Naval P-51

[USAF2010]

Have been playing AH for a few years now, but have never made time to post on the forums. Finally manned up and made one, and thought I'd share this article that I found on the Navy using P-51's for recon, and also them testing the pony for carrier use. There is an article in one of the past FlightJournal issues that has the details from one of the pilot's experiences in the 111th Tactical Recon Sqdn flying the 51. If I can find it, I'd be glad to scan it and post it up here.

http://www.history.navy.mil/download/ww2-30.pdf

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INCOMING

[JHerne]

Bob Elder (I met him at several of the Tailhook conventions in the late 90s and early 00s) flew a modified Pony off the USS Shangri-La while she was working up on the East Coast. There were two predominate issues with P-51s flying off carriers. First, she was water-cooled, and the Navy had always preferred radial engines as they were less difficult to maintain and stood a better chance of getting the pilot back to the ship. The second issue was the narrow margin between the Mustang's stall speed (82mph), and the maximum safe arrestor speed of the carrier (90mph). Couple into that the laminar-flow wing which didn't have great low-speed behavior, along with the 'wave off' practice of slamming the throttle forward (which could torque roll a smaller fighter like the 51), and it was determined that although a fantastic aircraft (which we all knew), it simply wasn't designed with carrier operations in mind.

[Ack-Ack]

I found the story of the naval pilots from VCS-8 were temporarily attached to the 111th Tactical Recon and flew missions in the F6 and later P-51C.  I never knew that little bit of aviation history, thanks for posting it.

ack-ack

[JOACH1M]

4 hogg heavy ord and fuel struggles to get off the cv, the pony would probally need full flaps to do that lol, it's a good idea but I think it won't happen

[USAF2010]

Not really wishing for it, just thought it was an interesting experiment. Actually in the article I read from flight journal, one of the guys flying a navy P-51C actually was the first person to land at an allied controlled field after D-Day in occupied Europe. It wasn't supposed to be, but he had a problem and landed at a half-completed field.


INCOMING

[Ack-Ack]

Not really wishing for it, just thought it was an interesting experiment. Actually in the article I read from flight journal, one of the guys flying a navy P-51C actually was the first person to land at an allied controlled field after D-Day in occupied Europe. It wasn't supposed to be, but he had a problem and landed at a half-completed field.


INCOMING

Read that, the first Allied pilot to land in liberated France and all because his canopy wouldn't close securely.




ack-ack

[Frodo]

I know Kidd Hofer of the 4th FG did the same thing, I wonder who was first? Could it have been the same field? He would have been flying a P-51 B or C.

Thanks for the link. 

[Frodo]

Not really wishing for it, just thought it was an interesting experiment. Actually in the article I read from flight journal, one of the guys flying a navy P-51C actually was the first person to land at an allied controlled field after D-Day in occupied Europe. It wasn't supposed to be, but he had a problem and landed at a half-completed field.


INCOMING

Any idea the date of this landing? 

Went back and found this about Hofer, off the 4th FG site..

June 11, 1944 - As was typical for June, the Group was again on a fighter bomber mission. This time to the Vire, France area. The Mustangs bombed and strafed 70 plus trucks. Thirty-two of the trucks were destroyed. Both Harry Noon and Leon Cole were killed. Noon hit some trees with his bombs still attached and Cole was hit by flak. Enemy air support was sent in but the Group didn't have enough ammunition to stay and fight and so withdrew. Ralph Hofer's oil system was punctured by small arms fire and he was forced to land at a forward air strip in Normandy. Major General Ralph Royce, 9th Air Force CO, met him and escorted him on a tour of the front.


http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/resource/tidbits.html