Fatal Flaw to the Best All-Around WW2 Fighter - P-51 Mustang

Despite Britain’s best efforts to keep the peace, on September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler shocked the world by invading Poland. A war like the world had never seen before was coming to Europe, and Britain was nowhere near ready to resist the rising Wehrmacht.

Desperate for modern aircraft, the British requested warplanes from the US, whose dormant aircraft industry could only spare limited amounts. They were then sold several P-40 Warhawks, but they needed many more as the conflict escalated.

After the Curtiss corporation was unable to manufacture the numbers Britain required, they turned to James H. Kindleberger, the president of a recently formed aircraft manufacturer. He not only assured them that he could produce the P-40s they needed, but that he could do better and come up with a far superior warplane in just 120 days.

The result would come to be known as the most aerodynamically flawless pursuit plane in existence: a fast, agile, and reliable aircraft that would shift the balance of the war.

Still, the P-51 Mustang was revealed to have a fatal flaw that almost ended its career in combat, but destiny had other plans...

---

Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.