How a P-51 Mustang Works

Take an in-depth look inside a North American P-51D fighter plane from the World War II era.
PATREON
Help me keep making videos:
/ animagraffs
MUSIC
I composed the background music especially for this video! Hear "Mustang Running" on my SoundCloud:
/ mustang-running
PRIVATE WORK
Need 3D illustration and animation? Let's chat:
animagraffs.com/contact/
LICENSE Animagraffs' work for your own purposes
animagraffs.com/licensing/
WEBSITE
See more explanations of how things work:
animagraffs.com/
SOFTWARE USED
I use Blender 3D to create these models. It's free and open source, and the community is amazing:
www.blender.org/
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:34 Frame
1:54 Landing gear
2:36 Rear landing gear
3:24 Engine
5:23 Fuel
6:07 Propeller
6:55 Armaments
8:18 Cockpit
16:14 Gunsight
17:08 Pilot
Correction:
0:10 Before commenting, check the top pinned "VIDEO CORRECTIONS" thread, as your correction or criticism has likely already been mentioned many times.

[@animagraffs]

VIDEO CORRECTIONS (compiled from viewer comments): From Jason Majors: 2:25 The rudder pedals don't activate the brakes. There is a separate axis on each pedal to activate the brake on that side. 12:03 The two landing gear lights are not left and right. There's a green one to indicate gear down and a red one to indicate gear in transit. Off indicates gear up. Both lights also have a test mode. 12:10 The guns activation switch is to the left of the rocket knob. It enables the guns to fire and/or turns on the gun sight (which has further controls to the left of the sight near the compass). 12:19 The knob that you said activated the gun and selected between semi-auto and automatic actually control the rockets. The guns have no semi-auto or burst mode. They are full auto whenever activated. 12:26 The knob below that does not set the number of rounds to fire in a burst, it sets which specific rocket to fire in single fire mode. It auto advances after firing. 14:09 The manifold pressure indicator should not be green all the way up to 60 inHg, only to 36. Running it higher than that for sustained periods will cause the engine to seize. 14:39 You skipped the climb rate indicator below the artificial horizon. It indicates the climb (or descent) in 1000 feet per minute. You skipped the G force gauge to the right of the climb indicator. It shows the current G load on the aircraft and has two memory indicators for min and max values. 14:54 There are not separate left and right gun heaters. There's one gun heater for all six guns, and one pilot heater. The label in the video was correct, but the narration was not. From David Franklin: 2:45 The animation of tailwheel and rudder steering 180 degrees out of sync and they are connect to the rudder pedals in the cockpit. This is the primary method of steering while taxiing. Differential braking is rarely used except for very tight turns on the ramp where one brake is locked and the same rudder pedal is pushed essentially allowing the airplane to yaw around the locked wheel.

[@gabrielnascimento1021]

Hey great video, I'd like to see how a refrigerator works

[@antoniodelrio1292]

Thank you for posting the corrections. Shows you're not just after clicks. You after doing a good job.

[@sumerrana6805]

can we have an Insight of these videos are made?

[@sawomirmiszczak134]

Another correction, V-1650-7 can output something like 1700hp at 67" MAP at Low blower crit alt, and take off power is 1490 at 61" MAP. This engine was equipped with 2 stage 2 speed, liquid cooled supercharger so animation do not match real engine, between supercharger and engine intake was aftercooler which is missing too :)

[@feez357]

At least we know that Animagraffs isn't twisting the truth to push an agenda like almost everything else you see on youtube. The animation is cool and the dialog is fast paced and he owns up to the errors.

[@jonathanolsen7254]

Man did you do your homework... My Father was in WW2 and somehow, he ended up with a P-51 motor, Dad passed away about 6 years ago and I have his motor and prop set, I build a motor stand for the both of them and what a sight it is looking at them, when this motor is running the sound is unreal and I am so glad that I now am the caretaker of this small slice of history...

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

I would love to hear it run. VROOOM!

[@mikaelskarp1422]

@@brianmuhlingBUM same

[@HabuBeemer]

Those Merlin or Allison engines today are worth close to $1Million. Don't lose it if it's in running condition. The prop is thousands of dollars if it can be made airworthy.

[@dmytroskyba5582]

Осталось купить планер ,поставить в него двигатель и научиться летать как папа )))

[@junocrusader5860]

Wow!

[@JaredOwen]

Well done! I'm impressed with the amount of detail. Looking forward to more animations on your channel

[@Shotgun93Alexander]

Damn even another animation legend commented on this masterpiece

[@nepalihacker5496]

Iam your subscriber

[@TheFunkhouser]

Same! Can you do the Mk 1 Spitfire???

[@Neks0ns]

Love your work jared! and i just discovered this channel, immediately subbed, hoping to see more of these great contents!

