NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG - LITTLE REBEL
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. You can also look forward to its common display with the P-51D Mustang Excalibur. The history of this P-51D-30-NT Mustang, manufactured under the number 45-11495, dates back to 1945 at the North American factory in Dallas. It never fought in World War II and was purchased by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), where it was also first flown in 1951. Not long after, however, it was offered for sale and then stored without its airframe in the RNZAF Museum. In 2004, American businessman Bob Baker purchased the project owned by Philip Warner and restored it to its present form. After this restoration, he also got a second seat. The Mustang was completed in 2009 and given the designation N5551D. It is currently owned by British owner Stephen Stead and in the livery of machine serial number 44-13737 called "Little Rebel". The machine is operated in Hangar 3 at Pilsen-Líně Airport.
Pilot: to be determined
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) |
