A New A2A P51 in the works.

[trucker17]

As the title says.
A2A has been working on the P51H Lightweight Mustang. It will be released under their AF (Aircraft Factory) LOGO.
The aircraft will be released once Lewis finishes up the red tape.......

[Sundog]

Actually, this has been known for a couple of years now, but it's nice to know it's close to release. I've been waiting forever for this one it seems.

Thanks for the heads up.

[trucker17]

No problem.....
I've been waiting for it as well.....

[skyhawka4m]

love it...more Mustangs...just wish we got a TF-51 and a F/P-82 version also

[Bomber_12th]

With all of the resources they had available to them, I can only imagine it will be spectacular!

[ColoKent]

Ditto on the F-82E and F-82G!!!!

K

[mgchrist5]

Ditto x 2 on the Twin Mustang...

[Stickshaker]

This is good news, but I wonder why it is released under the AF logo. Is it perhaps less detailed than the P-51D's?

[Dumonceau]

This is good news, but I wonder why it is released under the AF logo. Is it perhaps less detailed than the P-51D's?

Maybe because accusim will not be available for it?

[falcon409]

Interesting, I always wondered what became of Chanute AFB after it was closed. I did my Tech School there in the Summer of 1966.

[flaviossa]

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a "lightweight" Mustang? It´s a post-war era Mustang?

[falcon409]

Their Airplane Factory titles are still very nicely done aircraft, but with slightly less detail and minus any accu-sim ability and at a lower price than the full detailed accu-sim aircraft.

[Stickshaker]

Yes, no doubt it will be more than worth the price.

[Dumonceau]

Flaviossa,

The lightweight Mustang was developped and tested during WWII but never saw service in significant numbers!

it did serve with ANG units after the war though.

Dumonceau

[stansdds]

The P-51H was a design progression of the P-51 line. The H model, although based on the D model, was almost completely redesigned to be much lighter in weight and much faster than the D model. The P-51H was a successful redesign and entered production in 1945, but World War II ended before any H models entered combat. With the end of the war, the production contract was cut and only 555 were produced. The H model did not see combat in Korea, reason being the USAF had far more P-51D's still in service and plenty of spare parts for the D model and the H models were relegated to National Guard units.

[flaviossa]

Ah, thanks for the info guys
Didn´t know this Mustang variation.

[PhillRoath]

Interesting, I always wondered what became of Chanute AFB after it was closed. I did my Tech School there in the Summer of 1966.

Did my Tech School there in the winter of 1962. Technician/operator/instructor on the C-11 Link Instrument Trainer. I bookmarked their website - http://www.aeromuseum.org/ and would like to visit.

[Stickshaker]

I think there were some problems that were never completely ironed out, like the retraction of the tail wheel, perhaps due to a lack of urgency since the war had ended.

[Bomber_12th]

The P-51H was the direct result of the experimental lightweight Mustangs that North American began working on in early-mid 1943, which included the XP-51F, XP-51G, and XP-51J. The lightweight Mustangs came about after the USAAF wanted to know why their fighter planes were heavier than British fighter planes, and why, for instance, that a comparable Mark of Spitfire could climb to a set altitude in 2/3 the time it would take the Mustang, or why the Fw 190 had twice the roll rate of the Mustang. Thus, they wanted to know if the design could be improved to match or better the performance of those other nation's fighters. Edgar Schmued of North American Aviation was sent to Britain in February of 1943 for two months to meet with British designers to compare design and production techniques (this included visits to de Havilland and to Rolls-Royce, where he was shown the latest Merlin engine (2200 hp, 120-in MP), which he wanted to get installed into a new Mustang design).

Here is some interesting information that Schmued wrote about, after studying the 'whys' that the American fighters were built heavier than their British counterparts. "First, the high angle of attack-load factor was 12 in America, but only 11 in England. Second, there was a side-load factor on the engine mount in America of 2G, which the British didn't have at all. Then the landing gear load factors that we used were 6G's, but were only 4G's in England. We used all of these factors to help whittle out a good deal of weight in a new design."

With the XP-51F, for example, which was essentially an entirely new design, they were able to shave 600 lbs. They did new things like making part of the engine cowl at the engine mount a structural member of the engine mount, and on the fuselage, aft of the firewall, they used .042 skins rather than .065 skins. Just about everything throughout the aircraft, including the main and tail gear, were redesigned to save on weight. The lightweight Mustangs are also sometimes referred to as the 'plastic Mustangs', as there was much more use of phenolic resin (an early plastic), such as using it to back some of the parts made of thinner aluminum. Some general characteristics of the lightweights included a longer canopy, which helped smooth out the airflow much better than the D-canopy, and the radiator scoop was stretched out for the same reason. Smaller main wheels and redesigned landing gear allowed for the leading edge of the wings to no longer be angled at the leading edge root.

