Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Normal
I had always wondered about the large canopy the XP-51F,G & J got, until I saw some photos of them a while ago that explained a lot. It would seem they raised the cockpit up about 6 or 8 inches so needed a bigger canopy over it as the fuselage used was basically the P-51D fuselage (except the 'J' got the 13" extension that is familiar on the P-51H). On the P-51H, it still had the raised cockpit but then had built up fuselage sides and a regular P-51D canopy installed. The XP-82/P-82 had an almost identical fuselage to the P-51H, only the natural top and bottom profile lines where just continued to the rear so they merged at a point further back.Below is a comparison between a P-51H and F-82 fuselage, keep in mind the Allison engine installation on the F-82 was deeper on the F-82G/H than the Merlin arrangement on the P-51HThe lower picture is of a P-51D/P-51H comparison so you can see that the 'H' was much bigger. I've used the new tool Airfix P-51D kit and a High Planes P-51H in this comparison, I've also been using the Airfix kit so I can build an XP-51F or G so I've cut the rear canopy fairing out (if anyone is wondering)
I had always wondered about the large canopy the XP-51F,G & J got, until I saw some photos of them a while ago that explained a lot. It would seem they raised the cockpit up about 6 or 8 inches so needed a bigger canopy over it as the fuselage used was basically the P-51D fuselage (except the 'J' got the 13" extension that is familiar on the P-51H). On the P-51H, it still had the raised cockpit but then had built up fuselage sides and a regular P-51D canopy installed. The XP-82/P-82 had an almost identical fuselage to the P-51H, only the natural top and bottom profile lines where just continued to the rear so they merged at a point further back.
Below is a comparison between a P-51H and F-82 fuselage, keep in mind the Allison engine installation on the F-82 was deeper on the F-82G/H than the Merlin arrangement on the P-51H
The lower picture is of a P-51D/P-51H comparison so you can see that the 'H' was much bigger. I've used the new tool Airfix P-51D kit and a High Planes P-51H in this comparison, I've also been using the Airfix kit so I can build an XP-51F or G so I've cut the rear canopy fairing out (if anyone is wondering)
