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 ...

Indeed, the P-51 is one of the most celebrated pieces of American WWII history. Many restored examples still fly at airshows, their distinctive roar evoking the era of piston-engine fighters.

Production of the P-51 Mustang began in 1940 at the request of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) to replace its outdated, and out-gunned, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. The earliest P-51s were powered by ...