North American XP-51D-1-NA 42-106540

These are 1/72 scale decals for North American XP-51D-1-NA, serial 42-106540, United States Army Air Forces — the mirror-image companion to the bubble-canopy P-51B prototype, and together the two airframes that defined the path to the definitive P-51D Mustang.

Where the P-51B prototype (43-12102) combined a P-51D fuselage with P-51B wings, the XP-51D took the opposite approach: engineers retained the original P-51B razorback fuselage while fitting the new P-51D broad-chord wings — the wider, six-gun wing that would become one of the defining features of the production D-model. Together, the two prototypes allowed North American Aviation's engineers to evaluate the fuselage and wing changes independently, isolating the contribution of each major modification before committing to the full production configuration.

The P-51D wing was a significant development over the B-model's, accommodating six .50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns in place of the B's four, improving firepower and ammunition capacity while also refining the aerodynamic profile. The data gathered from 42-106540's flight testing was essential in validating the wing design before it was paired with the new fuselage in the production P-51D — the aircraft that would go on to escort Eighth Air Force bombers to Berlin and back, transforming the strategic bombing campaign over Europe.

An extraordinarily rare prototype subject and the essential companion piece to the P-51B bubble-canopy prototype — together they tell the complete story of how the iconic P-51D came to be. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.