Mustang P-51 B/C Seat-When Did they Change ?

[patricksparks]

I'm trying to find out when they changed the seat in the P-51 B/C models, when did they replace the fabicated squared-off version and go to the "Bucket" style formed seat.

Thank you,

Pat

[James Rademaker]

I know that I have seen D model Mustangs with the original B&C version seat. I don’t know the exact date but eventually North American produced the Mustang with the newer bucket seat. So you have an option if you wish to make a D Mustang with the original seat.

Jim

[Juggernut]

If you’re referring to when the P-51D/K seat was changed from the Schick-Johnson to The Warren-McArthur, there is no serial number break from one to the other.  Both seats were used on the production line based on availability.  Production eventually phased out the Schick-Johnson in favor of the Warren-McArthur seat.  The rule of thumb is that the earlier the production block of the aircraft (P-51D-5, -10) the better the odds are of having a Shock-Johnson seat.  The only way to know for certain is to have a cockpit photo of your subject showing a part of the seat.

[Kaeone57]

1 hour ago, MARU5137 said:

https://pin.it/1N7CG3x

 

https://pin.it/2Z5Wd34

 

https://pin.it/2smeMfk

 

https://pin.it/1N1A5Vg

 

https://pin.it/4iLxp2L

 

 

Though Gorgeous Cockpit work on those 2 model cockpits, they are 1 for a Hellcat and 2 for a Corsair! LoL

[AirCorps Library]

After doing a deep dive into both the manuals and drawings for the P-51, I recorded this trail in chronological order:

 

26-Nov-1942 -The Preliminary Maintenance Manual for the A-36A "Mustang" shows a plywood pilot seat that is similar in appearance to the Schick-Johnson seat.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/ju6p51jw12?p=319

 

29-Oct-1943 - One year later a short Tech Order is released detailing the reinforcement of the pilot seat (the illustration of which also bears similarity to the Schick-Johnson seat). The reinforcement is to "reduce the possibility of cracking or breaking the back of the pilot's seat, when extreme pressure is applied" - likely due to the presence of the plywood backing.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/ju6p51jw23

 

1-June-1944 - About 8 months later, the Parts Catalog dealing with the P-51B-1, -5, -10, -15, and the P-51C-1, -5, and -10 also illustrates the Schick-Johnson style seat.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/ipcp51c?p=183

This parts catalog lists drawing number 102-53009 for the pilot seat installation. On this drawing which resembles the Schick-Johnson seat, there also a note that some parts may be procured from Warren-McArthur.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/drawing/viewer/102-53009?p=4

 

25-July-1944 - Two months later, the initial version of the P-51D specific parts catalog is released showing the Warren McArthur seat for the first time. The link below to this manual has a revision date of 25-Oct-1944, but the page showing the seat remained un-revised in Oct-1944.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/ipcp51d?p=197

This parts catalog lists drawing 106-53009 as the seat assembly, which is the bucket seat variation

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/drawing/viewer/106-53009?p=4

 

10-Mar-1945 - The Parts Catalog for the P-51D and P-51K on this date has entries for both the Schick-Johnson AND the Warren-McArthur seats.

https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/finallyp51dk?p=169

 

Both seat variations are also listed in the later revisions of the Parts Catalog from:

12-Apr-1946 (Parts Catalog for P-51D and P-51K) https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/ju6p51jw7?p=289

31-May-1949 (Parts Catalog for P-51D and P-51K) https://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/m20p51jhack3?p=166

29-Oct-1954 (Parts Catalog for F-51D, TF-51D, and F-51K) 

 

From this info, it's pretty clear that these seats were used interchangeably for the majority of the history of the P-51.

 

Ester