The Development of the
Mustang

Following its prestigous service in WWII, the Mustang continued to serve in the AAF and then the USAF through Korea. Along with this continued service went continued efforts to improve the Mustang. After the war, two Mustang fuselages were joined to create a high-speed, twin engined fighter-bomber, called the P-82 "Twin Mustang". The advent of jet fighters made the Twin Mustang unnecessary and the project was dropped, but it was a sign of how daring American designers were willing to be in order to keep technology on the cutting edge.

As we moved into the jet age, the Mustang both assisted and inspired our efforts. The Mustang served as a testbed for new ideas, a trainer for pilots who would be test flying the new jet-powered experimental aircraft, and as a chase plane for test flights. Furthermore, its design had a great impact on how aircraft would be designed in the future. The laminar-flow wings used on the Mustang would prove instrumental in allowing jets aircraft to eventually break the sound barrier. The revolutionary cockpit design would also see universal use on future fighter aircraft.

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