drgondog
Major
I posted tis in Technical but suspect this post will have some interest in the general WWII community.
If you are doing research on NAA P-51 Design drawings, you should obtain a copy of NA-106 drawing 106-000002 "P-51D Major Assem. Breakdown". AeroLibrary has this. I used this drawing in the Bastard Stepchild book to help explain the evolution of the P-51B to P-51D.
On the drawing is a Work Breakdown 'tree' of 106-00002 Airplane Assem. Under this block are all the major design groupings NAA used to provide an engineer a roadmap to seek Installation, Assembly, Detail parts for Wing Group; Landing Gear; Electrical Wiring; Instruments; Fuselage Forward; Fuselage Aft; Bomb Rack; Radio Equipmen; Power Plant and Hydraulic Systems.
Below the top Installation blocks above, are the individual installations and assemblies top drawings which make up a completed major Installation (i.e.. Wing, Aileron, Flaps, Armament Mounts, Landing Lights, etc).
ALL Major US airframe companies used a 'similar' scheme for the Major Assembly Breakdowns, but few were as well organzed and consistent in scheme. I found Lockheed and Republic both to be much more difficult to research. This drawing was dated 15 March 1943 when the P-51D 'concept' began as six gun, birdcage canopy extension of NA-104 P-51B-5-NA and morphed to six gun, 'cokpit enclosure, sliding' bubble canopy by the eend of July. As you research the P-51D drawing changes which paralleled discussions between NAA and Materiel Command, you will see illustrations of both, then the revisions on 106-9000002 to reflect the changes (i.e. Aft Frame of P-51B-5 (NA-104) as rear deck was modified, framed canopy replaced by sliding bubble canopy) which are shown as installation drawings with 'dotted' lines for the 'older P-51B installations'.
If you are doing research on NAA P-51 Design drawings, you should obtain a copy of NA-106 drawing 106-000002 "P-51D Major Assem. Breakdown". AeroLibrary has this. I used this drawing in the Bastard Stepchild book to help explain the evolution of the P-51B to P-51D.
On the drawing is a Work Breakdown 'tree' of 106-00002 Airplane Assem. Under this block are all the major design groupings NAA used to provide an engineer a roadmap to seek Installation, Assembly, Detail parts for Wing Group; Landing Gear; Electrical Wiring; Instruments; Fuselage Forward; Fuselage Aft; Bomb Rack; Radio Equipmen; Power Plant and Hydraulic Systems.
Below the top Installation blocks above, are the individual installations and assemblies top drawings which make up a completed major Installation (i.e.. Wing, Aileron, Flaps, Armament Mounts, Landing Lights, etc).
ALL Major US airframe companies used a 'similar' scheme for the Major Assembly Breakdowns, but few were as well organzed and consistent in scheme. I found Lockheed and Republic both to be much more difficult to research. This drawing was dated 15 March 1943 when the P-51D 'concept' began as six gun, birdcage canopy extension of NA-104 P-51B-5-NA and morphed to six gun, 'cokpit enclosure, sliding' bubble canopy by the eend of July. As you research the P-51D drawing changes which paralleled discussions between NAA and Materiel Command, you will see illustrations of both, then the revisions on 106-9000002 to reflect the changes (i.e. Aft Frame of P-51B-5 (NA-104) as rear deck was modified, framed canopy replaced by sliding bubble canopy) which are shown as installation drawings with 'dotted' lines for the 'older P-51B installations'.
