P-51L and P-51M

[Steve Pace]

During my P/F-51 Mustang book research I've discovered that it's a good possibility that the proposed P-51L-NT was assigned NAA Charge Number NA-129. I'm still checking on this... -SP

 

[Arjen]

Norm Avery's "North American Aircraft 1934-1998, volume 1" lists, among others, the NA-129 and NA-124:

NA-129 P-51L Cancelled version of P-51H
NA-124 P-51M USAAF 45-11743

From "WW2 Aircraft fact files: US Army Air Force Fighters, Part 2" by William Green and Gordon Swanborough:

The USAAF ordered 1,445 P-51Hs from the Inglewood plant but only 555 had been delivered when outstanding contracts were cancelled on VJ-day. Intended primarily for service in the Pacific area, the lightweight Mustangs were still in process of being deployed to operational units when the war ended. The P-51M was to have been a similar variant built at Dallas, but only one of 1,628 ordered was completed; none of 1,700 P-51Ls was built, this being similar to the P-51H but with the V-1650-11 engine with direct fuel injection.

I find it difficult to dig up anything at all about these variants, I hope your efforts are more succesful.

Topic: P-51L and P-51M http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,11766.0/highlight,p-51m.html

 

[Stargazer]

During my P/F-51 Mustang book research I've discovered that it's a good possibility that the proposed P-51L-NT was assigned NAA Charge Number NA-129. I'm still checking on this... -SP

What do you mean, a "good possibility"?? My list has had the P-51L-NT (44-91004/92003) under NA-129 for ages, along with a canceled order for the P-51H (44-64718/65159 etc.)! Couldn't make it up, so I must have found it somewhere, right?

 

[Steve Pace]

What was the block number for the cancelled P-51Hs 44-64718/-65159? -SP

 

[Steve Pace]

BTW: NA-138 was for 629 cancelled P-51Ds - not P-51Es. See document. -SP

 

[Stargazer]

Was was the block number for the cancelled P-51Hs 44-64718/-65159? -SP

I have only these serials and no information as to the constructor's numbers, although there probably were none allocated.

 

[Arjen]

From Norm Avery's book.

 

[Steve Pace]

From Norm Avery's book.

Thanks Arjen! -SP

 

[Arjen]

Found some more in "The American Fighter" by Enzo Angelucci and Peter M. Bowers:

 

[Steve Pace]

Found some more in "The American Fighter" by Enzo Angelucci and Peter M. Bowers:

Awesome! -SP

 

[Steve Pace]

Thanks to Ryan Crierie and a document he sent me, a breakdown of planned P-51M production is much more clear (see below). -SP

P-51M, TP-51M and F-6M Mustang Program
Contract/Program Date, Designation, Number to be Built, Contract Number, Number Built, Comment
9/21/44, P-51M-NT, 795, AC-2400 (contract supplement number two), one built/one accepted; created from last Dallas-built P-51D-30-NT (45-11743)
9/21/44, F-6M-NT, 130, AC-2400 (contract supplement number two), zero built
9/21/44, TP-51M-NT, 75, AC-2400 (contract supplement number two), zero built
6/29/45, P-51M-NT, 510, AC-8387, zero built
6/29/45, F-6M-NT, 119, AC-8387, zero built
Note: All examples of the M-variant were to be powered by the Packard-built V1650-9A Merlin engine with four-bladed Hamilton Standard 24-D-50 propellers.
P-51Ms on order were USAF S/Ns 45-11743 to 45-12742; 45-11743 was assigned to one off P-51M built
P-51Ms on order were NAA Factory Numbers 124-48496 to 124-49495; 124-48496 was assigned to one off P-51M built