P-51A Anxious Ann

[mjfur]

This P-51A photo was posted in the Picture of the Day thread. Picture of the day.

What is this?

 

[fubar57]

Top photo 530th Fighter Squadron 311th Fighter Group

 

[MIflyer]

I would assume that is a mount for a three tube rocket launcher installation. The later Mustangs had provisions for carrying rocket tubes outside of the bomb/drop tank mounts. as shown on the old Hawk model kit.

 

[fubar57]

Similar

 

[fubar57]

North American P-51 Mustang With 1000 Pound Bomb And Bazooka Rocket Tubes | World War Photos

North American P-51 Mustang With 1000 Pound Bomb And Bazooka Rocket Tubes

www.worldwarphotos.info

 

[fubar57]

 

[SaparotRob]

I would assume that is a mount for a three tube rocket launcher installation. The later Mustangs had provisions for carrying rocket tubes outside of the bomb/drop tank mounts. as shown on the old Hawk model kit.

View attachment 872022

I built that kit.

 

[mjfur]

Install mounts on the wing specifically for three tube rocket launcher installation and then use the bomb mounts instead.

 

[MIflyer]

I built that kit.

Me too, And I still have one unbuilt. Better in some respects than the much later Monogram 1/48 kit but the rear fuselage is much too narrow.

As for the outboard rocket tube mounts I found pictures in the later Squadron In Action book showing a P-51D with that installation, drop tanks on the pylon sand rocket tubes outboard of them. Those tube launched rockets were very popular in the CBI, equipping not only P-51A but also A-36A, P-40 and B-25. A B-25 even had reloadable rocket tubes installed instead of that virtually useless 75MM cannon. Probably not many targets worth a large bomb in the Burmese jungle but lots of stuff where rockets would work fine.