Today in History – April 27, 1953 – Operation Moolah begins, USAF tries to get MiG-15 from a defecting Soviet pilot for $100,000

27 April 1953 – “Operation Moolah was a United States Air Force (USAF) effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter. Communist forces introduced the MiG-15 to Korea on November 1, 1950. USAF pilots reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to all United Nations

Today in History – May 5, 1943 – First flight of a production North American Aviation P-51B-1-NA Mustang

By MB Barrett

5 May 1943: First flight of a production North American Aviation P-51B-1-NA Mustang, 43-12093 (NAA serial number 102-24541).

Following the RAF’s initial disappointing experience with the Mustang I (P-51A), Ronald Harker, a test pilot for Rolls-Royce, suggested fitting a Merlin 61 engine, a two-speed, two-stage, inter-cooled supercharger, designed by Stanley Hooker of Rolls-Royce.

This gave an increase in horsepower from the Allison’s 1,200–1,620 horsepower (890–1,210 kW), or 1,720 horsepower (1,280 kW) in War Emergency Power, delivering an increase of top speed from 390 to 440 mph (340 to 380 kn; 630 to 710 km/h), as well as raising the service ceiling to almost 42,000 feet (13,000 m).