Meet the Fighter Pilot of WWII, a Matchless Fighter

During the Second World War, American fighter pilot Robert Stanford Tuck flew his P-51 Mustang over Germany on 437 combat missions, destroying more than 15 enemy planes and damaging many others in dogfights with German pilots flying far superior aircraft like the Focke-Wulf 190 and Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was nicknamed Tuck because he was a small man – just 5 feet, 3 inches tall – who had to hunch over when sitting in the cockpit of his plane. It also fits with his other nickname, Bobby, short for Robert.

Meet The Fighter Pilot Of World War II

Aviation fans (and for some reason, I’m lumping myself in with them) are frequently excited about each new generation of fighters. The F-22 Raptor is one mean machine. But its predecessor, The P-51 Mustang was another matchless fighter. Major Charles Chuck Yeager joined the U.S. Army Air Corps when he was 19 years old before jets or rockets or computer-assisted-flight technology; before there were even other airplanes that could fly as fast as his fighter could go! He had already completed 25 missions by age 22 and gained ace status at age 23 by shooting down 9 enemy aircraft in his Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter over Europe. During World War II, he downed 12 more German fighters while flying Mustangs and became known as The Fastest Man Alive. It wasn't until after World War II that Yeager broke all speed records flying experimental rocket-powered airplanes. He remains an active pilot at 89 years old and lives on a ranch in California where he maintains an active lifestyle riding horses every day. Here's to you, Major Yeager! And here's to all of our brave men and women who serve our country today—thank you for your service!

10 Things You Didn’t Know About The P-51 Mustang

While you know that it was built by North American Aviation and that it flew with Allied forces throughout World War II, you might not know just how versatile—and how uniquely capable—this legendary fighter plane was. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about it. 

• 1. The P-51 Mustang can be considered an evolution of its predecessor, which was named NA-73X (or NAA Model A). The NA-73X went on to become one of history’s most significant airplanes: it became known as the P-51 Mustang after war broke out in Europe and proved itself to be a critical asset for Allied forces. 
• 2. The P-51 Mustang wasn’t only used for aerial combat during World War II; it also served as a bomber escort and even saw action during reconnaissance missions over Japan toward the end of 1945. 
• 3. In addition to being used by Allied forces, several countries around the world used different versions of what would eventually become known as the Mustang during World War II, including Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia. 
• 4. During World War II, more than 15,000 Mustangs were produced. 
• 5. Although it started off as a single-seat fighter aircraft, later models of the P-51 Mustang could accommodate two people: either two pilots or one pilot and a gunner who sat behind him/her. 
• 6. At least three variants of the P-51 Mustang have been inducted into aviation museums across America: one at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C., another at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, and a third at Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida. 
• 7. When it comes to speed and range, there’s no doubt that many pilots who flew Mustangs felt they had hit their peak when they got their hands on them. This is because these planes had everything going for them: they could reach speeds of up to 440 miles per hour, fly long distances without refueling and perform incredibly well at high altitudes.
• 8. One of the most famous air battles involving P-51 Mustangs took place near Berlin in 1944, when U.S. bombers faced off against German fighters like Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke Wulf 190s over Germany’s capital city. 
• 9. The first time a P-51 Mustang appeared in movie theaters was in 1942 when The Flying Tigers premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Since then, it has appeared in numerous other films and TV shows over the years, including Memphis Belle, The Tuskegee Airmen, and Twelve O'Clock High. 
• 10. As impressive as it was, however, at least one person involved in developing and testing P-51 Mustang prototypes said that he never thought it would make such a significant impact during World War II. Clarence Kelly Johnson, a lead engineer for Lockheed Martin, told The Telegraph in 2009 that he knew his team was working on something special but never imagined it would go down in history as one of America’s greatest weapons of war.

