The P-51 Mustang was the darling of the Army Air Forces. ... indicating a hit to the cooling system. Low on fuel and ammunition, Nowlin broke off pursuit and waved to the enemy pilot.

D uring World War II, the Mustang destroyed 4,950 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air—the most of any U.S. fighter in the European Theater.. T he North American P-51 Mustang may well be the most ...

One of the Mustang's few vulnerable spots was the cooling system. A single bullet through a radiator or pipe was usually enough to down a P-51. North American built more than 14,000 Mustangs and more ...

North American designed a trim fighter with a low-drag, streamlined wing, as well as an efficient low-drag engine-cooling system that gave the P-51 exceptional speed and range.

The P-51 Mustang Goes to War The P-51D arrived at the European Theater in the spring of 1944 and immediately assumed the role of the U.S.’s primary long range escort fighter, helping ravaged ...