P51 mustang how long runway needed?

Question

P51 mustang how long runway needed?

Answer 1

We took off Yaks which have the same Allison from Captain Walter Francis Duke Regional Airport and it  only had a 4150 ft. runway

Answer 2

It all depends.  That question is like asking 'How long is a piece of rope?'  It depends on the rope.

Length of runway os a factor of air temperature, density altitude, obstacles, takeoff weight or landing weight, method used (short field vs regular, for instance), type of runway (grass vs asphalt) among others.

Answer 3

Hope you don't want a quick straight answer Stephen, but the P51s around today are no longer in wartime service condition, and some have had various degrees of power upgrade, airframe lightening and other mods for competition purposes, and to suit the display circuit.

We don't want to talk about the first edition of the P51, the P51A, alias 'Mustang I'. It was the British who gave the airplane the name 'Mustang', but although it supposedly incorporated the latest technological developments and was fast, it was clear to them that even in a hard-fought war situation it was not the fighter they hoped for. The British relegated the type to armed reconnaissance missions. An attempt was even made to make use of the design by turning it into a dive bomber as the A-36A. That didn't work out either. In desperation, the British tried ripping out the American engine and fitting one of their own current designs - the superlative Rolls-Royce Merlin. That changed everything. The plane was transformed from a ho hum performer into a world class fighter. In the early days of flying some wag had claimed you could make a tea-tray fly if you gave it the right engine, and here was the proof. Here was the proper engine for the 'Mustang'.  

Regarding your question, among the leading fighters of the time the P51 (and also its rival the P47) both seemed to take an inordinate length of runway to get airborne with a full warload compared with other fighter types, and both P51 and P47 required a prepared surface for takeoff.

As a comparison, the P51D took about twice the take-off run needed to get a comparable Spitfire or Lavochkin into the air - plus the British and Russian aircraft could operate happily from makeshift airfields. One reason for this disparity in airfield performance between the P51D and contemporary British and Russian aircraft (all three entered service in early 1944) was that the other two were considerably lighter - the Spitfire 14 (top speed 448mph) weighed 8500lb at take-off, the Lavochkin La-7 (top speed 423mph) weighed 7496lb at take-off, yet the P51D (top speed 437mph) weighed a colossal 12,100lb at take-off. These are the recommended maximum take-off weights of these aircraft.

Rolls-Royce aggreed to the Packard Motor Company manufacturing their 'Merlin' engine under license in the U.S.A. Like Rolls-Royce, Packard had a reputation for quality products.

The British government wanted Rolls-Royce to allow the same licenced-building priviledge to the British Ford Motor Company to boost production rate of the engine. Rolls-Royce said they didn't care if there WAS a war on, they weren't letting Ford build Rolls-Royce engines. This stone-walling eventually crumbled in an typical British compromise, whereby, yes, Ford COULD build 'Merlin' engines, providing Rolls-Royce supplied all the materials and took complete charge of quality control.

Another interesting aside: It is said the idea for the P51A's sideways hinging cockpit canopy came straight from the Bf109, because an immigrant German designer working in North American's design office had once worked for Willi Messerschmitt.

The P51 is altogether a good example of how countries working towards a common end can achieve greater things than when trying to go it alone.

Answer 4

Seen them fly in and out of 3000' strips with no trouble.

Answer 5

SEMTEX:  Too much info.

A current P-51 is not loaded with guns or ammo, and in all probability, does not have fuel filled drop tanks.  So the bird will be a h**l of a lot lighter then when it normally took off in WWII or Korea.

The 3000 foot answer is a good one.

Answer 6

Know a guy that operated one out of 2800' paved.  Shortest I did was 4700' grass and had plenty of room.  Operating about 9300 pounds without armor, guns, etc.

And most guys stop at 55" for takeoff instead of 61 to save the engine, some use less than that.

Answer 7

3000 feet is good enough for a powerful prop engine.

Answer 8

An aircraft carrier deck proved sufficient in 1944.