North American P-51 / F-6A Mustang
Unit:154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Tunesia April 1943
Pilot: Lt. Alfred C. Schwab
For aid to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease program, the USAAF ordered 150 model P-51 Mustangs with a Letter of Intent on 7 July 1941. Four 20mm cannon replaced the mixed caliber machine gun arrangement of the British Mk I Mustang. As production of the P-51 airplanes ramped up in late 1941, it was decided that the USAAF would retain fifty-eight of the 150. The first example (41-37320) was delivered to the USAAF as the one-of-a-kind P-51-1-NA to serve as the prototype F-6 photographic reconnaissance and mapping variant. Another 54 were delivered as P-51-2-NA airplanes that were modified to serve as photo reconnaissance planes. In the summer of 1942 these 55 were re-designated as F-6A-1-NA rather than P-51-1/2 airplanes. One P-51 (41-37426) was acquired by the US Navy for aircraft carrier sea trials and was assigned US Navy Bureau Number 57987. The last of the keepers were two P-51s (41-37352 and 41-37421) which were retained to become the XP-51B airplanes. Therefore, the RAF only received 92 of these aircraft as Mustang Mark IA airplanes instead of the 150 it had requested. It's been written that the F6 modification included installation of two K-24 cameras behind the pilot s seat or alternatively, that one was behind the pilot seat and one in the rear fuselage. However contemporary photos show only the single camera behind the pilot seat and never any second camera.
The 68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group came to be the first USAAF users of the Mustang in combat, April 1943. On 9 April 1943, a lone P-51-2-NA (41-37328) flown by Lt. Alfred C. Schwab Jr. of the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flew an armed reconnaissance mission from its base in Tunisia, North Africa, and successfully photographed the enemy-held Kairouan Aerodrome returning without incident. The 68th Group squadrons were each equipped with a different aircraft type for different types of photography. By the summer of 1943, given the small number of F-6A aircraft in the theater, it was decided to concentrate the Mustangs in the 68th Observation Group's 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Usually looking to shoot in two senses of the word the F-6A pilots would go out in pairs or fours looking for enemy deployments, depots and transportation. Every version of the Mustang was long ranged, so they could do such patrols deep into enemy territory. Since the 111th and 154th TRS were in North Africa that often meant patrolling over Sicily or Italy. They were officially discouraged from mixing with enemy fighters which limited their air-to-air opportunities.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, 2D panel, aircraft.cfg, air file, and .dp
Shessi: Pilot figure
Kelticheart: Prop blurred texture
Gauges: AliCat, ACWai, Microsoft, and others unknown
Sound: razcal -- The Allison V-1710-81 for the P-40 but same engine in the P-51A
Unit:154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Tunesia April 1943
Pilot: Lt. Alfred C. Schwab
For aid to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease program, the USAAF ordered 150 model P-51 Mustangs with a Letter of Intent on 7 July 1941. Four 20mm cannon replaced the mixed caliber machine gun arrangement of the British Mk I Mustang. As production of the P-51 airplanes ramped up in late 1941, it was decided that the USAAF would retain fifty-eight of the 150. The first example (41-37320) was delivered to the USAAF as the one-of-a-kind P-51-1-NA to serve as the prototype F-6 photographic reconnaissance and mapping variant. Another 54 were delivered as P-51-2-NA airplanes that were modified to serve as photo reconnaissance planes. In the summer of 1942 these 55 were re-designated as F-6A-1-NA rather than P-51-1/2 airplanes. One P-51 (41-37426) was acquired by the US Navy for aircraft carrier sea trials and was assigned US Navy Bureau Number 57987. The last of the keepers were two P-51s (41-37352 and 41-37421) which were retained to become the XP-51B airplanes. Therefore, the RAF only received 92 of these aircraft as Mustang Mark IA airplanes instead of the 150 it had requested. It's been written that the F6 modification included installation of two K-24 cameras behind the pilot s seat or alternatively, that one was behind the pilot seat and one in the rear fuselage. However contemporary photos show only the single camera behind the pilot seat and never any second camera.
The 68th Tactical Reconnaissance Group came to be the first USAAF users of the Mustang in combat, April 1943. On 9 April 1943, a lone P-51-2-NA (41-37328) flown by Lt. Alfred C. Schwab Jr. of the 154th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flew an armed reconnaissance mission from its base in Tunisia, North Africa, and successfully photographed the enemy-held Kairouan Aerodrome returning without incident. The 68th Group squadrons were each equipped with a different aircraft type for different types of photography. By the summer of 1943, given the small number of F-6A aircraft in the theater, it was decided to concentrate the Mustangs in the 68th Observation Group's 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. Usually looking to shoot in two senses of the word the F-6A pilots would go out in pairs or fours looking for enemy deployments, depots and transportation. Every version of the Mustang was long ranged, so they could do such patrols deep into enemy territory. Since the 111th and 154th TRS were in North Africa that often meant patrolling over Sicily or Italy. They were officially discouraged from mixing with enemy fighters which limited their air-to-air opportunities.
Credits
Captain Kurt: Aircraft model, VC, paint textures, 2D panel, aircraft.cfg, air file, and .dp
Shessi: Pilot figure
Kelticheart: Prop blurred texture
Gauges: AliCat, ACWai, Microsoft, and others unknown
Sound: razcal -- The Allison V-1710-81 for the P-40 but same engine in the P-51A
