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North American P-51D/H "Mustang" Airspeed Indicator
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North American P-51D/H "Mustang" Airspeed Indicator
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Offered for sale is a rare chance to own an original and significant piece of WWII history. This Airspeed Indicator was used in a late model P-51D or P-51H mustang. The serial number shows that the gauge was manufactured in 1947. The gauge is a Kollsman manufactured Type F-4, and reads up to 700mph. The gauge is in excellent near mint condition, with a bright clean dial, and no significant scratches to the paint or bakelite barrel. The glass bezel is crystal clear... it barely shows up in the photograph. It is being sold as a souvenir only, but it is highly probable that it could be easily restored to airworthy condition by an FAA certified instrument repair shop. T is also a Mach gauge dial read out, which told the pilot when he was approaching the speed of sound. Obviously the mustang could not go supersonic, but it could come close. When the mustang came close to the speed of sound, the compressibility problems caused the pilot to have a great difficulty in controlling the aircraft. These problems were only really beginning to be understood by 1944, but t was recognition that the pilot would need to know when they were about to occur, especially during combat. Since the speed of sound is totally dependent upon local air density, the actual speed varies with altitude, temperature, humidity, and so it is impossible to pin an exact speed on the airspeed indicator for the pilot... this is why the Mach number was developed (named after the German scientist who first recognized the phenomenon). The Mach number is the ratio of the aircraft's air speed to the speed of sound at the aircraft's location. This dial only reads up to 0.9. The mustang could usually only achieve a mach number of about 0.85, meaning 85% of the speed of sound.One of the few other aircraft that used this particular style of gauge, other than the P-82 Twn Mustang, was the Republic F-84B Thunderjet, but the 1947 serial number on the gauge most likely indicates that the gauge was used first on a P-51, though, t is the possibility that it was later refurbished for use in the F-84B (which didn't reach operational squadron service until 1948). No other aircraft type, to my knowledge, used the F-4 gauge.... I have checked pretty thoroughly, and it has become exceedingly rare to find them, especially in such good condition. Any other use requires complete overhaul by a FAA certified instrument repair facility.ibles.... more listed each week! Please see my other aviation collectThis gauge is being sold as a souvenir only. The P-51 Mustang, as described by Joe Baugher..."The P-51 Mustang was perhaps the most famous fighter of World War II, and, many would say, the best all-round piston-engined fighter produced by any of the combatants during that conflict. Total production of all Mustangs amounted to 15,575 in the USA and 100 in Australia, ranking only behind the P-47 Thunderbolt in being the fighter manufactured in greatest numbers for the USAAF. Mustangs accounted for 4950 of the 10,720 air combat victories claimed by the USAAF in Europe, and 4131 of the 8160 ground strafing claims made in the same theatre, accounting for 48.9 percent of total losses inflicted on the enemy. They shot down more than 230 V-1 "buzz bombs", and they even managed to score some kills against Luftwaffe jet fighters."The mustang also served for many years after the war, flying in combat with the US, and South African air forces during the Korean War as the F-51D (alongside the F-84). Mustangs served in practically every western aligned air force after WWII, and also took part in the final conflict between piston engined fighter aircraft... the so-called "Soccer War", between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969. The Salvadoran mustang proved the loser to the Honduran F4U-4's an F4U-5's, with at least two being shot down. The mustang was also the longest serving of all the WWII fighter aircraft, finally being retired by the Dominican Republic in 1984!!!! The US Army Air Force, once known as the US Ar...
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