Does anyone have photos or any articles or documents which show any of the machinery/processes north american aviation used to produce the Mustang airframe outer skin panels ?
I`ve got a few photos of the airframes being assembled, but not any of the panels being stamped/cut/formed ?
From WWII U.S. Office of War Information photos, currently held by the National Archives, available through the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.
I do not know if you are familiar with the drop hammer, but it is basically a kinetic energy hammer, used either for forging or pressing/stamping or sometimes both at the same time.
I do not know if these parts are P-51? B-25? neither?
Most of the curved section skins with high structural loads were formed with a stretcher press. Lightly loaded ones, such as fairings and cowling sections were formed with drop hammers and english wheels.
For those that have never seen the stretch forming process, here's a 4 minute video form a shop forming a curved skin section.
And here's one stretch forming a large aluminum extrusion: