NA-73X: The P-51 Mustang Prototype

NA-73X undergoing a test run shortly after being rolled out of the factory.  

Shortly after roll-out, likely without an engine, still nice and shiny. After the wreck and rebuild, there would be minor changes such as a small scoop in front of the exhaust stacks and a painted rudder and anti-glare panel.  

NAA test pilot preparing for a test flight (some sources say the first flight). Note the T-6 wheels and highly polished surface. The designers would need every bit of speed to fulfill their ambitious promises to the British Purchasing Commission. Note that the radiator scoop is adjustable as well.  

The rebuilt NA-73X in flight over Southern California.  

Sitting on the ramp, all buttoned up. Notice the radiator scoop and exhaust are closed up. This picture was likely taken during the brief period when the plane had no engine and the cowling featured chin machine gun fairings, but no guns. Most pictures appear perfectly clean in this area, and only one resource I have notes the machine gun fairings. All the pictures with the fairings appear to be from the same photo shoot. North American personnel recounted a story that the airplane was photographed without an engine as a way to tell the Allison factory to “hurry up.” However all pictures of the plane in operation show the fairings removed.

My theory is that when the Allison engine finally arrived and the engine mounts had to be rebuilt because the engine was slightly different than anticipated, this necessitated new cowlings. The team simply dropped the fairings from this version.  

Many modelers and historians get NA-73X (the North American prototype) confused with the XP-51, which was the designation given to two of the first production run airplanes given to the USAAF. One resides in the EAA museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This confusion comes from the fact that NA-73X was wrecked and rebuilt, and the rebuilt fighter sported a striped rudder and anti-glare panel which looked similar to the XP-51s. This picture is the rebuilt NA-73X, as shown by the shorter carburetor scoop, narrow "scoop" of some kind forward of the exhaust stacks, and single-piece blown windscreen, which only ever appeared on the prototype.  

(unknown source) 

The pictures of the wrecked NA-73X show off the radiator scoop well. It appears to be unique to the prototype. NA-73X was rebuilt after this with some minor modifications and more paint.  

A good view of the faux "gun ports" and the smooth, early-style tires (accurately reproduced by Ultracast). Also note that these are T-6 wheels, not P-51 wheels. The differences are minimal and I may not be able to use actual T-6 wheels. Most kits include the stereotypical capped hubs, which are obviously not present here. So I plan to use the resin inner wheels with their distinctive brake system and compromise with P-51 outer hubs.  

The numbers clearly appear crudely painted on. I'm unsure if I'll replicate this, since on a scale model it tends to look like sloppy craftsmanship, not realism. Also note the wheel wells appear lighter—perhaps yellow chromate or natural metal? 

A good view of the internal bracing structure of the radiator scoop and housing.  

This pictures shows off the brushed-on registration numbers and the fake "gun ports."