[@veereshyatham1091]

I subbed to you Jared Owen i see your videos daily cause I'm new i i am so interested

[@Insert-name-here00]

Wonderful presentation! My uncle (Bill Leslie) and childhood idol flew many aircraft in WW2 but he always said the P-51 D was his favorite. Apparently I was the only person in the entire family he ever told any war stories to including the time he got shot down, a pot shot got his radiator but he managed to get back over the channel before his engine seized. He told me how he flew in support of the ground troops so it wasn’t until I was an adult that I understood why he didn’t talk much about his war time experiences. He once told me in detail how he destroyed a truck convoy and literally blew Trucks, equipment and German soldiers away, including the ones trying to fight back against his six .50 cal’s. The look in his eyes I still remember, a far away look that started as pure concentration and excitement then a touch of sadness. I knew for a second he was back in that airplane in the excitement of combat. This was when I was probably 10 or 12 so about 1987. Dad told me that was the first time he had ever told any story about the war to anyone in the family. Bill was an extraordinary man and is missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

[@animagraffs]

Incredible, thank you for sharing these memories and your history.

[@zottek2]

My aunt knew your uncle (Bill Leslie) very well. She didn't like him at all, but this is not the place to give her reasons for that.

[@robhersey1796]

@@zottek2 cool story bro

[@shredead]

I had idea how incredibly sophisticated these machines were. Major appreciation for all of the pilots who needed to be intimately familiar with these instruments. Great content, thank you!

[@xb70valkyriech]

Absolutely excellent. Many of those details, especially the cockpit controls and instruments, are something that is crucial to the aircraft that is often skipped. Kudos for going into such intricate detail.

[@bruceleithead475]

The description of the manifold pressure gauge and RPM gauge could have better been expressed as propeller RPM and Engine Power as Manifold Pressure using a constant speed prop. A fixed blade prop needs only RPM INDICATOR such as found on small light planes.

[@jamesmc81]

The controls also seem incredibly intricate for it's days. This aircraft must have been like something from science fiction for the people of the time.

[@lakshyamongia602]

@@jamesmc81 military stuff always looks like science fiction when we look back. We have no idea what they are hiding right now and will probably won't until next the 20 years.

[@rajeshnarayanaswamy5773]

Can't even believe this plane was built in 1943,80 years ago....most of the airplane technology was already in place in 2nd world war...amazing way of explaining an beautiful P51..God bless you for sharing the video

[@rajeshnarayanaswamy5773]

Can't even believe this plane was built in 1943,80 years ago....most of the airplane technology was already in place in 2nd world war...amazing way of explaining an beautiful P51..God bless you for sharing the video

[@uawldct]

Whoa...I'm in the graphics industry and I can't imagine the time put into this video let alone the research. Well done.

[@lakshyamongia602]

The only experience I have with graphics is ms paint and even I can't imagine the effort and time that went into this let alone the research details.

[@LogMeInGoddamnit]

It's television quality. Whoever's behind this has a lot of talent and dedication and it's top notch for KZbin.

[@fightsportnews4329]

kzbin.info0f4CKXcCUTY?feature=share

[@fightsportnews4329]

@@lakshyamongia602 kzbin.info0f4CKXcCUTY?feature=share

[@fightsportnews4329]

@@LogMeInGoddamnit kzbin.info0f4CKXcCUTY?feature=share

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

Despite the amazing overall design, the thing that impresses me the most are the gun sights. It's fascinating that they were able to track and adjust for so many variables using such relatively basic tech. Great video!

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

They were not perfect.

[@BitBuhkit]

@@PauloPereira-jj4jv most things are not...

[@FlimFlammer-bk8dp]

Very crude compared to German and British

[@BoxStudioExecutive]

It's just basic trigonometry. The ancient Greeks would have understood the principle and been able to build a similar contraption.

[@johnabbott257]

@@PauloPereira-jj4jv Neither are you, but the Mustang was a winner. That's the difference.

[@LFPAnimations]

It is insane how many different systems these planes had considering how many had to be mass produced. The American industrial might during WW2 was incredible.

[@tdiflyfish9267]

The Axis powers had zero clues on the U.S. Military’s capacity to building large numbers of the numerous ships (from subs, carriers, battleships, transports, destroyers, etc.); planes (fighters & bombers); all types of weapons from heavy to light machine guns; jeeps, transport trucks along with the associated bombs from aircraft’s to their ships & bomber’s along with their aircraft’s shooting a .50 caliber’s that makes a VERY LARGE HOLE IN ANYTHING IT HITS!! The Axis’s were still using horses to transport their equipments in that way. The U.S. Population was still EXTREMELY UPSET OVER THE “SURPRISE ATTACK” at Pearl Harbor (even though the Enigma code was decoded by British Intelligence) that was forwarded to the White House. Watch the historically correct movie, “The Imitation Game”……. T

[@krzysztofmatuszek]

It is a very American-centric point of view. Do you seriously think that Soviet or British, and especially German airplanes of the era didn't have similar equipment on board? Well, they totally did.

[@LFPAnimations]

@@krzysztofmatuszek the USA outproduced all of those countries and supplied the soviets and british with lend lease to supply them. So they may have had more advanced fighters, but the americans had the industrial scale.

[@krzysztofmatuszek]

@@LFPAnimations Up to 1944, Germans were producing planes at roughly the same scale as Americans. I get what you want to convey with your American-centric point of view but bear in mind that Britain, Soviet Union and Germany alike have had warzone on their territory. It's less of a challenge to keep the industry running if your soil is safe and sound.

