eBay: North American P-51 Mustang

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The A-36A deliveries began in September 1942 and deliveries were complete by March 1943, at which point the P-51A began production. I think its is rather ironic that the A-36A deliveries began in the same month that flight tests began of the XP-51B, the results of which pretty much assured the Mustang was not going to be a dedicated dive bomber. Of course, before the XP-51B even began flight tests the USAAF had ordered 2000 Merlin powered Mustangs. Those people back then did not screw around!
 
Resp:
Roger on September 1942. However, I have seen photos of the NAA plant where P-51As were being assembled on the line next to A-36As. I know that the two did not begin at the same time, but the two shared bays somewhere near the last of A-36A production.
 
 
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Navalwarrior said:
Resp:
The ad is dated June 1943 and specifies the Mustang as a Mk I. I believe this was around the time the A-36A was being produced at NAA.
Click to expand...
I have to check but I believe all the A-36s were done and the last P-51A was rolling out at Inglewood in June 1943. Also many P-51B-1 airframes were parked outside awaiting Merlins.
 
P-51B-5-NA. All the B-1 were 43-12093 through 43-12492. At the time this pick was taken it was not yet assigned to 4th FG as no squadron codes have been applied - also does not have apparent filler cap indicating Depot installed 85 gallon fuse tank but image is not clear enough.
 
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The first Production P-51A was flown in early February. While the first A-36 flight was September 21, the first XP-51B flight was performed November 30th. To your point however, the XP-51B #1 (airframe including engine mounts) was ready save delivery of the 1650-3, in early October
 
Yes, you are right. The first flight of the first converted Mustang Mk1A was not until 13 Oct 1942. One book says that the first P-51A converted to Merlin power in the USA occurred on 30 Nov 1942, but since the P-51A was not even yet in production then, that cannot be exactly right.

Hmmm, according to the same book, Production Line to Front Line, it says that an NAA employee, George Wing, invented a new harder rivet for use in the Mustang wing that replaced nearly 800 rivets and bolts, giving a 60% weight saving and a 200 % increase in shear strength.
 
Description for that photo..."North American NA-91 Mustang fighters being serviced at North American Aviation at Inglewood, California (USA), in October 1942. After passing of the lend-lease act in March 1941, the USAAF ordered 150 NA-93 Mustang Mk IA fighters on 25 September 1941 for delivery to the United Kingdom. The RAF serial numbers assigned were FD418-FD567 (FD553 is visible on the left). For contractual purposes, these aircraft were assigned the U.S. designation of P-51 (USAAF serials 41-37320 to 41-37469). The Mustang IA differed from earlier versions in having the machine guns replaced by four 20 mm wing-mounted Hispano cannon. After December 1941 serials FD418-FD437, FD450-FD464, FD466-FD469, and FD510-FD527 were reposessed by the USAAF (and briefly named A-36A Apache)"
 
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