2002 Wheels and Wings Airshow - P-51D Mustang

[BikeDoctor34]

"It takes a hundred and twenty days to form a commitee to think about building an airplane today!" Classic!

[pablin365]

Rolls Royce Piston Engines are named after Birds of Prey : Goshawk, Vulture,Kestrel, the Merlin is a small Bird of prey , not the name of the magician.

Rolls Royce Turbine Engines are named after British Rivers : Avon, Tay, Trent, Spey

[ajawofcopan]

it seems like he has it in the 1st speed - pretty much stalls at :50 He DID stall at 1:20 Gun that shit man 2nd gear

These things actually saved the war for us. Like if someone says "what was the turning point?"...well up until the p-51 the Luftwaffe owned the sky

[acr08807]

@ajawofcopan You have no idea what you're talking about.

[fbenenati]

Narrator is incorrect about the diameter of the propellor. It was eleven feet, two inches, not thirteen to fourteen feet. Fortunately today, there are now well over one hundred of them flying.

[pilotdave1000]

how much is the p51d?

[fbenenati]

If you mean how much is it to purchase, a nicely restored one will go for 1.5 to 1.8 million.

[IslandArchitect]

The announcer is incorrect.

It was a Packard Merlin not a RR Merlin

[usmcpsu66]

No, he's correct...Mustangs used the Rolls Royce Merlin. I'm not positive, but I think they used it partly because it was just the engine needed and it was already in production, so they just took it from the Brits to save time.

[IslandArchitect]

Thank goodness that you qualified your comment because I, like many others are positive. You should read this whole thread before commenting.

The P51D used the Packard Merlin, not the RR Merlin because it was better and could be produced in greater quantities.

This same engine was used in numerous other planed.

The experts in this thread verfied that the Packard was a great improvement.

No, we did not just take it from the Brits to save time. Another grevious error in your opinions.

[airshowfansh]

But... I was always under the impression that the Packard Motor Company built the Merlin engine under license from RR...

[IslandArchitect]

It is correct that a license was purchased.

Nils spent 6mo examining the drawings before completely redesigning it and instituting American Standards and numerous improvements.

That is why the Packard was the coveted one.

[IslandArchitect]

My typos are a disservice to Nils who was very exacting.

[pepsi71ocean]

Packard build the Merlin under license from RR's. However Pacard made several improvements that increase the TBO from 200 to over 400 hours.

[fbenenati]

IslandArchitect is correct. The main reason that Packard got the license was that it could not only improve the engine, but it could produce it in greater quantities, and quicker than the Brits.

[IslandArchitect]

Thank you fibenanti. Nils Skrubb's son told me the story about his Dad who lived in Grosse Pointe at the time.

I knew Gordon Buehrig and Bill Allison, two other very bright Detroit People.

Vintage V-12 confirmed that the Packard was way better. I now read that it was lighter too. That confirms that Nils totally redesigned it and incorporated American Standards.

There was brilliance in that earlier generation too.

Lewis M. Bill Dickens III

[fbenenati]

Lewis: Great bit of history about the Packard Merlin. Thanks for the information.

Fred Benenati

[IslandArchitect]

Thank you again Fred.

There seem to be a number of historical revisionists afloat lately in all sorts of arenas. Some people were implying that Edsel Ford designed the Continental. No, it was Bob Gregroie who designed all those wonderful cars for Ford in the 30's. He sparked the Hot Rods too.

The thing that really gauls me is that the Smithsonian does not seem to understand the Packard Merlin.

The nameplate on the RR Merlin was fun but the Packards dispensed with that nonsense.

Bill

[beepa007]

@IslandArchitect

thanks.....silly ppl like me were under the impression that the packard merlin was the merlin produced locally(us) ....damn why did they call em merlin...mabe cause the only diff was the flag on the side

[IslandArchitect]

If you have read this thread or the Awesome Sound one you will read comments by the leading engine restorers. The Packard Merlin was completely redesigned by Nils Skrubb from Packard in Detroit. This engine, the Packard Merlin was vastly superior.  You are simply perpetuating a myth, and myths are not true.

[LinkinParkForgetten]

Most beautiful plane, EVER built

[jaybee641]

Would have been nice except for the shit music,Love the engine sounds.

[terminator363]

its called a P-51 D mustang not A P51 MUSTANG

[kiwibuminoz]

Does it matter?

[terminator363]

No :D