18. An Unpromising Start
The front line American fighters at the time, the P-38s and P-47s, had shortcomings as bomber escorts. Biggest one was that they lacked sufficient range to accompany the bombers all the way to targets deep into Germany. After evaluation, it was determined that the P-51 Mustang might solve that problem. If modified to carry additional fuel internally and fitted with external fuel tanks, it would have enough range to escort the bombers anywhere in Europe. That fixed half of the problem: transforming the Mustang into a fighter that could accompany American bombers all the way to targets deep inside Germany.
Fixing the other half of the problem – improving the Mustang’s performance so it could beat back German fighters and actually protect the bombers it would now escort – transformed the Mustang into a legend. What had kept the Mustang mediocre was a mediocre engine that performed poorly at high altitudes. Equipped with that stock engine, the initial Mustangs had a top speed of 390 miles per hour, and an effective ceiling of 15,000 feet. If they flew any higher, their performance suffered. Then, as seen below, a solution was found.