The First Mustang Ace,
by
Stan Stokes
The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be
the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British
Air Ministry. Following Britain’s entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was
interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American
sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was
unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North
American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North
American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the
same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the
North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the
P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a
”Mustang I” by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation
which were designated XP-51 “Apaches.” Intrigued with the possibility of
using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this
to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be
modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 “Invader,” this
version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each
wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required
because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered
combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th
and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s
out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability
caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and
strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German
fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one
USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb
Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five
confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first
mustang ace. In Stan Stokes’ painting, Russo’s third victory is depicted
over a JU-52 at the Aversano Airfield in Italy. The early USAAF fighter
versions of the Mustang were designated as P-51As. About 650 were
delivered to the RAF and 350 to the USAAF. With its Allison engine the
early P-51s were no match for German Bf-109s or FW-190s. The performance
drawbacks of the Mustang were especially apparent at higher altitudes.
The RAF equipped some Mustangs with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin
engine. This dramatically enhanced the Mustang’s high altitude
performance. This new engine was utilized in the P-51B, the first
effective fighter version of this aircraft. Also developed were
inexpensive wing mounted drop tanks which extended the Mustang’s range
into the heart of Germany, so it could accompany American bombers on
daylight raids. Late in 1943, North American redesigned the top of the
rear fuselage of the Mustang, and added a bubble canopy. This variant
became the P-51D and proved to be an effective dog fighting aircraft
against any of the Luftwaffe’s propeller driven fighters.
Overall Print Size: 16" x 11 1/2"
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Collector Sized Lithograph:
$40
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225 Signature Series
Lithograph: $125
Co-signed by
Captain MIKE
RUSSO - the only A-36 Ace of WWII.
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