P-51 Mustang Research Tools (1 Viewer)

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drgondog

Major
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Jun 28, 2006
Scurry, Texas
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'.
 

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If that drawing tree shows the evolution of the 51B to the 51D, shouldn't the wing design also show the changes in the inner leading edge where the D model added the darts that widened near the fuselage? I'm not criticizing it, just curious why that wouldn't be there, there are no 'dotted' lines.
 
If that drawing tree shows the evolution of the 51B to the 51D, shouldn't the wing design also show the changes in the inner leading edge where the D model added the darts that widened near the fuselage? I'm not criticizing it, just curious why that wouldn't be there, there are no 'dotted' lines.
The NA-106, P-51D-NA and NA-107 P-51E (originally) were contemplated as six gun wing from the beginning. It evolved from birdcage canopy (dotted lined blocks) fuselage in April-July, 1943, emerging in July as six gun wing/bubble canopy Mustang and NA-107 cancelled, with P-51E chartered to become P-51D-1-NT to be built in Dallas.
 
OK, thanks for clarifying that, I didn't know the 6-gun wing planning went back that far.
First exchange between NAA and MC dated late Jan 1943. Advanced Design first release of the casting with six 50 cal design drawing November 1942 under NA-102 project. The first bubble canopy concept/wind tunnel model for Packard Mustang was July 1942 in the middle of NA-101 XP-51B project
 

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