Shout out to @MetalManiac54 and @ILoveCows7! Go check out their planes and stuff! The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a design team headed by James Kindelberger[5] of North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October.[6][7]P-51 Mustang375th Fighter Squadron North American P-51D-5-NA Mustang 44-13926 (cropped).jpgP-51D of 375th Fighter Squadron, with underwing drop tanksRoleFighterNational originUnited StatesManufacturerNorth American AviationFirst flight26 October 1940[1]IntroductionJanuary 1942 (RAF)[2]StatusRetired from military service 1984 (Dominican Air Force)[3]Primary usersUnited States Army Air ForcesRoyal Air ForceRoyal New Zealand Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceNumber builtMore than 15,000[4]VariantsNorth American A-36 ApacheRolls-Royce Mustang Mk.XCavalier MustangDeveloped intoNorth American F-82 Twin MustangPiper PA-48 EnforcerThe Mustang was designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance in its earlier variants. The aircraft was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). Replacing the Allison with a Rolls-Royce Merlin resulted in the P-51B/C (Mustang Mk III) model and transformed the aircraft's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft (4,600 m) (without sacrificing range),[8] allowing it to compete with the Luftwaffe's fighters.[9] The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by t