The birth could not have been more timely. Allied bombers raiding targets deep inside Germany in daylight were having to go it alone, and the cost in lost aircraft was cause for grave concern. When the first of the P-51 Bs arrived in England at the end of 1943, they were welcomed with profound relief. To facilitate long-range escort duty, this revolutionary Mustang was fitted with an extra rear-fuselage tank and with drop tanks, first of 75 US gallons and later of 108 US gallons capacity under each wing, permitting a round-trip range of about 1700 miles. This was sufficient to accompany the heavy bombers on their longest raids. Once the tanks were dropped, the P-51 Bs could deal on pretty even terms with any Bf 109 or Fw 190 or indeed any other piston-engined German fighter.

First arrivals in England of the P-51 D were met with great excitement, though careful check flights demonstrated that this new Mustang was, in fact, not quite such a good performer as the P-51 Bs already in service. It was fractionally slower to climb, about 3mph slower in level flight and directional control was not so good due to the reduced side area of the rear fuselage. A few experienced pilots preferred to stick with the previous model, but the P-5I D was fitted with an added dorsal fin which restored the aiming accuracy. Six Bazooka-type rockets, three slung under each wing, were fitted to a few P-51 s used for attack missions.

A very much more striking type was built towards the end of the war, the P-82 Twin Mustang. This extraordinary aircraft was basically two lengthened Mustangs joined together by new center wing and tail surfaces, with new landing gears. The Twin went on to become one of the standard long-range night and escort fighters of the Korean war, where three of them became the first North Korean Air Force victories. Conversely, Mustang Twins of the USAF inflicted the first losses to the other side, when several Soviet-built Yak-9s were shot down during the first two days of the conflict.

Here are the mustangs I got this weekend. The "Miss Marilyn II" is scaled as you sent it. The silver D-Day Mustang was reduced to a 1 3/4" span. FUN, FUN, FUN ! Thanks, Mike McNally

By 1943 North American Aviation's design team were busy with a revised airframe which was planned to reduce structure weight. Gradually the Light Mustang became almost a new type, though it remained only a paper project until 1944 when it went ahead as the NA. 105. A pure interceptor, the new model was built in three forms, the XP-5 IF ultralight model, the XP-51 G with six instead of four guns, more fuel and a British Merlin 145M and five-blade propeller, and the XP-51 with highly boosted Allison engine and no inlet below the spinner. All had straight leading edges made possible by the very small wheels, and speeds reached 494mph. Out of this effort came a further model, the N.A. 126, and this went into production as the P-S I H. This was the standard Mustang at VJ-day, but orders were cancelled overnight and output stopped at the 555th P-51 H, to make total output, 15,586 including 266 P-51 Ds made in Australia.

Other types of this versatile aeroplane continued in service long after World War II was over. The USAAF and Air National Guard picked the Mustang as standard post-war piston-engined fighter-bomber. though it was not the P-51H that was selected but the mass-produced P-51 D. Called F-51 D from I 947, they saw intensive use in Korea, formed the backbone of the infant Israeli Air force and served with many other countries. Even today the USAF has supported the manufacture of new piston and turboprop Mustang versions by the Cavalier company, and the Piper Enforcer is currently flying with the USAF as an economical attack aircraft derived from the Cavalier Turbo Mustang.

Today, more than 40 years after its creation, the Mustang is one of the aircraft most avidly sought after by civilian flying buffs, and it is confidently expected that the legendary P-51 will be ranging the skies well into the next century.