Carrier Trials for P-51s and B-25s, 1943/44

[Jim Oxley]

"On 15th November 1944 the USN commenced trials to access the suitability of the Mustang for carrier operations. On that day Lt. R. M. Elder, USN, made the first of a series of unassisted takeoffs and arrested landings aboard the USS Shangri-La. The P-51D (44-14017) was fitted with an arrestor hook under the rear fuselage.

Although the trials was classed as successful - as in the P-51 being stable in the landing circuit and able to withstand the impact of the carrier deck - the Mustang was not adopted for use as a naval fighter. The test aircraft was subsequently fitted with a P-51H style tall fin and rudder and converted to a two-seater as an EFT051D."

The above extract is from the book "Mustang", by Stewart Wilson. No reason is offered as to why the Navy did not pursue the development of the Mustang. There's probably a whole galaxy of of reasons. But two that come to my mind are firstly, the Navy's perchant for standardisation of both aircraft type and maintenance (one of the reasons the Navy put off utilising the F4U on board carriers until late in the war), and sceondly the P-51 probably offered no advantage/benefit over the upcoming F8F Bearcat as a shipboard fighter.