What If: Navy P-51

[Django]

Has anyone ever built a Navy Mustang had they been approved for carrier use?

[Steve Nelson]

After a few beers, a freind of mine once started hacking up the wings of an A-36. His plan was to graft them onto the fuselage of a P-51B and make a folding-wing carrier-based Mustang dive bomber (I think we were gonna call it the SBJ-1). Unfortunately, he lost interest in the project once he sobered up.

SN

[Django]

I've got an extra SpeCast P-51 (Yeager) lying around....

[spookythecat]

I've got an extra SpeCast P-51 (Yeager) lying around....

DO IT!!!

[Jesse C.]

Now that is a cool idea! This should drive the IPMS guys nuts!!!

[Steve Nelson]

Actually, my buddy was screwing around with the kit in the hotel room at the 2002 IPMS Nationals...

SN

[JetStarMech]

I don't think the Navy guys' would know how to deal with a liquid cooled engine...
Just think of it, 1500 plus guys on a carrier in the Pacific, they want a brew or a shot, there would be little "stills/breweries" all over the ship.
When it came time to fill the glycol tanks on the Navy version of the P-51 the crew drank most of it....
Seriously the complex engines that the Army Air Corps used did not or would not work well on a Carrier, the Navy opted to use the very rugged radial engines.
But that is a cool idea for a model, especially if the war in the Pacific had lasted longer and the Navy needed a great aircraft like the Mustang...
Out Here, Tom

[Django]

Similarly...

[Django]

Ooo, just found this!

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php ... ,p-51.html

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[mazdaP5]

That Sea Fury is quite cool!