Classic U.S. Combat Aircraft of WWII: P-51 Mustang

The documentaries issued under the heading Classic U.S. Combat of WWII explore the chronological development of various WWII-era American fighter planes. This particular volume, P-51 Mustang, looks at how the British RAF designed and built the titular craft, initially flying it in May 1941, and replacing its Allison engine with a far superior Merlin one. The success of the fighter inspired the United States government to order a fleet of P-51s for the USAF - planes that served the country in the Mediterranean European arenas of the global conflict. The film then explains how the P-51s became invaluable in the Japanese theater - vehicles used to bring the Japanese air fleets down to size and wreak devastation against Japanese ground targets.