PLANS ONLY - NOT A KIT

F-51 "Mustang"

1948 Thompson Trophy Winner

by Paul Plecan

A 1/12 Scale 36" wingspan UC model for .29 engines

Originally delivered to the USAAF in January 1946 as 44-72400, the P-51 was sold as surplus that July. In December 1946 it was acquired by National Airlines pilot, Anson Johnson who began to modify the airplane, shortening the wings by 2 feet on each side, removing as much excess weight as possible and fitting a Packard Merlin engine.

Johnson entered the bright yellow N13Y in the Thompson Trophy event at the 1948 Cleveland Air Races. The strong field included two Goodyear F2G Super Corsairs, a modified Bell P-39 Cobra II flown by test-pilot “Tex” Johnson, two Bell P-63 Kingcobras, as well as five other Mustangs. Johnson’s strategy was to go for reliability rather than outright maximum speed, a strategy that paid off as his competitors lost the battle of attrition as their high-strung power plants broke down forcing them out of the races. The Mustang won at a speed of 383.78 MPH, nearly 20 MPH faster the second place P-51D, the only other finisher of the races being a Bell P-63C which loafed in at 313.56 MPH.

Plans featured in May 1955 Model Airplane News

You will receive a full-size plan and the magazine article