[@LFPAnimations]

@@krzysztofmatuszek by the end of the war the americans produced over 300,000 planes. That is more than any other country during the war. My point of view isn’t ‘american-centric’, it is factual. It is undeniable that American industrial capacity won the war.

[@josephiousbrosif]

I never knew the cockpit and electronics were that advanced. That's very impressive for 40's technology!

[@motionbasti]

you would be amazed at the technology that was already installed in fighter jets in the 70s. military technology is always very far ahead.

[@D20000]

@@motionbasti Yeah right? When you play simulators like DCS you are always amazed at how they could do all that calculating back then. When you're playing WW2 aircrafts only and you are in this beauty... you are miles ahead of the rest with that gun sight calculating lead and stuff, just amazing!

[@motionbasti]

@@D20000 oh yeah, DCS is such a nice gift. :)

[@GDBROWN]

Shows you just how much is left out of our history teachings… I believe that is intentional. Even some 4th gen jets did not have a rear facing RaDAR. I had no idea our mustangs of the Second World War did. Amazing

[@D20000]

@@GDBROWN I got 0.00 history lessons in high school about tools of war. I only got really curious to learn about history after school, TBH. I got curious to learn about stuff in general...only after school. The internet is a wonderful thing, just like this bird is. I'm in love with it on DCS world right now trying to master flying and learning about how to not ruin an engine, dogfight with that sight and those 6 50. Amazingly powerful just two bursts and the plane in front of you is down, then you step into the spitfire which is more agile but seems to shoot with peas.

[@rzerobzero]

I watched this on and off over a 10 hour day of working where I have downtime while processes, reports, or scripts are running. I am an instrument rated multi engine pilot with a commercial license, but I work in IT full time. Your aviation related descriptions and explainations were excellent. I never heard someone so clearly explain a constatnt speed propeller before with the car's automatic transmission example. Most of all, the details, just put me there. I imagined being a P-51 pilot. A ground crew member responsible for the oxygen. A dogfight. A safe landing after a mission. You triggered a days worth of fantasy and empathy for what it may have been like for a young pilot/ground crew during WW2. Thank you. Liked, Subscribed.

[@stardusterservices108]

I 100% concur with your review Robo86. I grew up immersed in aviation, building scores of aircraft models, many of Mustangs, including Monogram's see-through one. (I've been VERY fortunate to get 3 rides in P-51 Mustangs over the course of my life) so yes, Kudos to Animagraffs~ this video is super-excellent, and should be nominated for an award! 👍👍

[@Vote_Blue]

it'd be cool if someone started reproducing old fighter air frames. i'd learn to fly if i could have a p-40.

[@sergeigarbar1896]

Hello! how did u change to IT?

[@rzerobzero]

@@sergeigarbar1896 Always have been IT guy. Aviation has always been an interest so I got my pilots license when I could afford it.

[@Joe-xo4yg]

@@rzerobzero Put me in the mood to rewatch Dunkirk 😊 This channel is awesome This is just the second vid I’ve watched 1st … HMS Victory, afterwards I had to rewatch Master & Commander: Far side of the world 😂 Cheers 🖖

[@sanjivjhangiani3243]

This aircraft is stunningly advanced! The gunsight systems, in particular, seemed like something out of a video game.

[@fishstick45]

The video games had to get inspiration from somewhere

[@ContantContact]

My father, now deceased, was a mechanic on the P51, P38, B17, B25, and others. I wish he were here to see this and comment. I do have some or all of his books, manuals, etc on his work in my library. I did get him to an airport where a B25 was flown in for rides and to show. He loved it, but was too weak to go into the plane.

[@FoundAndExplained]

I seriously cannot believe the detail, the effort, the 3d and the love you put into this video. You are going to the moon!

[@baltichammer6162]

You should a P51 with all the engine cowlings removed. That's when it was driven home just how incredibly complex this aircraft was. Amazing tech even today much less in 1943.

[@e.sstudios1015]

Hello FAE!

[@b43xoit]

Apollo is a different design.

[@e.sstudios1015]

@Pepe Noir Why so toxic and mad about it? Go spit to the creator directly despite his efforts, I bet you can't even render such model... or am I judging your capabilities without knowing you? Who am I to judge you, but most importantly who are you to blub and talk s h i t on such effort?

[@samburkes7552]

@@baltichammer6162 We can humbly thsnk the mavens @ North American Aircraft way back when, for one of the best aircraft produced for the War efforts!

[@sfdanceron1]

Much respect for the engineers who designed this aircraft.

[@geirsakariassen4728]

i beliv this was the best f-plane in ww2, mius like gas 500 gal

[@sfdanceron1]

@@geirsakariassen4728 It's still a beauty.

[@rconger384]

4:30. Leland Atwood was the engineer that figured out how to apply the Meredeth Effect to the P51. One of the most effective applications of the effect in history.

[@E_Rico]

@@rconger384 how does it exactly work? Is it because the hot air creates an area of low pressure, which air will flow into faster to equalise the pressure?

[@elultimo102]

The same could be said of the designers of the Saturn V moon rockets. Many undocumented modifications were made to perfect it, but most all the engineers are not around to consult. Some of the few remaining boosters are being disassembled by the current aerospace engineers, to determine the changes they made. (Engineers have been smart guys for many generations, and we can still learn from them).

