The P-51 Mustang: the best fighter of all timeThe P-51 Mustang is considered by many sources to be the greatest combat aircraft never created. Thanks to this aircraft's technological advancements, its service history, and its importance in winning World War II, the Mustang is truly one of the greatest. The Mustang played a key role in supporting long-range bombers and saved the lives of countless bomber crews, and pilots loved flying it. The P-51 scored the most aerial victories of any American fighter in World War II and was flown by some of America's greatest aces. The P-51 was a beast of a fighter jet. The most recognizable Mustang was the D model. This is the model with the famous “bubble” canopy. It was equipped with a Rolls Royce model V-1650 V12 engine built by Packard Merlin which generated over 1,650 horsepower. The engine, combined with a sleek aerodynamic body and laminar flow wings (which produce less drag than conventional wings due to their shape), gave the Mustang a top speed of around 440 miles per hour, which which makes it one of the fastest combat aircraft in the world. Second war. The laminar flow wing along with external fuel tanks gave it a range of over 1,000 miles, making it the only fighter capable of escorting bombers for their entire mission. It was a very agile and maneuverable aircraft and capable of performing movements that most aircraft could only dream of. It had a wingspan of 37 feet, was 32 feet 3 inches long, 13 feet 8 inches high and, fully loaded, could weigh up to 12,100 pounds. It was armed with six .50 caliber Browning machine guns and could carry six five-inch rockets, or up to two thousand pounds of bombs on underwing racks. The P-51 was also one of the first aircraft to feature an electric gyroscopic sight; its sight was designated K14. The sight could calculate ...... middle of paper ......p against any other fighter. The P-51 Mustang is truly the greatest combat aircraft in history.WORK CITED1. Sherman, Stephen E. “Eighth Air Force Aces in World War II.” Mustang and Thunderbolt fighter pilots of the US 8th Air Force during World War II. Acepilots.com, June 1999. Web. May 5, 2014. “North American P-51D Mustang. » Technical data sheets: North American P-51D Mustang. The official website of the USAF National Museum, April 2, 2011. Web. May 5, 2014. Jackson, David D. "Warbirds and Airshows - American Aircraft Victories of World War II." Warbirds and Airshows - American Aircraft Victories of World War II. Np, and Web. May 5, 2014. .Clarke, R. Wallace. Armament of British aircraft. Flight. 2. Sparkford: Stephens, 1994. Print.