How a P-51 Mustang Works

I'm Jake O'Neal, creator of Animagraffs. And that's how a P-51 Mustang

works

. I chose the definitive P-51D model, which entered service in late 1943 as a very capable fighter and long-range bomber escort that helped give air superiority to the Allied forces. Let's start with the frame and the outer skin. Hundreds of panels are riveted to a supporting structure called the fuselage. These parts are primarily made of aluminum for a sturdy yet lightweight construction. Sturdy beams and crossmembers support the engine. Hardened steel armor plates in front and behind the cockpit offer some protection to the pilot from enemy gunfire.

The fuselage has spars that extend the length of the frame and horizontal formers. The ribs and spars form the structure of the wing, with smaller spars for additional support. The aluminum frame components get their yellow color thanks to a special protective coating. Exterior parts can have a range of different finishes designed to smooth out the body and iron out bumps for a faster, better-handling airplane. LANDING GEAR AND GROUND STEERING The main landing gear is controlled by a hydraulic actuator. A separate actuator manages the clamshell doors. A movable locking pin secures the mechanism in place when the gear is down.

There is a shock absorber inside the support arm and a brake on each wheel. The pilot can steer the aircraft while on the ground by pressing the left or right rudder pedals, which also activate the brakes on the corresponding wheels. The rear landing gear mechanism is more complex. The assembly is retractable as is the main landing gear. However, the rear wheel can operate in "locked" mode, tying its rotation to the aircraft's rudder. As you turn the rudder, the cables are tightened in turn, turning the steering wheel left or right. The cables pass through a spring-loaded tensioner so they remain taut but can still move with the rear shock.

ENGINE The P-51D is powered by a Packard V-1650   Merlin engine. It has 12 cylinders in a 60-degree V formation and produces 1,400 horsepower, with a top speed of more than 430 mph. Air enters through an inlet below the nose section and is forced through a large centrifugal (or circular-shaped) supercharger. Engine cooling is provided by a radiator placed just behind the wings, under the fuselage. The low air intake is separated from the body of the aircraft to capture cleaner air away from exterior features that cause turbulence and propeller air. The location also allows a longer duct to take advantage of the Meredith effect, where hot air from normal radiator operation can be used to produce thrust, recovering up to 90% of the drag caused by the radiator blade.

The radiator exhaust port has an adjustable flap to regulate the output flow. Also located in the air intake is a separate engine oil cooler with its own exhaust flap. An engine oil tank is mounted on the firewall. A front-mounted tank contains circulating radiator fluid. Exhaust exits through short, angled nozzles. Fuel tanks in each wing hold 92 gallons each, with an additional 85-gallon fuselage tank behind the cockpit. Optional drop tanks can be mounted on the underside of each wing with a capacity of 110 gallons each, bringing the total possible fuel capacity to a whopping 489 gallons, with a resulting range of 1,650 miles.

A fighter aircraft with the range to penetrate deep into enemy territory proved to be a major turning point in the war effort. PROPELLER The propeller is connected directly to the engine through a relatively simple gear set. There's no transmission or gear shift like you'll find in almost any overland vehicle. Instead, the pitch of the blades can be controlled. For example, on takeoff, the blades are angled perpendicular to the aircraft to achieve a strong forward pull with little or no existing airflow. While traveling at high speed, that same pitching would create a barrier, causing resistance and slowing forward movement.

Therefore, the blades have an angle more in line with the direction of travel. ARMAMENT There are six wing-mounted .50 caliber Browning machine guns, three on each side. They are controlled by a lever-mounted trigger that, when activated, fires all weapons simultaneously. The ammunition capacity is 1,880 rounds, with a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per second. With all six weapons firing together, the total firing time is about 30 seconds. There is no cockpit indicator for the remaining rounds. A camera mounted on each wing can be configured to turn on when weapons are fired and record the result. A single removable bomb rack can be installed on the underside of each wing to carry 100, 250 or 500 pound bombs.

Alternatively, these racks can carry deployable fuel tanks. Six rockets can also be carried, three on each wing. Or ten rockets in total, when the bomb rack is not in use. CABIN These aircraft were designed for technical warfare operations and were not expected to be comfortable as a first priority. Some pilots reported having to be carried out of the cockpit after long-range missions in such close quarters. Controls and gauges cover all surfaces, leaving room only for the pilot's body and bulky flight equipment. Starting from the left side of the cockpit, there is a flare gun box and a flare gun mounting tube that extends across the aircraft to the exterior.

Below, an aileron control lever sets the position of the main ailerons. A set of dials controls various elements of the rudder, ailerons and elevators. For example, if more fuel is used in one wing tank than the other, the aircraft can become unbalanced and "pull" in undesired directions. The appropriate trim tab can be adjusted to counteract unwanted attitude so that the pilot does not have to fight the controls to constantly balance the craft. The radiator and oil cooler switches control the exhaust flap positions shown above for those systems. Also on this panel, a landing light switch for the lights that fold out of the main landing gear compartment and a switch for the left side cockpit light.