[@VerbalCoffee]

This is amazing. I've always thought how much of a drag it is to have the scoop on the P-51. But learning about the Meredith effect and working to overcome most of the loss blew my mind.

[@dglu9455]

This is an excellent video on one of the most game-changing aircraft in our historical arsenal. Sure, there are a few minor misstatements, but this is a general presentation for familiarization, not a detailed training video for someone who is going to suit up, complete a check ride, and fly the actual aircraft. Your animation skills are outstanding, the attention to detail is unmatched by anything else I've seen in this genre, and your overall presentation is so very well done. Keep up the good work.

[@versiable8041]

The most Detailed explanation of how a P-51 Mustang works! great job mate!

[@Harut.V]

Amazing video. It’s surprising how advanced the technology of the cockpit was, especially the targeting system. I thought it was just point and shoot through the glass lol

[@SheriffsSimShack]

For a long time it was. Not every Mustang was eqipped with a Gyro gunsight. Many were still equipped with a stationary reflex sight.

[@dannyo3317]

@@SheriffsSimShack : Did this vary even within the D Models?

[@BlueBaron3339]

Many gunsights of the period had something similar though not as sophisticated - a second, heavier layer of glass that moved in relation to the forces placed on the aircraft during maneuvering. This would alter the projected targeting image to help pilots compute lead. It was often called the Pepper or Pipper, after a Victorian era stage illusion developed by John Henry Pepper, known as Pepper's Ghost.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

@@dannyo3317 yes very much.

[@jellylightningii5959]

@@dannyo3317 depends i guess

[@dmartin4414]

Absolutely outstanding. Truly incredible and just about the most direct, clear, thorough, concise description of anything I've ever seen. Well-done, and please continue with what you are doing.

[@mrcarlo1966]

Thank you for doing such a great job on these videos. The best part are the corrections because nobody could expect to know every facet in detail of all of the objects you are describing. You have one of the best channels on KZbin.

[@seannotconnery8191]

My Grandad flew these during his service in the USAF. Loved going to airshows and museums with him and he always had the most inspiring smile whenever he saw the Mustang. God bless!

[@josephlanderos3225]

you mean the us army air corps. air force started up in 1947.

[@robertmiller2720]

@@josephlanderos3225 They were still in service after 1947.

[@04mach1speed]

These animations are literally the best ones on KZbin. Absolutely incredible

[@user-bi3fd6fj4h]

Excellent tutorial on the Legendary North American P51D Mustang!. These animations are literally the best ones on KZbin. Absolutely incredible.

[@fredsalfa]

That was incredible. My dad was a P51D fighter pilot in WW2 and would have known a lot of the details you mentioned.

[@singular9]

This is awesome. Would love to see more military gear too.

[@Skaggins]

This is brilliant! I really appreciate the time you took to make it.

[@JP-vs1ys]

This is ridiculously well done. Like over the top. Insane level of skill to create this.

[@robertrowland9334]

Thank you for making this. The amount of effort you put in must have been colossal.

[@tommurphy4307]

so...if youre an aeronautical engineer- not so much??

[@smaanuel]

Incredible, I love seeing every aspect gone over. The most serious part for me was seeing all the systems designed with failure in mind. All the back ups and life saving mechanisms point towards the reality of WWII, or I guess war in general. Where competent trained young people are valuable and there's a reason to try to preserve their lives, but where at the end of the day its expected that many will be dieing.

[@19indecisive19]

Damn, you're videos complete blow my mind. Such attention to detail. Everything is explained. One of the best KZbin channels I've ever come across.

[@hawk0173]

I was a civilian pilot and I always adored the p51 Mustang, thanks, it's an impeccable job and very good detail.

[@iridescentsquids]

Extraordinarily impressive. Feels like the old static “how it’s made” or “how it works” illustrations that I loved as a kid. Great tone, audio, detail-level, pacing, use of color and transparency.

[@fightsportnews4329]

kzbin.info0f4CKXcCUTY?feature=share

[@sumerrana6805]

This is just breathtaking Please give us a glimpse of what goes into making such high quality content

[@brandonpoulsen2028]

This is an excellent production! I could watch this stuff for hours. Your narration style and voice are fantastic, and easy to understand. Your pacing is excellent. I just cannot say enough good about this. I am grateful that you posted corrections, and that being accurate is important to you. After all, most people today take whatever they hear or see online or in the media as cold hard facts. If you were to add corrections to the audio &/or video, it would be even better. Thank you for making this quality content, and for reading my comment.

[@lnguyen4982]

Jet fighters are powerful and all, but you can't deny the raw strength & beauty of these old-fashioned WW2 war planes, and can't help but admire the amazing engineering of these formidable machines. Great video!

[@georgevantuyl5837]

My next door neighbor was a crew chief on a P-51. He worked on the B through H and both Allison and the Merlin. That yellow coatingbo bthe aluminum is Aluminum Percolate. The camera is located on the left wing as it connects to the body. He a model that belonged in a museum that could be disassembled. Radiator scoop housed the oil cooler. The later models D. Had two Superchargers. His description of his aiming the 6 50 caliber was quite the process. The engine was running wide open throttle. The aircraft tied down with the tail raised. He said that after his crew worked on the aircraft. He would take the aircraft up and verify the repairs. He would often be called over to the airport to work on a P-51 and take me with him. I got to hand him wrenches and wire. After wards I had to buy the drinks.

