Identifying different P51-Ds

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stuffy

Recruit
6
1
Jul 15, 2022
So I'd like to think I know a bit about aircraft but clearly not as much as yall so I'd like to get a bit more knowledge on identifying models of aircraft like the p51 (just a more common ww2 aircraft to start with)

Thanks
 
The P-51A and the A-36 (which is a P-51A with Dive brakes) have a turtledeck canopy and an airscoop OVER the propeller spinner and a 3-bladed prop. Allison V-1710-49 or later dash number engine.

The P-51B/C (B made in Inglewood and C made in Dallas) have a turtledeck canopy and the airscoop is less pronounced and UNDER the prop spinner and 4-bladed prop. Merlin V-1650-3 engine.

The P-51D/K (D made in Inglewood and K made in Dallas) have bubble canopies and the aiorscoop UNDER the prop spinner and a 4-bladed prop. Merlin V-1650-7 engine.

All of the above have a small dogtooth on the wing root where the landing gear retracts.

The P-51H has no dogtooth (and smaller wheels) but otherwise looks similar to the P-51D/K with a bubble canopy and 4-bladed prop. Merlin Edit: V-1650-9 engine.
 
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The P-51A and the A-36 (which is a P-51A with Dive brakes) have a turtledeck canopy and an airscoop OVER the propeller spinner and a 3-bladed prop. Allison V-1710-49 or later dash number engine.

The P-51B/C (B made in Inglewood and C made in Dallas) have a turtledeck canopy and the airscoop is less pronounced and UNDER the prop spinner and 4-bladed prop. Merlin V-1650-3 engine.

The P-51D/K (D made in Inglewood and K made in Dallas) have bubble canopies and the aiorscoop UNDER the prop spinner and a 4-bladed prop. Merlin V-1650-7 engine.

All of the above have a small dogtooth on the ing root where the landing gear retracts.

The P-51H has no dogtooth but otherwise looks similar to the P-51D/K with a bubble canopy and 4-bladed prop. Merlin V-1650-7 engine.
I thought that NA was inglewood and NT was dallas and that the K was a different propeller?

Also I know the basics like thag but for the the D models whats the difference between a d5 and a d20 is their a noticeable difference or is it stuff like the engine and coms and stuff of that nature?
 
B/D-NA was Inglewood. C/K-NT was Dallas. Think NA = North American Inglewood; NT = North American Texas (Dallas).

The D had a cuffed Hamilton-Standard prop and the K had a hollow-blade Aeroproducts prop, which proved unreliable and was replaced with the uncuffed Hamilton-Standard unit with blunt blade tips.
 
Dallas also built 1,600 P-51D-NT alongside the P-51K.

These sites will give you some of the basics.
 
The D model up to -5 had no dorsal fin added. Most early Ds with no dorsal fin were modded, so only early photos are reliable.
 
The ones with roundels were the fastest.
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Try Original Documents the 1945 and 1946 Model Designations of Army Aircraft are a good start, but the 1945 one does not cover the later P-51 versions and the 1946 one had less detail. Note the lack of entry for the NA-73 Mustang mark I, while the P-51 was the Mustang mark IA.

Also see if you can find a copy of "index of AF Serial numbers assigned to aircraft 1958 or prior", no URL, the downloadable PDF does not seem to be where I thought it was.
 
"The D model up to -5 had no dorsal fin added. Most early Ds with no dorsal fin were modded, so only early photos are reliable."
Were not the D-0 and/or D-1 still the razorback as the Bs and Cs? Perhaps 5 built, IIRC.
 
For a lot less work, though not for free, among the best single sources for detailed version info (with breakdown by mfg blocks, etc.) are the two P-51 books (Early - A/B and Late - D/K, plus the experimental lightweight F/G/H/J variants) available here:
 

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