Mustang Mk.IA fighters at North American Aviation, Inglewood, California (USA), in October 1942 (fsac.1a35322)

North American NA-91 Mustang fighters being serviced at North American Aviation at Inglewood, California (USA), in October 1942. After passing of the lend-lease act in March 1941, the USAAF ordered 150 NA-93 "Mustang Mark IA" fighters on 25 September 1941 for delivery to the United Kingdom. The RAF serial numbers assigned were FD418-FD567 (FD553 is visible on the left). For contractual purposes, these aircraft were assigned the U.S. designation of P-51 (USAAF serials 41-37320 to 41-37469). The Mustang IA differed from earlier versions in having the machine guns replaced by four 20 mm wing-mounted Hispano cannon. After December 1941 serials FD418-FD437, FD450-FD464, FD466-FD469, and FD510-FD527 were reposessed by the USAAF (and briefly named A-36A Apache). Original caption: "P-51 fighter planes being prepared for test flight at the field of the North American Aviation, Inc., plant in Inglewood, Calif."

Date

1942-10

Photographer / author

Alfred T. Palmer, photographer.

Collection

FSA/OWI

Archive

Library of Congress (via Wikimedia Commons)

Type

photograph

Original size

8,220 × 6,316 pixels

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