[STARMAN 352ND]

I came across this picture and thought it might be a A-20 or P-51A But the nose area looks so different from both of them.Like a P-40.
Maybe it's a XP-51A ??
Has anyone seen these Mustangs ?
JP

[Canucklehead]

That there is a Mustang Mk.X. It was a P-51A (Mk.I) that the RAF tested the Rolls Royce Merlin 61 on after it was decided that the Allison power plant could be improved on. There was only four of them, two of which were handed over to the USAAF for testing after the RAF was done with them.
I got this info from Roger A Freman's "Mustang at War" book. It's older, but I recommend you pick it up if you ever see it used. Got some nice photos in there.

[SKUNKY]

It almost looks like the love child of a P-51 and a P-40.

[SkyBuffalo]

I have a picture of the same plane (no. AM203 on the tail) in my Encyclopedia of Aircraft of WWII. Story:

On April 30, 1942, Ronald Harker, a test pilot for the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine company, got to have a 30 minute test flight in a Mustang 1A (this model currently having an Allison engine). He loved the plane and knew that this plane was a perfect match for the new Merlin 60 series engines (also going into the Spitfire IXs about to enter service). Harker begged Air Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman for a Merlin equipped Mustang, and five of the aircraft were prepared for conversion. These five got the Merlin 65 engine and were designated Mustang Xs. The first one took to the air on 13 Nov., 1942 and the others flew shortly thereafter.

Your picture is of the 2nd trial aircraft (No. 2 prototype AM203) of the 5 Mustangs with the Merlin 65 engines. Your photo bears witness to the birth of a GOD! The funky front scoop seems to have been only on these five prototypes.

[Canucklehead]

Apparently when the RAF put the Rolls Royce on the Mustang airframe they found it was running some 200 degrees centigrade hotter than the Allsion did. To avoid anything catching fire or blowing up they had to add another radiator which accounts for the great ugly bulge under the nose.

[STARMAN 352ND]

To bad they don't have this in a diecast ...
Sort of neat odd looking Mustang or Mk1.
JP