P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Hello All,

Does anyone know what was the different between a P-51C-10-NT and a P-51C-11-NT.
It seems that the mod took place at the factory.

Thanks in advance

Phil

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Interesting question.

Here's what little info. that I could find.

The first P-51B flew on May 5, 1943, and the first P-51C flew on August 5 of that year. Inglewood built 1988 P-51Bs and Dallas built 1750 P-51Cs. The P-51Cs on the 1942 and 1943 budgets were given the company designation NA-103. 1350 NA-103s were built. Texas-built aircraft in the 1944 budget were designated NA-111.

P-51C-11NT*NA-111*111-28916111-28950*44-10783 44-10817
P-51C-11NT*NA-111*111-28986111-28991*44-10853 44-10858
P-51C-11NT*NA-111*111-29170111-29255*44-11037 44-11122

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

I am only speculating but it is possible that the vertical stabilizer ventral fin was added at the factory for the last series of P-51C-10 but for sure the last 20 P-51C-10's were converted at the factory for F6C-10 Recon. It is also possible that the -11 was the break from 1650-3 to 1650-7 Merlins. Whether or not they actually designated a -11 block is unknown to me. Gruenhagen has block 44-10753 thru 44-11152 as P-51C-10's

It is possible that there was a typo by Gruenhagen when he transitioned from Contract NA-103 (P-51C-1NT through P-51C-10 first award) to NA-111 where he references 400 more P-51C-10s built after the first block of 550 -10's. Having said that, the NA-111 was also the contact number for ALL of the P-51K's

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Just got a reply on the P-51 SIG and the -11 was a C-model modified (by virtue of radio and compass differences) for service in the CBI.

Here's the SIG link:
http://p51sig.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=82&p=442#p442

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Charlie Neely confirmed a top assembly drawing on the tail assembly showing the dorsal fin and a note that the effectivity was for the last 400 ships.

The Top Assembly drawing would note the difference (probably) between the -10 and -11 if there was a dash number change - but I still haven't found a confirmation of such change.

Phil - what is your source?

Regards,

Bill

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Hi Bill,

As for my sources, I am just stated what it is often found in books or other written references to be taken carefully as usual.

However, even if I don't have all the individual movement cards I could find with what I have in hands that all the batches which are known to be 'dash 11' were built officially as 'dash 10'. Until that point nothing exceptional but what it is interesting to point out is that the same 'dash 11' aircraft were all earmaked for the Pacific area, so it is possible that they received modifications at factory for Pacific theatre requirements, and that fact would confirm that the 'dash 11' existed for real.

Phil

Re: P-51C-10 & C-11-NT
 

Phil - as you know the dorsal fin was first added in the P-51D-10 series when the USAAF and NAA believed the elimination of the Turtleback from the B/C to create the teardrop canopy somehow contributed to the yaw issues in a high speed dive in the new P-51D-5.

The question of 'all for PTO' could only be truly settled by the movement records. Having said that, the ETO started retrofitting the P-51B/C's (and all P-51D-5's) with dorsal fin field kits in the October to November, 1944 timeframe.

Having said this, if the only real change to create the -11 was addition of Dorsal Fin, then said field mod probably should have resulted in re-identifying all -10s as -11's ???

This is about the time that the metal elevator kits were also installed on all Mustangs.

Regards,

Bill