The country trying to monopolise the Swift effect
Plus lessons from WW2 plane manufacturing.
Hello!
Look, I love a Spitfire and it remains my favourite WW2-era single seat-fighter but I’ll give it to the Americans, the Mustang P-51 changed the course of the war and the story of its rapid development is one of dramatic innovation that still resonates today.
During the early years of the war British manufacturers were struggling to keep up with demand as the RAF fought to fend off the Luftwaffe. They turned to the US and commissioned a new aircraft on the proviso the first one was flying in 120 days. 117 days later the first P-51 was airborne. Roughly the same amount of time it now takes a piece of furniture to be delivered.
The only issue with the original P-51s is that the Allison engine did not allow it to fly particularly high, making it unsuitable for combat in Europe. Ronald Harker (a test pilot) had the idea to chuck a Rolls Royce Merlin engine in (the same one used in the Spitfires) which produced an incredibly effective long-range fighter.
It was actually the US, who initially had doubts about the limey-powered planes, that deployed the P-51 most effectively. They had a dire need for a new approach to escorting bombers having been decimated by their “fly in one big formation in broad daylight” doctrine. The P-51s enabled long-range engagement of enemy fighters, leaving the bombers relatively unimpeded.
So there you have it - iterate quickly, test different use cases and don’t be afraid of a bit of international collaboration.
Chocks away,
Hugo
Marshal of the Royal Stuff Force
The Business of Stuff
The Stuff
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Quote of the week
“If anyone approaches you shout 'halt, who goes there' and take down their credentials.” - Cpt. George Mainwaring