[@pasantehen]

Woooow!!! The creator of this video deserves an Oscar. "Best documentary" thanks for sharing it with us, friend.

[@aqueenslander]

Beautifully detailed description. I felt I could jump into the P51D and go into battle !

[@Mytwocents222]

Good job! I have been impressed by the P51 since I first read about it in high school. Watching this gave me a greater appreciation of the plane. This will be added to my play list and watched multiple times. Thank you.

[@calebmcurby8580]

I find analogue computational equipment more mystifying than their digital counterparts. I find it incredible that with just the inputs of dialing in wingspan and the relative size of the wings as viewed by the pilot, that the plane can compensate without the need for a digital computer. So amazing. And my desire to be a P-51 pilot grows 😂

[@GeeTrieste]

I want to try this on a simulator.

[@GDBROWN]

This video shows just how much has been left out of our history teachings. It’s shameful that we are not given such knowledge that I believe we are obligated to teach the children of today and tomorrow. This video is about the P-51, but my statement can be made for all such innovation that we have been led to perceive as more primitive than what we build today.

[@Jigaboo123456]

Yup, I thought that gunsight was amazingly efficient for its time, and a testament to human ingenuity. It must have given allied pilots flying a Mustang a massive advantage in deflection shooting.

[@hasancinar7165]

Qsk

[@C.Sharpe]

It's just math, but the ingenuity required to invent such a system is very fascinating and inspiring Edit: Good luck finding a way to fly one of these beauties. There aren't many left in the world and most of them are in the hands of private collectors, and sell for millions of dollars. There are, however, 75% scale airframes you can buy and build yourself for a couple hundred. Edit 2: A couple hundred thousand, sorry

[@gurmeens6469]

What an amazing amount of information presented in a clean and descriptive manner. not a lot videos on KZbin focus on details but the fame, clickbait and fake titles. Thanks for a being good sport for your work and dedication!

[@rushedandlost]

Great Video. I am always so impressed by the way we put together machines back in the day. We seem to forget just how sophisticated machines like this were.

[@dingznthingz]

WOw! One of the best descriptions of a P-51 Mustang I have ever seen. The computerized animation is also outstanding. I subscribed to your KZbin link and will be searching for more of your videos.

[@mustangtmg]

This is outstanding but there are just a few issues in addition to what's already been pointed out: The right wing has insignia on bottom, not top. The engine supercharger system doesn't clearly show the 2-stage/2-speed supercharger, and there's a "tube" between the outlet from the 2nd stage of the supercharger connecting to the intake runner, and the engines on all Merlin Mustangs had an aftercooler in that location. The filter system connected to the carb air intake ducting is not illustrated nor explained. They had one gun camera - in the left wing only. They had one landing/taxi light - in the left wing only. There doesn't seem to be a pitot probe - it should be on the underside of the right wing, about 4/5 the way out towards the wingtip. I hate to be critical - the quality of the video IS excellent, and maybe the creator can go back and do some fine-tuning of it. We warbird nuts are fanatics for accuracy...

[@animagraffs]

I appreciate you chiming in with corrections, it'll help the whole community have more accurate info! Animagraffs is all about solid quality work, not covering up errors. Your insight is much appreciated, and thanx for hanging around and enjoying the content and community here!

[@nickm764]

I knew there would be at least one deuchebag pointing out small inaccuracies. Always is.

[@LaminarSound]

@@nickm764 Hes not a douche bag for that. He was quite respectful and Animagraffs sure seems to have taken it professionally and honestly, it seems they WANT this type of feedback to enhance the channel.

[@chefduane3742]

^ Ain't that the truth. :)

[@steviesevieria1868]

@@nickm764 yup

[@rconger384]

4:30. Leland Atwood was the engineer that figured out how to apply the Meredeth Effect to the P51. One of the most effective applications of the effect in history.

[@WalkaCrookedLine]

I was always under the impression the underwing air scoop fed the supercharger. Very convincing display showing I was wrong. Oil and coolant radiator arrangements are often overlooked but seem to be crucial to fighters of this era. Compare the corsair's arrangement of intakes in the wing leading edge near the wing roots.

[@jimreilly917]

EXCELLENT presentation of one of the best fighters of WWII and one of the best prop planes of the 20th century.

[@EPhotoAlbum]

Not only your knowledge is amazing.... but your animation skills are top notch.

[@Anshul9Kumar]

Never seen such extremely high level of detailed animation. Amazed by the work and the presentation. Hats off to you 🙂👍🏻

[@dancollins8296]

This is absolutely amazing. I'm blown away by the detail and overall knowledge of this entire plane. Such a great well put together video

[@Kenny02159386]

From an engineering perspective, you can really see the thoughtfulness of the design and layout of the instruments and controls. Everything was was both grouped and separated as needed to best aid someone perhaps under stress or fatigued. It’s just so playschool simple!

[@brillopad1392]

Really great graphics. Thanks. I'm a pilot and this answered many questions I've always had about the P-51.

