WWII Aviation: Classic U.S. Combat Aircraft of WWII - P-51 Mustang

The Classic US Combat Aircraft of WWII series tells the story, through a series of classic war planes, of the development of the combat aircraft of the 2nd World War. This is the 3rd in the series.

The documentaries issued under the heading CLASSIC U.S. COMBAT OF WWII explore the chronological development of various WWII-era American fighter planes. This particular volume, P-51 MUSTANG, looks at how the British RAF designed and built the titular craft, initially flying it in May 1941, and replacing its Allison engine with a far superior Merlin one. The success of the fighter inspired the United States government to order a fleet of P-51s for the USAF - planes that served the country in the Mediterranean European arenas of the global conflict. The film then explains how the P-51s became invaluable in the Japanese theater - vehicles used to bring the Japanese air fleets down to size and wreak devastation against Japanese ground targets.