Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Musée de l’Aviation et de l’Espace du Canada: North American Mustang
Canada Aviation and Space Museum is located at 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario.
The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document every historical Warplane preserved in Canada. Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website. Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited. Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplanes in Canada would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.
North American Mustang IV
(aeroprints.com Photo)
(Author Photos)
North American P-51D Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF (Serial No. 9298), ex-USAAF (Serial No. 44-73347), C/N 122-39806, Y2-E.
North American Mustang Mk. IV flown by the RCAF in the Cold War
(DND Photo via James Craik) (DND Photo via James Craik)
North American Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF (Serial No. 9566), coded FB-N, and wearing early style red and blue maple leaf roundels, probably serving with a test unit.
North American Mustang Mk. IV, flown by the RCAF post war (130), (Serial Nos. 9221-9300, 9551-9600).
Postwar, the RCAF acquired a total of 150 Mustang P-51Ds, which were purchased and served in two regular squadrons (No. 416 “Lynx”, and No. 417 “City of Windsor”) and six auxiliary fighter squadrons (No. 402 “City of Winnipeg”, No. 403 “City of Calgary”, No. 420 “City of London”, No. 424 “City of Hamilton”, No. 442 “City of Vancouver” and No. 443 “City of New Westminster”). The Mustangs were declared obsolete in 1956, but a number of special-duty versions served on into the early 1960s.
Following arrangements having been made with the United States Government to purchase 130 North American P-51D Mustangs, the RCAF received its first 32 aircraft during June 1947 with two more following during July of that year; a further five were taken on strength in October 1950, twenty-five during November 1950 and another twenty-five during December 1950. The balance of forty-three aircraft followed during the first three months of 1951.
Serial numbers were allocated in two blocks, 9221 to 9300 inclusive and 9551 to 9600 inclusive.
The Mustangs, designated in Canada as ‘Tactical Fighter Mark IV’ (the ‘Mark IV’ being used by virtue of the Royal Air Force’s similar designation of its P-51Ds during the Second World War), was to equip the following RCAF Auxiliary Fighter Squadrons: No. 402 “City of Winnipeg” Squadron, coded AC, No. 403 “Calgary” Squadron, coded PR, (recoded AD in 1954), No. 417 Squadron, Central Air Command Composite Flight, coded CB, No. 420 “City of London” Squadron, coded AW, (recoded QJ c1955), No. 424 “City of Hamilton” Squadron, coded BA, (recoded PV in 1954), No. 442 “City of Vancouver” Squadron, coded MH, and No. 443 “Sea Island” Squadron, coded PF.
In addition to these units, Mustangs were also operated by the Central Flying School (CFS), coded DD, the Air Armament School (AAS), coded BZ, No. 1 Flying Training School (FTS), coded GM, Central Experiment & Proving Establishment (CEPE), coded FB, and the Canadian Joint Air Training Center (CJATC), coded OU and AT. Some Mustangs were also attached to various stations throughout the country, i.e. never apparently attached to any regular Auxiliary unit. Other code-letters carried by Canadian Mustangs were PX and CM, but it is not known to which units these aircraft belonged.
RCAF On Strength (130), Canadian Aircraft Losses (93). Detailed records of all known RCAF and Canadian aviation losses may be viewed on line in the Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource (CASPIR). The CASPIR website is researched, coded, maintained entirely by Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM) volunteers with only one staff assisting periodically. This work has taken several years and is unlikely to be finished as continuing research leads to “new finds” and rediscovered Canadian aviation heritage and history. The CWHM volunteer team looks forward to continuing to update and correct the record as additional information and photos are received. Check here.
(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224105)
North American Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF (Serial No. 9595), coded BU-N, “Jeff”, No. 443 City of New Westminster Squadron, with RCAF (Serial No. 9595), No. 422 City of Vancouver Squadron coded BU-N in the background, summer camp at RCAF Station Uplands, Ontario, 5 Aug 1952.
(RCAF Photo via Mike Kaehler)
North American Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF (Serial No. 9253), coded BA-S, No. 424 Squadron, Hamilton, Ontario. Chris Charland noted that the Mustang in the forefront is former USAF P-51D (Serial No. 44-74502A). This aircraft served with the No. 1 Air Armament School at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario. The No. is difficult to discern, if it is (Serial No. 44-74582), then it would be RCAF (Serial No. 9253). This aircraft later served with the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment at RCAF Station Uplands, (later the National Research Centre (NRC) at Uplands, Ontario.
(RCAF Photo)
North American Mustang Mk. IV, RCAF (Serial No. 9533), coded GM-Y firing a rocket.