Warbird Information Exchange

Did the British ever develop a long range fighter comparable to the P-51 ?

You mean to ask...Did the Americans ever....

Remember that the BPC ordered the Allison Mustang initially, and the first Mustangs were ALL built for the RAF. They even named it Mustang. The USAAC was bound to Curtiss products and didn’t even care for or really test the two XP-51 they were given. The RAF scored the types first Kill, and developed the plane because it was considered to be the most perfect aerodynamic design they had ever seen. The British were focused on improving the design and adding the British motor changed everything. They became the creators of the “Escort fighter” we all know today. Merlin 61 engines from Mk IX spitfires were used to modify several Allison Mustang I aircraft into prototypes of The fighter we know today as the P-51B. North American and Packard subsequently began building the resultant aircraft in quantity.

Since they developed the Merlin P-51B.....Why would they need to do it again?

This site covers all the different internal , drop , leading edge fuel tanks and ranges for Spitfires, Mustangs and a few others, very detailed information and a good read
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/escort ... ger-reach/

The DH Hornet was designed for long range missions. Good internal capacity, plus lots of ability to carry drop tanks.

A lot of information in there.

Thanks AG pilot.A very good read.

Long range British fighter?
So you're not talking about the Lightning?

A point defense fighter that makes an F-104 look like a VooDoo.
You would have thought they would have learned a lesson, if not from their ow n wartime designs then from the Bf-109s during the BoB.
Or if nothing else, the idea being to intercept incoming Soviet bombers away from your own land.

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