Whiffs found surfing

[Dizzyfugu]

Now that's an interesting find! Thanks for sharing. 

[PR19_Kit]

I hope they didn't try to retract the main gear. The P-40's gear retracted rearwards into wells in the trailing edge, and thus it had no wells under the fuselage! 

[loupgarou]

As the fitting of the wings was done by the museum, I suppose it was for static display, so no problems for wing spars or retracting u/c.

[kitnut617]

Well, the P-51 wing was actually a Curtiss design, and originally had plans on installing it on a version of the P-40. North American bought the rights to it when the BPC* had asked them to produce P-40s for them but North American declined but then said well build you a better airplane.  One of the reasons why NAA was able to build the Mustang Prototype in 120 days --- the rest is history ---

* British Purchasing Commission 

[Scotaidh]

Well, the P-51 wing was actually a Curtiss design, and originally had plans on installing it on a version of the P-40. North American bought the rights to it when the BPC* had asked them to produce P-40s for them but North American declined but then said well build you a better airplane.  One of the reasons why NAA was able to build the Mustang Prototype in 120 days --- the rest is history ---

* British Purchasing Commission

I knew about the "120 days" bit - I didn't know the wing was designed by Curtiss-Wright. 

Thanks!  That's my new thing to learn for today! 

I have also heard - I've forgotten the source now - that NAA had a peek at the plans for the Bf-109, in the "before the US was in the war" days, and that was also a great help to the design of the Mustang.  I don't know the truth to that, and I've been searching for back-up evidence - so far none found.

[PR19_Kit]

I have also heard - I've forgotten the source now - that NAA had a peek at the plans for the Bf-109, in the "before the US was in the war" days, and that was also a great help to the design of the Mustang.  I don't know the truth to that, and I've been searching for back-up evidence - so far none found.

As in 'NO way are we going to build such a stupidly narrow main gear as THAT!'

[kitnut617]

I have also heard - I've forgotten the source now - that NAA had a peek at the plans for the Bf-109, in the "before the US was in the war" days, and that was also a great help to the design of the Mustang.  I don't know the truth to that, and I've been searching for back-up evidence - so far none found.

As in 'NO way are we going to build such a stupidly narrow main gear as THAT!'

I'm afraid that is a bit of a myth.

From wiki;

Fueled by a striking similarity of the early Mustang and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 - pilots and ground crews of both sides confused the two aircraft - and Schmued's German origin, an urban legend has grown up, claiming he had once worked for Willy Messerschmitt and that the Mustang was heavily influenced by the Bf 109. Neither claim is true but the urban legend persists.[4] Schmued's team at NAA did receive, disassemble and inspect the first captured Bf 109 from the Spanish Civil War in 1939, and he regularly received copies of German Aeronautical Engineering Journals through 1941 supplied by Jim McGowan, ALCOA's consulting sales engineer.[5]

The designer was Edgar Schmued

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Schmued

[Medjoe]

Stumbled on this from /r/weirdwings, a passenger variant of the unsuccessful PZL M-15 Belphegor... twin boom, triple fuselage, single engine biplane (what a mouthful!). 

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWings/comments/btu4mn/one_of_many_extremely_weird_pzl_m15_belphegor/

[Tophe]

  wonderful! Thanks!

[ericr]

just magic ! 

[JayBee]

That is just so Soviet Union, and wonderfull. I love it to bits, but then I have always liked the Belphegor anyway> 

[PR19_Kit]

Awesome machine, but shouldn't it be in an Aeroflot scheme? 

[tahsin]

The "Germanness" of Mustang was also a British propaganda piece. Apparently there's one "Major Herman", supposedly a big name in German Aviation scene before the breakout of the war, knowing everything on anything. With claims Udet was the biggest tech wizard in Germany and his death makes sure Germany would löse. Perhaps one should look at that and see whether he had produced any rumours that the Wildepferde would  have  been Bf-110. If Goering had any brains...

[Tophe]

On Pinterest I have found beautiful Corsairs and Buffallos with central engine like Airacobra:
https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/636837203539135063/

[CANSO]

A whif that might be out, but I haven't seen "live" yet:

More here.