WGSE: P-51 Mustang Combat Missions: (subtitle too long for form)

**NewFlyBoy** · 09-07-2017 08:24

Book Title:

P-51 Mustang Combat Missions: (subtitle too long for form)

Author:

Martin Bowman

ISBN:

978-1-4351-4612-9

Category:

History

Format:

Hardback

Summary:[INDENT][I] Complete title of book: "P-51 Mustang Combat Missions: First-Hand Accounts of P-51 Mustang Ops over Nazi Europe." This sumptuously illustrated book is the story of the development, deployment, and combat history of the P-51 Mustang in the European Theater of operations. The book contains information from the development of the plane from its design stages, technical information on the plane's engine plant and airframe design, to test flights, to first person recollections of pilots flying missions in WW2, to how the pilots spent their rest and recreation between missions. There is something for everyone who has an interest in flight in this period. The book is divided into three main sections: Part 1: History and Development; Part 2: Missions; and Part 3: R and R. At first the plane was thought to only be an escort plane for bombing missions due to its poor performance at high altitudes. However after the introduction of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine with two stage super charger (built under license to the Packard Motor Company) the high altitude performance of the aircraft improved significantly and the role of the aircraft was re-imagined. Subsections within each part give a rich and detailed story of the plane. Perhaps my most favorite part of the book are the first person accounts of P-51 pilots recounting the actions of their individual missions in the plane -- particularly the stories of the P-51 pilots who downed ME-262s in dogfights (something I hadn't even considered). The chapter on the Tuskeegee Airmen "Red Tails" is a brief, yet complete and interesting read as well. While the book is very readable (you could theoretically read it in an afternoon of concentrated reading time) it is packed with technical information on the plane (right down to an illustrated chart on the various types of .50 caliber machine gun ammunition available to be used). Visually it is a big, beautiful book with many illustrations and period photographs. I've attached pictures of the front and back of the dust jacket and the two page illustrations at the beginning of each major section to give an idea of the visual appeal of the book. I very much enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it to all.