Check out this article reproducing an Air Proving Ground test report of a pair of rocket-boosted P-51D Mustangs at RetroMechanix.com:
The project was initiated to provide “flash performance” for the Mustang in response to the appearance of German turbojet and rocket-powered fighters in late 1944. Two P-51D-25 airplanes, serial nos. 44-73099 and 44-74050, were fitted with Aerojet acid-aniline rocket motors; the exhaust of the motor can be seen just in front of the tail wheel above. Red fuming nitric acid was carried in a special tank under the port wing; an aniline-alcohol mixture was carried in a tank under the starboard wing. The accompanying gallery features 27 images reproducing the majority of the report, including several rare photos of the modified aircraft. Would make for an interesting variant to model!
-Jared
By: antoni - 25th February 2012 at 14:33
The dark area is a reflective coating to protect the rear underside from the heat of the rocket motor.
By: jzichek - 24th February 2012 at 21:04
Could be, but the test report mentions a malfunction of the rocket motor in airplane No. 44-73099 in which the tail wheel and aft fuselage were damaged:
A close reading of the report reveals just how dangerous and impractical the installation was.
By: J Boyle - 24th February 2012 at 20:54
Great photos! Looks like the lower aft fuselage got a little singed in the second one.
Or perhaps paint to prevent corrosion or damage by leaking fuel.
By: jzichek - 24th February 2012 at 18:26
Great photos! Looks like the lower aft fuselage got a little singed in the second one.
By: antoni - 24th February 2012 at 17:42
Going…….
Gone
By: |RLWP - 23rd February 2012 at 08:41
It makes interesting reading 😮
It does look like it was intended for instantaneous in-flight performance boosts, although there seems to be only one set of flight tests done. Meanwhile…
Acid fumes nearly killed one pilot
The jet went off on the ground and wrecked an aircraft (tailwheel deflected gasses into fuselage)
None of the pilots would fly with more than 50 gallons of fuel in the aeroplane because of instability
And someone went and ended the war
All good fun
Richard
By: |RLWP - 23rd February 2012 at 08:25
Perhaps, although Aerojet were heavily into the development of JATO equipment, so it stands a good chance of being for take-off
Perhaps I should read the report
Richard
MORE: I don’t think they liked it!
Testing yielded the following conclusions:
The jet-assisted P-51D airplanes equipped with acid-aniline rocket motors were not operationally suitable and were not useful for any military purpose.
The dangers and difficulties inherent in the handling and use of nitric acid were excessive. It was extremely unlikely that it would ever be desirable to use rockets based on the acid-aniline combination in any aircraft applications.
The drag caused by the external fuel and oxidizer tanks was not large enough to have important effects on the top speed of the airplane.
The rearward CG shift caused by the rocket motor installation had a very serious and undesirable effect on the stability and handling characteristics of the airplane.
By: Wyvernfan - 23rd February 2012 at 08:09
As it exhausted just in front of the tailwheel then surely it was for boost when in flight, and not to get off the ground!
By: |RLWP - 23rd February 2012 at 08:03
They would be for rapid scramble operations. Clostermann describes similar ops in Tempests in the early days of trying to intercept ME-262s, although not rocket assisted! Basically, it was to get off the ground and up to height before the 262s were long gone
I wonder how long the tail wheel lasted?
Richard
By: J Boyle - 23rd February 2012 at 04:04
Neat, that’s the first I’ve heard of it.
The Mustang with the wingtip ramjets is better known.
I can’t imagine the rockets had much endurance…probably for emergency “boost” operations.
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February 23, 2012 at 3:03 am