhouette of a sword and the name EXCALIBUR. In 2011, it was purchased by a Czech company Český letecký ráj.
Pilot: Miroslav Sázavský
Specifications
| Characteristics: | Characteristics: | ||
| Manufacturer: | North American | Powerplant: | Packard V-1650-7 |
| Crew: | 1 | Engine thrust: | 1 700 HP/ 1 265,06 kW |
| Wingspan: | 11,28 m | Ceiling: | 12 800 m |
| Length: | 9,83 m | Range: | 2 755 km |
| Height: | 4,08 m | Maximum speed: | 703 km/h |
| Wing area: | 21,67 m2 | Rate of climb: | 16,3 m/s |
| Empty weight: | 3 232 kg | Fixed armament: | 6x machine gun M2 calibre 12,7 mm |
| Maximum Take-off weight: | 5 488 kg | Added armament : | 908 kg of bombs or 10 rocket launcher (HVAR) |