[@L0vbn56y]

Excellent! Chuck Yeager told a great story, that on his first combat mission in his Mustang, he forgot to drain the rear tank first. When he returned with nearly empty wing tanks and a nearly full rear tank, the plane almost swapped ends due to the CG being so far aft. He managed to arrive safely.

[@cvcoco]

To us and his wife of more than 50 years, my relative was an "engineer" and thats it. It was only after his death at old age, not just after the war, that we learned what he did all those decades in govt service and one stint was at the skunk works as a P-51 wing designer. We saw him often, dinners and holiday parties, and like the other family members in the military, he never breathed a single word about ANYTHING.

[@lucasrem1870]

Mitchel already passed when they started to build them The Submarine!

[@madezra64]

It speaks volumes about his dedication, pride, and brilliance for the whole program. Blows my mind the stuff they did with analogue avionics almost 80 years ago, and I'm only freaking 29!!!

[@drgondog]

skunk works was a Lockheed name for Kelly Johnson's Advanced Design Group. As a wing design engineer on the P-51, he would have worked under Edgar Schmued.

[@lucasrem1870]

@@drgondog skunk works is still a part of construction, developing for the US Army.

[@pavelglos6181]

@@drgondog "Kelly Johnson's Advanced Design Group. As a wing designer on the P-51, he would work under Edgar Schmued." Please tell me more about how it was? He asks a Central European and amateur admirer of the masters of his field, only.

[@dickief1]

Thank you for this! So concise and informative in an flowing, easy to understand presentation. Very well done.

[@ioliveira]

This is an awesome video, done in detail at the right pace, not to mention the quality of the model and presentation. Couldn't be delivered better, I could probably fly a p-51 now :). Awesome job Jacob!

[@gnorwgnihtondidreltiH]

The amount of research that goes into this guy's videos is insane

[@gnorwgnihtondidreltiH]

@Jay Rock AK Says a guy whose only educational videos are on cutting sushi rolls

[@British-Dragon-Simulations]

He got a hell of a lot of information wrong about the P-51 D. Even I counted 12 error's. He should re-make it with the correct information. A lot of mistakes inside the cockpit and the switches etc and how the propeller pitch, brakes, rockets and all the gun systems.

[@Rhazio]

Its impressive how not even 30 years passed since WW1 and planes made a big leap with engineering. Its pretty baffling

[@laumv]

WW1: July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918; WW2: September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945. They had some time to make technological advances.

[@Rhazio]

@@laumv Those advancements are pretty impressive within that time frame

[@ross-carlson]

WTF - it's been 100+ years since WW1, which this plane did NOT fly in (very few did) and roughly 80 years since WW2. Yes, that's relatively short in terms of how old the fucking earth is - but it's 2-3 TIMES longer than 30 years. You do know Google exists, right? So you don't have to look this ignorant? I guess it's a choice?

[@cantmakethisstuffup255]

Obviously he was talking about the time period from WWI to WWII.

[@gonuts4donuts]

@@Rhazio but it's not really all that impressive considering the First World War created an arms race. It was inevitable at that point aircraft (among other things like ships, submarines, tanks, small arms, etc.) would improve. The biggest technological advance really is from the Wright brothers' first powered flight in 1903 to WWI in 1914. Here we saw aircraft in mass production ("mass" for the timeframe considering materials and construction methods used), pilots had proper upright sitting positions, stick and rudder controls, more efficient propellers being driven by more powerful engines. These aircraft began carrying machine guns and would eventually duel in the skies. These aircraft were capable of maneuvers that were the basis of tactics going into WWII and still to this day. These planes started carrying grenades and bombs, first dropped by hand, then by mechanical linkages under the wings. WWI saw monoplane fighters, triplanes, parasol winged fighters, the first metal monoplane fighters, aircraft carrying aerial rockets, large caliber heavy machine guns and autocannons, amphibious aircraft, four engine heavy bombers conducting strategic bombing with bomb loads that would have been thought unlikely in 1913 before the war began. Yes, world war 2 brought us the best piston engine fighters leading into the rocket and jet fighter age, but 1903 to 1914-1918 is probably the biggest technological jump for aircraft in such a short amount of time rather than 1918 to ~1936-1945 where more time was utilized to introduce and advance these technologies with large scale industries and better materials.

[@kiwimax4659]

Whenever I attend an airshow, I always thrill to see a slick P51 in the sky or on the tarmac. Great reveal here of an amazing aircraft!

[@rwfetterman2546]

Outstanding video. Having once lived a few blocks away from the Van Nuys Airport there were several Saturday mornings the sky was filled with P-51's out for an early AM breakfast run, or flight. And there was the T-38 Aero Squadron with their own "Base" located on the West side of the field complete with Quonset huts and the required pole with boards listing cities and how many miles from home...

[@randyjennings3075]

Thank you SOOOOO much for making this video. My dad was a combat Mustang pilot in the war. I knew much of his experience, from his stories, but this truly filled in some holes.

[@Auraelius]

Amazing! Smooth and logical path among the systems. I learned a thing or three, and I’ve been a fan of p-51s since childhood! Thanks so much.

