Masters of the Air
Summary
DuringMajor Harry Crosby ’s narrationin episode 7 ofMasters of the Air , he explains that in the spring of 1944 , the 100th begin using a new type of plane , the P-51 Mustang , which help the United States Army Air Forces and the Allies win the war against Germany . grant to Crosby , these planes were the keep the 100th needed when embarking on dangerous charge such as episode 7 ’s Black Monday . By having these novel planes , the American airmen were capable to view as their own against the Germans for a scrap longer than common , helping them successfully hit their targets .
Prior to the wage hike of the P-51 Mustang , the United States Army Air Forcesrelied on the power of the B-17 . At the start of the warfare , theB-17 wedge , or the Flying Fortress , was the ideal machine for fly military missions . It was a woodworking plane that was not only fast , but also sturdy . It could stand firm a gamy amount of impairment and preserve to fly . There are even account ofB-17s flying with only one workings engine . Despite this , the B-17eventually became outdatedover the track of the war , and therefore , the P-51 Mustang was created .
captain of the Air depicts the lethal anti - aircraft weapon system experience as the Flakkwaffe with brutal accuracy . Its origin and effectuality make it unique .
How The P-51 Mustang Is Different To The B-17 Bombers
The P-51 Mustang was asmaller , sleeker planecompared to the B-17 bomber . While the B-17 was designed to take clayey amends without failing , the Mustang wasbuilt for fast travel . Where the B-17 bomber was typically 74 ft long with a wingspan of 103 metrical unit , the P-51 Mustang was only 32 foot long with a wingspan of 37 feet . In this style , the P-51 Mustang could fly at almost double the speed of a B-17 . The P-51 Mustang ’s maximal focal ratio was 440 miles per hour while the B-17 could only make it to 287 international nautical mile per time of day .
Due to the P-51 Mustang ’s little size , the plane could not contain the ten - person crew that was typical of a B-17 . In fact , the P-51 Mustang was asingle - seat , exclusive - railway locomotive aircraft . This meant that the figure of injured party decrease when a P-51 Mustang was shot down , but also , the damage the airplane could do was also decreased . Though a P-51 Mustang was equipped with machine guns , it did not have the bombardment ability that a B-17 did . Despite this , the P-51 Mustangcame in ready to hand for jobs that a B-17 submarine sandwich simply could not do .
How The Eighth Air Force Used The P-51 Mustang & How It Changed The War
When the United States Army Air Forces began using the P-51 Mustang , the aircraft ' main intent wasto support and protect the B-17s on their flying . P-51 Mustangs are well used for retentive - reach , broken elevation missions . In this way , they were unadulterated for accompanying the sturdy B-17s as they made their bombing try .
With the help of a P-51 Mustang , a crew like the 100th could fly over Berlin and have P-51 Mustangs in their ranks , prepared to take down Luftwaffe planes so that the B-17s could drop their bombs and get out before becoming damaged or destroy .
finally , the P-51 Mustangdecreased losses among the United States Army Air Forces . According toBritannica , in October 1943 , 9.1 % of Eighth Air Force wedge failed to return from their missions , while 45.6 % returned damaged . However , after the introduction of the P-51 Mustang , those statistics decreased to 3.5 % and 29.9 % . In this way of life , the P-51 Mustang succeeded at giving the bombers enough cut across to dangle their dud and return unscathed . This cease up being a serious hurt for the German Luftwaffe , and ultimately lead to their death at the end of the war .
How Long The P-51 Mustang Was Used For By The United States
RCAF buffer Lynn Garrison flew all 78 stay P-51 Mustangs to Canastota , New York in 1958 .
In the present Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , there arenumerous P-51 Mustangs still in existence around the humanity . These aircraft are still being vanish to this day , and also , are still ready records . In 2013 , a P-51 Mustang set an altitude record . So , even beyondMasters of the Air , the P-51 Mustang has continued to be a vital and iconic aircraft . They not only helped win World War II , but they have also live on as a reliable aircraft to this solar day .
Cast
