70073 P-51D Mustang™ Very Long Range.

70073 P-51D Mustang™ VLR 1/72

P-51D Mustang VLR was a late-war version of the famous American fighter adapted for Very Long Range missions. Aircraft of this type operated from Iwo Jima, escorting Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers over Japan and carrying out long-range strike missions.

Arma Hobby 70073 presents the Mustang in one of its most demanding operational configurations of the Second World War – fitted with external fuel tanks, rockets, and equipment typical of Pacific operations.

This kit is ideal for enthusiasts of:

• Second World War aviation
• USAAF aircraft
• 1945 operations against Japan
• long-range escort fighters
• classic Mustangs in an unusual variant

Key Features

• 1/72 scale
• modern next-generation Arma Hobby kit
• highly accurate P-51D Mustang VLR representation
• additional VLR sprue with Pacific-specific equipment
• 110-gallon underwing drop tanks
• 150-gallon streamlined drop tanks from the P-38 Lightning
• rockets for strike missions
• detailed cockpit
• high-quality Cartograf decals
• canopy masks included
• clear assembly and painting guide
• Free 3D file with accessories (link to download in instruction)

Marking Options

• P-51D-20-NA Mustang “Snortin’ Phyllie”
  1st Lt. Herb Straughn, 531st Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group, Iwo Jima, spring–summer 1945.
• P-51D-25-NA Mustang “Little One”
  1st Lt. Francis J. Pilecki, 458th Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group, Iwo Jima, spring 1945. Tail stripe decals have been specially shaped to match the curved fin surface, providing a more realistic result than the flat tail bands often seen in other kits.

Free 3D File for Printing P-51D/K Accessories (Download Code Included in the Instructions)

• Includes: seat with harness, exhaust pipes, and gun barrels.

• File for self-printing on a 3D resin printer. Consumer license for non-commercial use only.
• See Terms of Use for 3D Files §4a link.

History of the P-51D Mustang VLR

P-51D Mustang VLR – the Longest Reach over Japan

In the Pacific, the Mustang was not initially welcomed as enthusiastically as it had been in Europe. Many pilots placed greater trust in the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, both of which offered more confidence during flights over ocean and jungle. Only in late 1944 did wider conversion to the North American P-51 Mustang begin, and after the capture of Iwo Jima the type was assigned to VLR duties – escorting Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers over Japan.

Very Long Range Standard

The VLR – Very Long Range standard included additional fuel tanks as well as revised radio and navigation equipment, making long over-water missions possible. The typical escort configuration used 110-gallon underwing tanks, giving sufficient range for flights from Iwo Jima to Tokyo and back. These tanks were characteristic of Pacific operations and differed from the more common European configurations.

Strike Missions and Flexible VLR Configurations

Strike missions also employed rockets against airfields and transport targets. Because rockets increased aerodynamic drag, they were often paired with streamlined 150-gallon drop tanks taken from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

Different missions required different loadouts. Mustangs operating from Iwo Jima might escort bomber formations one day and attack ground targets the next.

Very Long Range Units over Japan

Units operating in this role included the 506th Fighter Group and the 21st Fighter Group. Their pilots flew long missions over open ocean, where success depended as much on fuel, weather, and mechanical reliability as on combat skill.

The Legacy of the Mustang VLR

Flights from Iwo Jima were among the longest ever flown by Allied single-engine fighters, proving the exceptional versatility of the Mustang. The VLR version became one of the most interesting P-51D variants and a symbol of the final air campaign against Japan.

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