NORTH AMERICAN NA-73/A-36/P-51 MUSTANG OPERATIONAL TIMELINE

[CORSNING]

Thank you for the added information ColFord. I am putting together
references used and am not quite sure what reference to use for the
information I added from your post #20.

, Jeff

 

[CORSNING]

Does anyone have the information confirming the AAF first use
of 67"Hg for the Packard engines.

 

[ColFord]

Jeff, all the information I provided is encapsulated in part in ADJIDAUMO - 'Tail In Air', the History of No.268 Squadron RAF 1940-1946, which was researched and written by myself as the Squadron Historian, and is derived from Air Ministry files held in UK Archives and Aircraft Record Cards held by RAF Museum Hendon.

The details on the second order of Mustang Mk.I aircraft for the RAF, which was the NA-83 series and covered the AL, AM and AP series serial numbers, is that they started shipping them to the UK in May 1942, immediately after the last of the initial NA-73 order with the last shipment being in late August 1942. By that stage they had the reassembly and modification process running pretty well in the UK. In most instances the later batch were allocated to Squadrons on an ad-hoc basis to replace earlier NA-73 AG series aircraft - a limited number of the very early AG series aircraft had not received the full set of required RAF service modifications and as a result had mainly been used by Squadrons for training purposes and limited operational use. As more aircraft arrived and were modified the unmodified aircraft were returned to a MU for the modifications to be conducted or transferred to 41 Operational Training Unit - the Army Co-operation and Tactical Reconaissance training unit - for training use only. Others of the NA83 aircraft allocated to replace damaged aircraft or aircraft lost to enemy action. Earliest of the NA83 AL series aircraft appear to be allocated to Squadrons from late August 1942.

 

[CORSNING]

Absolutely great information Colin. I am quite sure I and the rest of the crew here would
love to read more of the information that you have researched.

Thank you sir, Jeff