In 1940 the British Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation (NAA) to build under license Curtis P-40 fighters. NAA suggested that rather than produce an old design they proposed a new design, this would become the P-51 Mustang.
When fitted with the Roll-Royce Merlin engine, the Mustang would be one of the most important fighters of the war. With its ability to carry tremendous amounts of fuel, the plane was able to fly deep into Europe providing fighter escort for the bomber groups. Over the skies of Germany, it proved more than a match for what the Luftwaffe could throw at them.
Joining me is Chris Bucholtz.
Chris is an aviation historian with a prolific body of work. He previously joined me in episode 110 to discuss the P-47 Thunderbolt. His new book published by Osprey is P-51B/C Mustang: Northwest Europe 1943-44.
Patreon:
patreon.com/ww2podcast
187 - Desert Armour: Tank Warfare in North Africa
186 - Our Man in Tokyo
185 - Adrian Carton de Wiart
184 - My Road to Mandalay
183 - The Waffen-SS
182 - The British Parachute Regiment
181 - Britain's Coast at War
180 - US Navy Demolition Divers
179 - Bitter Peleliu
178 - Battles of Rzhev Salient
177 - Japan's Pacific War
176 - Colditz
175 - Dünkirchen, 1940
174 - The Pacific, August 1945
173 - The Maritime Struggle in the Mediterranean and Middle East
172 - The Battle of Stalingrad
171 - Tom, Dick and Harry
170 - The German Battle of the Bulge
169 - The U-Boat War
168 - Operation Foxley
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