5 Incredible Facts About The Aircrafts From World War II

The P-51 Mustang was originally built for combat during World War II and has become one of history’s most famous fighter aircraft. It was designed to escort bombers across enemy territory but could also defend itself from enemy fighters by flying at high altitudes. According to Air & Space Magazine, The Mustang gained a reputation as being able to withstand incredible amounts of battle damage and still bring its pilot home safely. Here are five incredible facts about it 

• 1. Its pilots were nicknamed The Flying Cobras after their squadron insignia, which featured a snake with wings. 
• 2. In fact, they were so confident in their planes that they often flew without parachutes—and that meant if they got shot down over enemy territory, there was no way to escape alive. 
• 3. The P-51 Mustang is featured on more American postage stamps than any other aircraft. 
• 4. The plane’s designer had actually been fired from his job at North American Aviation before he came up with it—but luckily for him, he was rehired by another company that had an interest in his work and allowed him to continue developing it there instead. 
• 5. Even though it wasn’t used until after World War II ended, a P-51 Mustang named Toulouse Nuts still holds the record for being America’s fastest piston-engine fighter ever built. It reached speeds of 728 miles per hour during testing in 1945.

6 Things To Know About The Galloping Ghost

Meet Robert S. Johnson and his P-51 Mustang named Betty Jane (of which he says, She was a real lady!). Here are six interesting things to know about Mr. Johnson's experiences as one of only two American pilots to shoot down more than five enemy aircraft in aerial combat during World War II.

The name Galloping Ghost comes from an incident that occurred on October 12, 1944, during Johnson’s first mission over Germany while flying with Lt. Col Robert L Scott Jr., commander of 486th Fighter Squadron of 352nd Fighter Group. Scott called for cover after being attacked by German fighters but before covering him, Johnson shot down two German planes and damaged another before returning to base with just 11 minutes worth of fuel left in his tank! As he returned to land, he was greeted by a cheering crowd at his airfield who had heard about his exploits. At that moment, Johnson became known as The Galloping Ghost of Stalag Luft III.

Now you know six things about one of America's greatest fighter pilots in World War II!

7 Ultimate Reasons To See 'Mustang'

The super-maneuverable fighter P-51 Mustang is back in all its glory in American Sniper but are you familiar with its legendary role as airborne cavalry? Did you know that Mustangs were used to escort Allied bombers through enemy fire during D-Day and save countless troops during battles for control of Europe? Here are 7 reasons why it's worthwhile to learn more about these aerial knights and their fascinating legacy. You'll never see war movies or video games quite the same way again.

This warbird was designed by North American Aviation and first flown on October 26th, 1940. It was originally called Apache, but after testing proved successful, it was renamed Mustang. The name stuck even though many pilots found out they had trouble pronouncing it! These fighters were responsible for destroying more enemy aircraft than any other allied fighter in World War II. They could also hold their own against German jets like Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs, which were both faster than Mustangs. Even when faced with these superior planes, P-51 pilots managed to shoot down over 5,000 German aircraft while losing only about 150 themselves. That's an impressive kill ratio of nearly 4:1.

One reason why Mustangs were so effective is that they were able to fly at very high altitudes (35,000 feet). At that height, most enemy fighters couldn't reach them and anti-aircraft guns couldn't shoot them down either because they couldn't see them well enough to aim at them. The Mustang's ability to fly higher than any other allied fighter also gave it an advantage in ground attacks. They could fly over enemy lines and strafe targets on land while remaining out of range of machine-gun fire from ground troops. This allowed them to destroy tanks, trucks, armored vehicles, fuel depots, and even trains with relative ease. Their six .50 caliber machine guns also made short work of any German aircraft unlucky enough to cross their path during dogfights in mid-air. In fact, P-51s are credited with destroying more than half of all German planes shot down by American pilots in Europe.

The P-51 was also fast! It had a top speed of almost 400 miles per hour which was faster than many enemy planes it faced off against including Japanese Zeros and Russian Yaks. In fact, Mustangs were so fast that they were able to escort B-17 bombers all the way to Berlin and back without needing to refuel. This allowed them to protect Allied bombers from German fighters while also providing protection for their own squadrons on bombing runs over Germany. In fact, Mustangs destroyed more German aircraft in air-to-air combat than any other allied fighter during World War II.