The P-51H started coming off the assembly line at Inglewood in mid-1945, alongside some of the last D-models Inglewood would produce. The P-51H would never see combat in WWII or in the Korean War, but they were active throughout the late 40's and early 50's with the Air National Guard. The P-51H utilized the Merlin V-1650-9 engine, which produced 2,218 hp with water injection (this same engine can be and has been fitted to D-models, with some minor modifications as outlined in a tech order). Currently there are two P-51H's that are airworthy and flown, and I know of at least one other, maybe two, which be made airworthy.

It should be added, that while the XP-51F, G, and J never reached factory production, it wasn't the fault of North American, but rather a change in planning (a change of mind) by the USAAF. All of the experimental lightweight Mustangs achieved or exceeded their design goals. NAA's chief test pilot, Bob Chilton, for example, referred to the XP-51F as his favorite of all of the Mustangs built.

[Stickshaker]

Very interesting, John, thanks, especially for the design details.

[wombat666]

"It should be added, that while the XP-51F, G, and J never reached factory production, it wasn't the fault of North American, but rather a change in planning (a change of mind) by the USAAF. All of the experimental lightweight Mustangs achieved or exceeded their design goals. NAA's chief test pilot, Bob Chilton, for example, referred to the XP-51F as his favorite of all of the Mustangs built."

Good summary JT.
My small circle of IPMS friends all regarded the 'Lightweights' as the Ultimate Mustang, known to us as the 'Spitstang'.
There were a few nice scratch built models made as a reult,

[Bomber_12th]

As you can see in the profile of the P-51H, besides having the radiator scoop and canopy stretched more length-wise than the D-model (to improve the aerodynamic airflow), the fuselage is also wider vertically (up/down). All of that was to get back the side-area that was lost in the D-model design. The position of the pilot, being raised up, and having the cowling sloping away from the windscreen, also allows for better forward vision. The first 13 P-51H's were manufactured with tails that were a bit shorter than you see in that profile. Working with the NACA, for added yaw stability, North American designed a taller fin cap which was then part of the rest of the P-51H production.

[Bomber_12th]

Wombat, I was particularly interested in reading what Bob Chilton wrote about his experiences in flying the XP-51F, since he held it in such a high regard. He said it was like a fine-tuned race car. He had to be very careful with the power on take-off, moving the throttle only increments at a time, otherwise it would become airborne prematurely. At only 30-in MP the aircraft would already be airborne! He also states that it was common practice with the aircraft to climb out at 7500-fpm. The climb-speed was supposed to be 250-mph, and he said it was almost impossible to find an angle of attack which would lower the airspeed to that amount. It was also routine with the XP-51F to cruise at 45,000 ft, which required a special pressure suit and many layers of clothes to be worn, since the aircraft was of course not pressurized (anyone would certainly suffer 'the bends' climbing to such an altitude without any pressure suit, and I have heard stories of WWII Mustang pilots that did). With the XP-51F, NAA really worked hard to try and make it the first prop-driven fighter to go 500 mph. The closest they were able to achieve was when Bob Chilton was able to get it up to 491 mph at 21,500 ft.

[tommieboy]

Their Airplane Factory titles are still very nicely done aircraft, but with slightly less detail and minus any accu-sim ability and at a lower price than the full detailed accu-sim aircraft.

Yeah, I don't have enough time to commit to acccu-sim, so I've been very happy with A2A Aircraft Factory releases.

Tommy

[BUDSCH]

Did my Tech School there in the winter of 1962. Technician/operator/instructor on the C-11 Link Instrument Trainer. I bookmarked their website - http://www.aeromuseum.org/ and would like to visit.

Trained there as a Flightsim Technician in the winter of 1967, 3350 TS. Went back there several years ago to see what happened to it and visited their Museum. The Museum had recently opened and I was there alone, and it was pretty nice. They had the front end of a B52 there which was not ropped off yet so I was able to climb inside and visit all 3 levels at my leisure . Sitting waaay up in the pilots was a big thrill for me, lot of instruments still present in the old bird. Went back a few years later for a return visit but the B52 was ropped off (insurance regulations?). It is still a nice Museum and I recommend especially if you trained there.
BUD