[@TheGuyWhoisL0st]

Hey! my grand pop was in WW2 and he's a pilot he ended up watching this vid and showing it to me saying "Let's see if he'll got it right" and in the end he said "Well it seems he did" and that's cool ngl.

[@Pluzzie]

thank you for this impressive animation and every detail of the aircraft you put it in

[@Skyhors3]

After my Dad got out of the Army Air Corps, in the late '40s and I was about 4, he often would go to airports and watch the pilots do touch and go's, and take me with him. At one airport there was a scrapped P-51 Mustang. He told me that's what it was. He lifted me into the cockpit and sat me in the pilot's seat. I still remember the cut wires where instruments had been removed, the stick, the bucket seat, the toggle switches, etc. I'm pretty sure the original P-51s had Allison engines, later replaced with Rolls-Royce.

[@felixcat9318]

I have always loved and been fascinated by cutaway drawings of things, particularly vehicles, so this naturally caught my eye. Not only is this beautifully created, detailed and narrated, its interesting, informative and entertaining too! This is truly a masterpiece, thank you for sharing your exceptional artistry.

[@felixortmann5174]

Masterpiece.. Yes...the best one..

[@celticstephenhill]

One of the most beautiful pieces of engineering man has ever constructed. Great vid!

[@davewarrender2056]

Thank Rolls Royce, cuz without their Merlin engine ( exactly the same one as fitted to the Spitfire's,) the Mustang wouldn't have worked as well

[@joshuaoladele4816]

Excellent animation. Couldn’t stop watching; the narration, BG music, and detailing were all just captivating and I learned as well. I hope to be you someday, you are living my dream!

[@SaeedAcronia]

The spar and rib spacing is one of the coolest engineering trade-offs in aerospace engineering. You need to consider weight, bending stresses, twisting stresses, center of mass, center of pressure, fluctuation and aeroelasticity, and of course cost.

[@Josh-hr5mc]

This is an underated comment. This is what facinates me about the F-14, to me its a modern marvel. I still can't believe some of this is possible for lack of better words

[@muzzaball]

This was fantastic. I have books and mags which show exploded views etc but having all the details in this video production was top notch. Really well done Sir, my hat is off to you - thank you. And regardless off the few inaccuracies as listed, it very eloquently provides more detail than anything out there at present. I stand by my appreciation. Cheers.

[@michaeljohn8905]

Amazing ! Thank you for this incredible work you have done. Thank you for sharing with the Aviation Community and GA mechanics like myself.

[@svenfreitag2587]

Outstanding visualizations and explanations of that mindblowing complexity, thank you!

[@Rationalific]

The intricate yet brilliantly comprehensible design of the P-51D and other planes like it is just amazing. Planes came a long way in just 4 decades! And your incredible look into this engineering feat is worth a subscription to your channel, even without needing to check out what other videos you have. It's that good!

[@plnfldwrestler4]

These are amazing short graphic documentaries and I can’t get enough of them. Keep up the good work sir! Looking forward to the next one

[@ddan1781]

Crazy good animation! The tailwheel turns the opposite direction when locked though. Keep up the awesome work!

[@NeonFlare]

Fascinating how much engineering went into these vehicles, astonishing for humanity in that era. I'd love to see you do a WW2 tank next

[@longstreet0163]

This was absolutely brilliant. Thanks for putting it together and posting. I had no real idea just how sophisticated these aircraft were. I was constantly saying "I didn't know that !!". The pilots must have been exceptionally well trained to understand and use all that equipment. These days a lot of that stuff is handled by computers. I learned SO much so thanks again !!

[@draxicous906]

If you have an older car and understand how an engine works and translate that to air functionality and realize that a full-fledged transmission is no longer needed it can be simple to convert that understanding. Planes like these are simple compared to new jets that to be effective require new computers and the better computers both in the jet and missiles win due to the fact most will stay away from the "MAR" and stay 10 miles away from each other, and not merge if they can help it. whereas this plane was designed for the merge and air-to-ground warfare.

[@davidmorris4353]

My grandfather worked on the P51D project at North American Aviation in Grand Prairie Texas. He moved his family there along with thousands of others producing this amazing machine that finally allowed fighter escorts to stay with our bombers all the way to Berlin and back! The engineering of this plane for its time was incredible! Even today EVERY modern fighter pilot longs to fly the legendary P51! I have a great photo of him standing in front of one of the D models rolling out of assembly in June 1944. P51D. . .NAZI KILLER!

[@darlangarcia1]

Cara!.. nunca vi tantos detalhes estruturais de um P-51 como a sua animação. sou desenhista e fã de maquetes e modelismo e esse video é perfeito! muito obrigado por isso. 🇧🇷

[@anonnemo2504]

This fighter was a real "game changer" in WWII. Fascinating to see how it worked! Great video, many thanks.

[@includemeout]

Having just had this vid suggested to me, I'm new to this channel, but this must definitely be one of the most professionally done, carefully researched videos I ever watched on KZbin! Well done!

[@NoGreedSeeds]

This is the first of many I’ll be watching over the next binge sessions. Hope there’s a bunch, this was thorough, and nearly a manual. Loved every second of it. My favorite part was the description of the gunsight. 16:13

[@josephsimpkins3224]

Very well done! Thank you for your mega hours of detailed CGI work!

