Good day,
Have been trying for long to identify exactly what type of gunsights was used by the P-51D in USA(A)F and foreign AF.
This is what i've found so far and i hope you can help me filling the blanks.
K-14 (A, B C) : first was field mod once it became available mid 1944 and thereafter factory fitted. Photo source : national archives
N-9 with B1 sighting head. By far the most common reflector gunsight used.
N-9 with B2 adjustable sighting head. Had always heard it was used on the Mustang but never saw any reference of it in any manual or period photo until i found this one (and only one) last week. It's from an ANG plane in 1947. Does anybody have additional period photos of P-51 with B2 head ?
Mark 8 mod 8 (or 5) gunsight. Standard Navy gunsight commonly used on P-47D but a very rare fit on P-51D. Only been able so far to find one period photo (source National Archives).
Lynn L-3. Standard P-38 and P-61 gunsight very rarely fitted to P-51D. Source : Jack Cook (i hope he'll forgive me to have saved one of his thousands of photos he posted on WIX).
Mark 18 21 gunsights. Navy gyro gunsights only used in turrets in WWII. Always read it was fitted to Mustangs but has never found any info in manuals or any period photo of it. Can you help ? Only thing i found is this : photo of what is clearly a Mark 18 sight found during the dig of a 361 FG P-51B that crashed in June 45. EAST ANGLIAN AIRCRAFT RESEARCH GROUP website
N-3 gunsight. Always read that early production P-51D were factory fitted with N-3s. But once again never found anything in manuals or any period photo. Can you help ?
Also what were RAF Mustans IV fitted with ?
As far as RAAF P-51D are concerned, i've seen one photo fitted with a British MkIIL sight. Hears and read they were also fitted with MkIID GGS but never saw a photo. Can you also help ?
Thanks for your time and hope you can help me filling the blanks.
Laurent
Have been trying for long to identify exactly what type of gunsights was used by the P-51D in USA(A)F and foreign AF.
This is what i've found so far and i hope you can help me filling the blanks.
K-14 (A, B C) : first was field mod once it became available mid 1944 and thereafter factory fitted. Photo source : national archives
N-9 with B1 sighting head. By far the most common reflector gunsight used.
N-9 with B2 adjustable sighting head. Had always heard it was used on the Mustang but never saw any reference of it in any manual or period photo until i found this one (and only one) last week. It's from an ANG plane in 1947. Does anybody have additional period photos of P-51 with B2 head ?
Mark 8 mod 8 (or 5) gunsight. Standard Navy gunsight commonly used on P-47D but a very rare fit on P-51D. Only been able so far to find one period photo (source National Archives).
Lynn L-3. Standard P-38 and P-61 gunsight very rarely fitted to P-51D. Source : Jack Cook (i hope he'll forgive me to have saved one of his thousands of photos he posted on WIX).
Mark 18 21 gunsights. Navy gyro gunsights only used in turrets in WWII. Always read it was fitted to Mustangs but has never found any info in manuals or any period photo of it. Can you help ? Only thing i found is this : photo of what is clearly a Mark 18 sight found during the dig of a 361 FG P-51B that crashed in June 45. EAST ANGLIAN AIRCRAFT RESEARCH GROUP website
N-3 gunsight. Always read that early production P-51D were factory fitted with N-3s. But once again never found anything in manuals or any period photo. Can you help ?
Also what were RAF Mustans IV fitted with ?
As far as RAAF P-51D are concerned, i've seen one photo fitted with a British MkIIL sight. Hears and read they were also fitted with MkIID GGS but never saw a photo. Can you also help ?
Thanks for your time and hope you can help me filling the blanks.
Laurent
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