P-51 Mustang


A P-51 Mustang, redesignated F-51 Mustang, was transferred to NACA
High-Speed Flight Research Station (HSFRC) from
Langley Research Center in 1950. The F-51 Mustang was the first aircraft to
employ the NACA laminar-flow airfoil design and could dive to around Mach
number 0.8. As an F-51 (fighter instead of pursuit), it was used as a
proficiency aircraft at
the HSFRC. Records show it was used as a chase and support aircraft 395
times. Neil Armstrong was among the pilots using it
to chase some of the X-Planes. The P-51 was retired in 1959 as a result of a
taxiing mishap.

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