[@skywardmedia7529]

Awesome job! Just a couple of additional corrections: At 9:10, the rudder trim and aileron trib knobs are each labeled with the arrows pointing the wrong way. At 13:45, this indicator is actually called the Turn & Bank indicator, and it does not display the plane's attitude, but rather the rate of turn, and whether the turn is coordinated (using enough or too much rudder.)

[@jeffrich614]

Thank you for such an incredible video. My father flew the P-51 and this video helped me to appreciate his accomplishments (and all of his cohorts) even more.

[@huckleberryfinn338]

My father flew this plane. I was wishing he was still here because he loved to talk about it. He died last May 31 2021 at age 101.7 years old. He said he wanted to continue flying after the war but said air force wasn't hiring. He said he was offered a free p-51 propeller but the shipping was $1000.

[@jeffrich614]

@Pepe Noir There were several different varieties of the P-51. This one is same aircraft flown by my father. Saying it's not a P 51 is absurd; I have no idea what point you are trying to make.

[@atorres603]

Amazing. I love the level of detail and amount of work you put into this. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@1999Valkyrie]

Absolutely brilliant! So much to learn, yet your illustrations and narrative were perfect! Thanks!!

[@onolicious9147]

This is the 3rd of your vids I’ve seen now. Absolutely riveting to watch! Love the format and presentation…excellent stuff!

[@MC-yx2gn]

The P-51 is my absolute favorite airplane. From its giant prop, to its signature sound and everything it symbolized at the time. As for this video, I’m blown away by the accuracy and attention to detail as well as by the quality of the animation. 22 years ago I was in college and intending on being a computer animator (Pixar was taking off and the career was promising) but the stuff we were learning was for mostly web design so Macromedia Flash was the program of choice. It was incapable of anything like this. Fantastic video!

[@saiaung7318]

Amazing work and details. I hope you keep doing the contents of military vehicles or equipments or guns especially world war 1 and 2

[@bobgoodnight-fox9762]

I am really impressed with the knowledge i just gained from this awesome video. I always loved these planes but now i see how they work and how much went into flying and operating the beast. Thank you so very much.

[@pat0343]

That was awesome to watch, great detail. Thank you

[@sethsponhower]

I absolutely love this video!! you MUST do one on the F4U Corsair!!! That is my favorite fighter plane from WWII and did several models of it when I was a kid and even a study report for class once! Great graphics work!!

[@aefbNone]

no, hellcat pls to see how foldable wings work

[@yuribezmenovthegreat4705]

We need one for the best dive bomber in ww2. JUNKER 87-B

[@StratMatt777]

@Pepe Noir Why are you so unhappy?

[@kimmer6]

Very nice video. I got to ride in Bob Love's P-51D back in November 1982. There was no gunsight but up on the area where it once sat was an engraved marker that said ''ENGAGE BRAIN BEFORE TAKEOFF''. That was a day that I shall remember forever.

[@ryanfahrne5318]

Great work, i learned a lot about one of my favorite planes. Thank you

[@itissrinivasan]

How many times have I watched an Animagraff video and been disappointed? Zero

[@seanmcardle]

Amazing effort. I can only imagine how much time you put into this. Well done.

[@HabuBeemer]

Beautiful presentation Jake. I've been around a lot of real P 51s in my 47 year aviation career. I learned a tremendous amount I didn't know from this presentation. The special yellow coating on the ribs, longerons, stringers, etc., in the day was Zinc Chromate primer designed to keep corrosion from forming on those surfaces. Today's primers no longer are Zinc. The EPA outlawed them a few years ago. The technology for the 1940s was pretty amazing even by today's standards. Thanks for sharing.

[@rpbajb]

Zinc primers are still widely used. Zinc chromate has been regulated because of the chrome VI carcinogenicity.

[@HabuBeemer]

@@rpbajb They are still available and in use in industrial and marine mainly. Aviation has gone more to epoxy primers in the last 20 years. It isn't as prevalent as it once was. I'm in the industry and used to sell it. Occasionally it is requested.

[@rpbajb]

@@HabuBeemer That was also my experience as a paint chemist; an occasional request was all we got. OSHA requirements for blood tests of the workers using it scared most customers off. When I started in the industry, we used lead and asbestos in paint. Those were the days!

[@HabuBeemer]

@@rpbajb I've been in it for 47 years. Nothing like a good lead paint chip on asbestos toast in the morning with orange marmalade to mask the curious off flavors. Yes, Ahhhhh they good 'ole days! Lol.

[@rpbajb]

@@HabuBeemer Yep, the good old days. We had a guy who worked the rail dock who unloaded bags of asbestos, by hand, not palletized. He would shovel out the broken bags in clouds of dust. Worked with Paris Green (arsenic) and red lead, too. No respirators then. Lived to be 88.

[@josenighthawk]

Terrific! ... Simply, Terrific! ... thank you so much for so many details! ... it wonderfully fleshes out how much more techno-savvy they were back then - than what time tends to minimize on the rear-view mirror!

[@drankenstein5241]

These animations are incredible. This aircraft and the technology on-board is pretty clever, exceptional engineering 👌