24 P-51 Mustang This North American Aviation warplane proved as versatile as any of its time, serving during World War II as a fighter, bomber and escort. It was particularly effective at providing long-range, high-altitude escort for U.S. bombers on daylight bombing missions over Europe and in the Pacific. The Mustang’s superior aerodynamics, including its pioneering laminar flow wing, allowed it to outperform enemy fighters. The P-51 flew for the first time on Oct. 25, 1940, and it remained in service for the Korean War and for foreign military use well into the 1980s. North American, a Boeing heritage company, built more than 15,500. •
Frontiers July 2016 Issue
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