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Type:
P-51: Single-seat fighter
A-36 Apache: Attack Bomber
F-6: Reconnaissance
Cavalier & Piper Models: CO-IN
F-82: Night Fighter
Origin: North American
Models: NA-73, P-51, TP-51, P-51L, A-36, F-6, Cavalier 750 to 2500, Piper Enforcer and F-82 Twin Mustang
First Flight:
NA-73X: October 26, 1940
Mustang I: May 1, 1941
Merlin Conversion: October 13, 1942
P-51B: December 1942
XP-82A: April 15, 1945

Service Delivery: Mustang I: October 1941
Final Delivery:
P-51H: November 1945
F-82G: April 1949

Total Produced:
P-51: 15, 586
F-82: 242
An additional 200 P-51's were built under license in Australia from 1945-1948.

Powerplant:
P-51A, A-36, F-6A:
One 1,150 hp Allison V-1710-F3R
or 1,125hp V-1710-81 V12 Liquid Cooled

P-51B and C:
One 1,520hp Packard V-1650-3
(licensed built RR Merlin 61-series)

P-51D, K and F-6C:
One 1,590hp Packard V-1650-7

P-51H: One 2,218hp Packard V-1650-9

Cavalier: One 1,590hp Packard V-1650-7

Turbo-Mustang III:
One 1,740 Rolls-Royce Dart 510 Turboprop

Enforcer: One 2,535 Lycoming T55-9 Turboprop

F-82F, G, H: Two 2,300 Allison V-1710-143/145
Dimensions:
Wing span:
    Typical: 11.29m (37 ft. 0½in)
    Tip tanked Cavalier models: 40 ft. 1 in.
    F-82: 15.61m (51 ft. 3 in.)
Length: 9.81m (32 ft. 2.5 in)
    P-51H: 33 ft. 4 in.
    Turbo-Mustang/Enforcer: 28 ft. 6 in.
    F-82E: 39 ft. 1 in.
    F-82F: 42 ft. 2 in.
Height:
    P-51A, A-36, F-6: 3.72m (12 ft. 2in.)
    Other P-51: 4.1m (13 ft. 8 in.)
    F-82: 4.2m (13 ft. 10in.)
Wing Surface Area: N/A
   Weights:
Empty:
    Typical, early model: 2858kg (6,300 lbs.)
    P-51D: 3230kg (7,125 lbs.)
    Cavalier 2500: 3402kg (7,500 lbs.)
    Turbo-Mustang/Enforcer: 3037kg (6,696 lbs.)
    F-82E: 6509kg (6,696 lbs.)
Maximum loaded:
    P-51 Early: 3901kg (8,600 lbs.)
    P-51D: 5,260kg (11,600 lbs.)
    Cavalier: 4763kg (10,500 lbs.)
    Turbo-Mustang: 6350kg (14,000 lbs.)
    F-82E: 11,276kg (24,864 lbs.)
    F-82F: 11,887kg (26,208 lbs.

Performance:
Maximum Speed:
   Early P-51: 390mph (628km/h)
   P-51D: 437mph (703km/h)
   Cavalier,Typical: 457mph (735km/h)
   F-82, Typical: 465mph (750km/h)
Initial climb:
   Early P-51: 2,600 ft. (792m) per minute
   P-51D: 3,475 ft. (1060m) per minute
Service Ceiling:
   Early: 30,000 ft. (9144m)
   P-51D, Cavalier, F-82: 41,900 ft. (12,770m)
Range with maximum fuel:
   Early: 450 miles (724km)
   P-51D: Combat Range 950 miles
      Operational range 1,300 miles with drop tanks and
      absolute range to dry tanks of 2,080 miles.
       750-2,500 miles depending on customer choice
       2,300 miles
       2,504 miles
       2,200 miles
Avionics:
P-51C:
SCR-695 Radio Transmitter-Reciever
SCR-522 Radio Transmitter-Reciever
Click on image for larger view
Piper PA-48 Enforcer
F/P-82 Twin Mustang
Surviving P-51 Mustangs
Armament:
Mustang I: Four .303 machine guns in wings, two .50 machine guns in wings & two .50 machine guns in lower sides of nose. Typical, C Model onward: Six .50 Browning MG53-2 with 270 or 400 rounds each.
Mustang IA: Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings. Cavalier (Typical): Six .50 machnine guns in wings with 2,000 rounds
P-51A and B: Four .50 machnine guns in wings. Turbo-Mustang (Typical): Six .50 machnine guns in wings with 2,000 rounds
A-36A:Six .50 machnine guns in wings. F-82 (Typical): Six .50 machine guns in center wing.
Bombs and other Drop Ordnance:
A-36A Wing racks for two 500 lb. (227 kg) bombs. Cavalier & Turbo-Mustang: Two hardpoints rated at 1,000 lbs. and four at 750 lbs.
P-51C and later: Wing racks for drop tanks or two 1,000 lb. (454 kg) bombs. F-82 (Typical): Six or Eight pylons for tanks, radars or up to 4,000 lbs. or ordnance.
COMMENTS: The Mustang was North American Aviations answer to a need by the RAF for a completely new fighter. Started in April 1940, the airframe was completed in 117 days (though therer was an additional 6 week delay before Allison delivered the first powerplant). The RAF took deliver of 620 Mustang I, 150 IA, and 50 II while the US Army took deliver of 500 A-36A and 310 P-51A. However, while these models performed well at low altitude they lacked power at higher altitude and were primarily relegated to ground attack duties.
   In 1942 the airframe was matched with the Merlin engine to give birth to the P-51B and to a legend. The P-51C featured a bulged-hood with the P-51D being equipped with a tear drop hood. The last model was the P-51H which had a cleaner shape and was the fastest of the series at 487 mph.
   The P-51 helped the allies clear the skies of Luftwaffe fighters during WWII and later served in Korea in the ground attack role, sort of returning to it's roots you could say, and remains one of the most common and popular warbirds in exsistance today.
   The P-51 proved to be so useful that in 1967 the Mustang was put into production once again, this time by Cavalier and Piper. The Cavalier Turbo-Mustang III and Piper Enforcer were developed as Counter-Insurgency (COIN) aircraft with duties including light attack, Forward Air Control and interdiction roles.

 Image 1 - A flight of four P-51's.  Image 11 - A flight of four New Mexico ANG P-51s.
 Image 2 - NA 73 Prototype #3.  Image 12- Profile of Chinese PLA Mustang
 Image 3 - P-51D of the 4th FG, Debden 1945.  Image 13 - 2 Warbirds taking off.
 Image 4 - Mustang I undergoing engine maintenance.  Image 14 - AA TF-51 (two-seat) warbird in flight.
 Image 5 - A group of A-36 Apache's on the flight line.  Image 15 - A P-51 flying with a F-16.
 Image 6 - Another shot of a prototype.  Image 16 - A Mustang I.
 Image 7 - Another shot of a prototype.  Image 17 - Another Mustang I.
 Image 8 - Two A-36A Apaches  Image 18 - P-51B "Peg O My Heart".
 Image 9 - A P-51B  Image 19 - A Republic Of Korea P-51
 Image 10 - A Swedish P-51  Image 20 - Last operational US Army Mustang, a TF-51

   
Sources:
Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York
The Complete Encyclodepia of World Aircraft, 1997, Barnes & Nobles Books, ISBN: 0 7607 0592 5