North American NA-73 Mustang Mk.I, AG422, photographed at Air Fighting Development Unit in early to mid 1942. Was one of the early Mustang Mk.I received by the RAF and assigned to AFDU for them to evaluate and the photo was one of a number that was taken to accompany and illustrate the report by AFDU on the type. Part of the work done by AFDU using AG422 was to contribute to the preparation of the AP2025A Pilot's Notes for the Mustang Mk.I. This was the Mustang Mk.I flown by Ronnie Harker of Rolls-Royce at AFDU Duxford on or about 30 April 1942, which led to him writing the report recommending the investigation of the combining of the Roll-Royce Merlin engine with the Mustang airframe. The preliminary study was completed by 14 July 1942 and that set the wheels in motion so to speak.
AG422 after being used by AFDU went on to serve operationally with No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF, where it was lost on operations over the Netherlands on 7 July 1943.
The photos taken of AG422 which were for use with the report written by AFDU ended up being used in a number of other RAF publications where a stock image was required of the Mustang, and it was also a photo that was more widely available during the war with copies being able to be purchased - I have seen copies of this photo of various sizes and quality of paper used for the print either in the photo collection of, or stuck in the log books of pilots who flew the Mustang Mk.I with the RAF - often in context as an illustration of a 'typical' Mustang Mk.I used to mark their introduction to the type either at OTU on on an operational Squadron. Original photos - or first generation copies from original negatives, still with the AFDU report in files in UK Archives, also 'copies' - good early generation ones - in collections of IWM London and RAF Museum Hendon.
AG422 after being used by AFDU went on to serve operationally with No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF, where it was lost on operations over the Netherlands on 7 July 1943.
The photos taken of AG422 which were for use with the report written by AFDU ended up being used in a number of other RAF publications where a stock image was required of the Mustang, and it was also a photo that was more widely available during the war with copies being able to be purchased - I have seen copies of this photo of various sizes and quality of paper used for the print either in the photo collection of, or stuck in the log books of pilots who flew the Mustang Mk.I with the RAF - often in context as an illustration of a 'typical' Mustang Mk.I used to mark their introduction to the type either at OTU on on an operational Squadron. Original photos - or first generation copies from original negatives, still with the AFDU report in files in UK Archives, also 'copies' - good early generation ones - in collections of IWM London and RAF Museum Hendon.
