The Aviation Magazine No:46 September-October 2016 | Page 16
On Friday, the day before the start of the "official" show, there are no promises as to what planes will ar‐
rive and fly. But on this spectacular day the sky's were magnificent and full.
In April 1940, the British Purchasing Commission gave the North American Aircraft Company 120 days to
produce a flying advanced fighter prototype. The P‐51 Mustang it introduced received outstanding marks
with it 1150 hp Allison engine, duct coolant radiator, four .50 caliber guns and four .303 caliber guns an
sufficient amount of ammunition. It also was capable of carrying two to four times the amount of fuel as
its rivals, making it ideal for long‐range missions. When air‐to‐air combat began to occur at higher alti‐
tudes, the Mustang's Allison engines failed to perform well in the thin air, the Mustang was assigned to
low altitude recon and photographic missions. In 1942 the U.S. Army Air Corps placed large orders of vari‐
ants to the P‐51 when it realized the potential of the Mustang. A newly‐developed Rolls Royce Merlin 60‐
series engine was installed into the P‐51D. A sliding plexiglass "bubble" canopy improved visibility, and the
Mustang's firepower was greatly enhanced with the addition of two .50 caliber M2 Browning machine
guns. Previously problems with jamming guns was rectified with upright mounting and installation of the
K‐14 gun sight improved the aircraft's targeting. This innovative targeting system required the pilot to dial
in the wingspan of the aircraft being chased, along with the range. An analog computer would calculate
the targeting ring on the sight that the pilot would use to determine if he was on target. The museum's
P‐51D was built in 1945 and sent to England where it was assigned to the Eighth Air Force. It 1947 it was
transferred to Sweden and it 1955 sold to Nicaragua. In 1954 it came to the U.S., changed ownership sev‐
eral times, and was purchased by the Military Aviation Museum in 2004.
The Messerschmitt Me 262 was the world's first operation jet‐powered fighter aircraft. Although it's de‐
sign began in 1939 prior to WWII, engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational
status with the German Luftwaffe until mid‐1944. It served in two capacities ‐ the Me 262 A‐1 Schwalbe
(Swallow) was designed as a defense interceptor and the Me 262 A‐2 Sturmvogel (Stormbird) served as a
fighter/bomber. While the Me 262 lacked the maneuverability of Allied fighters, it was very effective in
intercepting Allied bombers. Despite its fighting capabilities, the Me 262 was unable to make a significant
impact in WWII because it represented only one percent of the attacking force. Because of its late intro‐
duction into WWII only 1,400 Me 262's were produced. Due to maintenance problems, lack of fuel late in
the war, pilot shortages, and lack of airfields that could support this aircraft, only 200 Me 262's made it
into combat. The Museum's Me 262 was reconstructed by Legend Flyers of Seattle, Washington, and ar‐
rived at the Fighter Factory's Suffolk facility in October 2011.