1/48 Hobby Master HA8512, P-51B Mustang, “Blackpool Bat”, 1st Lt. George George

1/48 Hobby Master HA8512

P-51B-10-NA Mustang, “Blackpool Bat” 

Aircraft  Serial Number: 43-24842 

Flown by 1st Lt. George George

363rd FS / 357th FG, “Yoxford Boys” 

USAAF, RAF Leiston Airfield, Suffolk England, 1944

“Lt. George was the 357th Fighter Group’s Top Train Buster”

NEW: New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item (including handmade items). See the seller's listing for full details.   

• True 1/48 scale
• Professionally painted
• Great attention to detail
• All markings are Tampoed (pad applied)
• Option to display the model on a stand that is provided
• Model can be shown with the landing gear in the down or up positions
• Canopy can be displayed open or closed
• Pilot figure included
• Extremely heavy metal with a minimum of plastic
• Highly collectable




The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was originally designed and produced by North American Aviation for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and later adopted by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF). The P-51 is widely regarded as the finest all-around piston-engined fighter of World War II was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and several other conflicts. The P-51 Mustang was a solution to the clear need for an effective bomber escort. With external fuel tanks, it could accompany the bombers all the way to Germany and back. The P-51 proved perfect for escorting bombers all the way to the deepest targets.




P-51B “Razorback” Mustang 

While happy with the P-51A’s low-drag laminar-flow wing and an efficient low-drag engine cooling system that gave it exceptional speed and range the British weren’t impressed with the liquid-cooled in-line Allison engine’s lack of an efficient high-altitude supercharger. This drawback restricted the Mustang to low-altitude operations below 15,000 feet. So the British began experimenting with Mustangs fitted with the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and they discovered that the Merlin’s efficient mechanical supercharger gave the fighter outstanding high-altitude performance. North American quickly followed suit. The Merlin was already being produced under license in the United States by the Packard Motor Company, and by the summer of 1943 Packard Merlin-powered P-51Bs were coming off North American’s assembly line.




P-51B or C?

The only difference between the North American P-51B and C variants was the B was built in Inglewood and the C in Dallas. The B variant first flew on May 5, 1943 and the C variant first flew on August 5, 1943. The B variant saw 1,988 built while the C variant saw 1,750 built. On December 1, 1943 the P-51B Mustang flew its first combat mission and in March 1944 provided bomber escort to Berlin. The high shape of the P-51B/C dorsal spine gave it the name “Razorback”.




To say the Merlin Mustangs were successful would be an understatement. The P-51 became one of the aviation world’s elite. The total number of 14,819 Mustangs of all types were built for the Army. The Mustang was employed throughout 40 USAAF fighter groups and 31 RAF squadrons. American P-51 Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down an 11:1 “kill ratio”, second only to the carrier borne Grumman F6F Hellcat among Allied aircraft. They were used as dive-bombers, bomber escorts, ground-attackers, interceptors, for photo-recon missions, trainers, transports (with a jump-seat), and after the war, high performance racers.  





Lt. George George

P-51B Mustang, serial number 43-24842, was assigned to Lt. George George of the 363rd Fighter Squadron. His Mustang “Blackpool Bat” was named after the town of Blackpool England where his girlfriend and later wife came from. Best known for his ground support, Lt. George was the 357th Fighter Group’s top “Train Buster”.




On September 15, 1944 several P-51s departed RAF Leiston Airfield to provide escort for bombers on their way to Warsaw Poland. P-51B 42-106783 “Flying Panther” was assigned to Captain E. K. Simpson Jr., but on this day was being flown by Lieutenant Nowlin. P-51B 43-24842, “Blackpool Bat” piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Kenneth F. Graeff had departed first and was loitering while he waited for the rest of the escorts to form up. As Lieutenant Nowlin climbed to altitude he entered heavy overcast conditions and as a result collided with “Blackpool Bat” killing both pilots.




Specifications for the North Amerian P-51B/C 




Role - Fighter, Bomber-Escort, Ground-Attack, Photo Recon




Total Aircraft Manufactured - (1,988) P-51Bs built and (1,750) P-51Cs built out of a total of 14,819 (All variants)




Manufacturer - North American Aviation




Crew - (1) Pilot




Dimensions:

Maximum Length - 32 ft 3 in.

Height - 13 ft 4.5 in.

Wingspan - 37 ft.

Wing Area - 235 sq. ft.




Weights:

Empty - 6,985 lbs.

Normal Take Off - 9,800 lbs.

Maximum Takeoff - 11,800 lbs.




Powerplant:  

Engines - (1) Packard (Rolls-Royce) V-1650-3 Merlin two-staged supercharged V 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine, 1,380 hp at 3,000 rpm

Propellers - 4-bladed Hamilton Standard constant-speed, variable-pitch, 11 ft. 2 in. diameter




Performance:

Maximum Speed - 439 mph

Cruise speed - 362 mph

Stall speed - 100 mph

Service Ceiling - 41,900 ft.

Rate of Climb - 3,200 ft/min

Range – 950 miles

Maximum Range - 1,650 miles with external tanks




Drop Tanks - (2) 75 gallon or (2) 108 gallon 




Armament: 

Fixed - (4) .50 caliber AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 1,260 total rounds

Disposable -  (2) 1,000 lb. bomb load or (4) .5 inch rockets