The landing gear lever is lowered by the pilot's left leg, as is the fuel tank gauge on the left wing. The bomb save lever releases bombs mechanically, as opposed to the electrically activated button on the lever. The fuel and air mixture, propeller RPM, and engine throttle controls are grouped together. The propeller RPM lever setting attempts to keep the propeller rotation speed constant, automatically altering things like the engine throttle or propeller blade pitch to do so. The propeller and the air around it work similarly to the automatic transmission in a car. And likewise, the RPM of a car's engine is not always directly related to the actual speed at which the car is moving.

So for an airplane, controlling the propeller speed is the best way to control the air speed. Moving to the pilot's front view, we see the flight stick, with a bomb release button on top and the gun trigger on the front. Generally speaking, moving the flight stick to the left or right will roll the airplane. Moving the stick forward or backward alters the pitch. The left and right rudder pedals manage the yaw. Beyond the lever we see the main fuel shut-off lever and a fuel tank selector dial. The fairing door emergency lever releases the landing gear in the event of an engine malfunction.

Once released, the gear can be manually locked by yawing the aircraft left or right. Nearby is a hydraulic pressure gauge. A warning light above the emergency lever indicates whether the landing gear doors are open. Separate warning lights indicate the left and right landing gear lock status. The various nearby switches and knobs control the weaponry settings. The bombs can be dropped all together or in a train. Weapons can be configured as single shot, burst or fully automatic. The number of shots per burst can also be set with the corresponding dial. To the left of this panel is the engine ignition switch.

In the center, the handbrake. The left switch bank has supercharger boost control and other engine-specific settings. On the right, the oxygen flasher moves with the pilot's breath to very accurately indicate oxygen consumption with each breath. Pilots need specific oxygen gauges because of the dangers of consuming too much or too little oxygen, which can cause pilot confusion and error. A pressure gauge on the right indicates the pressure of the oxygen system. The oxygen regulator controls the flow to the pilot. There are positionable lights on the left and right for illumination. The yellow line across the dashboard separates the flight control-related gauges into their own section.

From the left, we have the altitude altimeter, airspeed indicator, directional gyroscope, and compass, which are used together to maintain a specific course of travel. The pitch and roll indicator shows the current attitude of the aircraft. The artificial horizon indicates the angle of the terrain with respect to the plane. Outside the white line is the clock, a suction gauge to monitor vacuum pressure, as many of these gauges and instruments use vacuum pressure differences to operate. The manifold pressure gauge tracks the engine's internal pressure. The propeller may rotate at the same speed but require a lot of engine power, so the manifold pressure must be controlled.

There is a coolant temperature gauge, a tachometer for engine RPM, a carburetor air temperature gauge to ensure the engine air intake stays within a reasonable range, and an oil and fuel pressure gauge. Turning to the right side of the pilot we see the controls for the electrical and radio equipment. Including an ammeter to monitor the electrical current of the aircraft generator. There are switches to disconnect the generator and battery, left and right gun heaters, and position lights. Red, green and amber position lights on the underside of the right wing tip can display codes to indicate the approach of friendly aircraft at night.

The later P-51D models had a tail radar system to warn of aircraft behind the aircraft. Below it is a radio frequency tuner and a headphone jack. The last two modules are radio control units and an IFF system used to signal a friendly aircraft to external radar systems. The right wing fuel tank gauge is on the floor next to the seat. The top crank is also on this side, with an emergency release lever. Just behind the pilot's left ear is the fuselage fuel tank gauge, various electronic devices inducing radio and radar modules, and behind this, the oxygen tank storage compartment.

Returning to the pilot's view, we see the sight. A standard front sight, marked with a "plus" sign, and an offset sight project from horizontal lenses onto a thin angled glass panel. The pilot adjusts the wingspan dial on the front to correspond to the target's wingspan, measured in feet. As you twist the throttle grip, the diamond ring on the offset sight forms an imaginary circle around the wings of the target. This, combined with the center point above the target's cockpit, automatically calculates the range and arc of the bullet as both aircraft move through the air at high speed.

PILOT During the P-51 era, the regulations for pilot equipment were a little more open to individual preferences, so I have created a generalized set of equipment. The pilot wears a leather helmet with built-in headphones. Also a pair of goggles and an oxygen mask with a microphone built right above the breathing tube. The pilot is wearing a yellow life jacket. Parachute straps surround the pilot's torso and legs and extend to a rear parachute pad that was often packed with first aid supplies and a single-person life raft. The pilot's parachute is packed under the seat cushion. All of these elements are attached to the parachute rig and follow the pilot in the event of a rescue.

The jacket and jumpsuit are fromwool or cotton and are combined with warm leather boots and gloves.