A reproduction of the American fighter North American P-51D Mustang, built in more than 15,000 units and considered one of the finest aircraft of the Second World War. The name Gnatsum is Mustang spelled backwards.
General information
The initials MJ stand for the Frenchman Marcel Jurca (1921-2001), one of the fathers of amateur aircraft construction and author of no fewer than 27 aircraft types from 1951 onwards. The MJ-77 design features an all-wood structure at 80% scale and a range of engines from 250 to 600 hp.
About a dozen have been built in France, the United States, Canada and Italy, the first of which flew in 1975.
History of aircraft I-MUST
This MJ-77 was built by Giancarlo Zanardo and won the 2006 Rotondi Trophy as the best amateur-built aircraft in Italy.
When the project began, in 1993, fewer than five had been completed. Under the technical regulations the MJ-77 was therefore considered a prototype and subjected to a very complex bureaucratic process. The lack of detailed drawings, particularly for installations and systems, further prolonged construction, which absorbed about 25,000 hours of work over twelve years. The engine is an automotive-derived 5.7-litre Chevrolet V-8, fitted with a reduction gear and driving a three-blade propeller.
The first flight took place on 8 February 2006 over the military airport of Rivolto (UD).
North American P-51 Mustang
General information
Produced from 1941, it was one of the most versatile American fighters of the Second World War. It was deployed both in the Pacific and in Europe to counter the aircraft of the Luftwaffe. It was used mainly as an escort fighter for Boeing B-17 bomber formations, but also as a fighter-bomber. It also served in the early phase of the Korean War, even though it had by then been overtaken by the first jet aircraft. In some air forces it remained in service until the early 1980s. Designed by Edgar Schmued, built and flown in just 117 days, the P-51 was one of the greatest piston-engine fighters of all time. In its final versions it approached the maximum limits attainable by a piston-engine machine. It was the product of two cutting-edge technologies: the American aircraft industry and the British engine industry. The Mustang was welcomed everywhere: 15,586 were built, serving (during the Second World War) in the air forces of Australia, Canada, China, Great Britain (RAF), New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, the United States (AAC/AAF), South Africa and the Soviet Union. After the war it remained in service in many countries. It was considered one of the most aerodynamic aircraft of the Second World War, above all for the laminar-flow profile of its wings.
Length 9.83 m
Wingspan 11.29 m
Height 4.16 m
Wing area 21.65 sq m
Empty weight 3,230 kg
Max take-off weight 5,262 kg
Max speed 784 km/h
Service ceiling 12,771 m
Range 3,701 km