Highlights:
- A Second World War American single-engine, single-seat fighter, designed and produced by North American Aviation Inc. between 1940 and 1945
- Offered by North American to the RAF as an alternative to the Curtiss P-40
- First used by the British; quickly adopted by the United States Army Air Forces
- Original Allison engine replaced with Rolls-Royce Merlin in 1943, significantly improving performance at all altitudes
- The RAF supplied five RCAF squadrons with Mustangs during the War; after the war, the RCAF acquired Mustangs of its own
- A number of air forces used Mustangs during the Cold War
- The Ford Motor Company named their Mustang sports car after the aircraft
- First flight was on October 25, 1940
Image Gallery:
CASM-13574
CASM-19586
History:
The versions of this superb airplane fitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine were arguably the finest all-round fighters of Second World War. Its long range permitted bomber escort from Britain to southern Germany and back. The Mustang was also the first US Air Force fighter to serve in the Korean War. The RCAF flew Mustangs in Second World War and in 1947 received 130 aircraft to equip two regular and six auxiliary squadrons. The Mustang retired from RCAF service in 1960.
Although designed and built in 117 days, the Mustang incorporated such advances as a laminar-flow wing and simple lines for easy production. A long-range night fighter version, the “Twin Mustang”, was two Mustangs overlapping one wing each to create a twin-engine, two-pilot airplane. Stock and modified Mustangs were still competing in air racing in the 1990s.
Current Location:
Reserve Hangar, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Transfer from the Royal Canadian Air Force
This Mustang IV was manufactured in 1945 by North American Aviation Inc. in Inglewood, California, and served first with the U.S. Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Details of its American history are unknown.
In March 1951, this Mustang was acquired by the RCAF and served with the City of Vancouver (Auxiliary) Squadron, which operated out of the Sea Island Airport, near Vancouver, British Columbia. In the early 1960s, the RCAF started transferring its historical aircraft to the Canadian War Museum, commencing with the Mustang IV in December 1961. Transfer to the Canadian War Museum was stopped when it was determined that it did not have adequate facilities. The Mustang was then transferred to Rockcliffe Airport in 1964. It is finished as a Mustang III of No. 442 "City of Vancouver" Squadron in 1945.
Technical Information:
| Wing Span | 11.3 m (37 ft 1/4 in) |
| Length | 9.8 m (32 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 4.2 m (13 ft 8 in) |
| Weight, Empty | 3,465 kg (7,635 lb) |
| Weight, Gross | 5,488 kg (12,100 lb) |
| Cruising Speed | 418 km/h (260 mph) |
| Max Speed | 703 km/h (437 mph) |
| Rate of Climb | 6,100 m (20,000 ft) / 10 min |
| Service Ceiling | 12,950 m (42,500 ft) |
| Range | 3,347 km (2,080 mi) |
| Crew | one |
| Power Plant | one Rolls-Royce (Packard) Merlin V-1650-7, 1,680 hp, Vee engine |
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