North American P-51B-1-NA Mustang/43-12105

[Duggy009]

Taken in 1946, Langley equipped this P-51B Mustang with wing gloves for an investigation of low-drag performance in flight.

Model: NA-102
Construction #: 102-24553
Delivered to U.S. Army Air Force
assigned to Langley Field, VA. Assigned to NACA Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, later as NACA Langley Research Center, Langley Field, VA August 16, 1943 to January 4, 1951.
Registered as NACA 105.used for full-scale wind tunnel drag tests at NACA Langley September 1943.
Prop was removed and ducts were blocked and all seams smoothed over.
Salvaged at Langley Field, VA




What a neat looking P-51B

[junkman9096]

Now I think (the emphasis on THINK) that the lighter areas were yellow. Does that jive with what other people think?

[mike furline]

https://www.nasa.gov/langley/100/p51b-m ... ember-1943

[mastaphixa]

It looks like the vertical stabilizer has been modified to an H model configuration.

[Warbird Kid]

This is one for the modelers! What a unique airframe!

[JohnTerrell]

The only thing different about the tail is that the production vertical stabilizer cap/fairing at the very top of the stabilizer has been replaced with an NACA designed extended cap, thus making the tail taller. The modification also required cutting a bit off the top of the rudder. This same modification was done to all of the NACA P-51D's as well. Trans-Florida Aviation later reproduced that extended tail fin cap, adding them to their Cavalier Mustangs. The prototype Cavalier Mustang II, 44-13257, had served with the NACA as #108, and thus had the extended tail fin cap when Trans-Florida acquired it - the experience of flying that aircraft led to the desire to reproduce that part and have it installed on the Cavalier Mustangs.