North American P-51 / F-51 Mustang

The P-51 Mustang was a highly successful American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft used during World War II and the Korean War. Following the creation of the USAF in 1947, it was redesignated as the F-51. The aircraft is deeply embedded in UFO lore due to the tragic 1948 incident in which Air National Guard Captain Thomas Mantell died while pursuing a UAP.

Captain Thomas Mantell died in a crash while piloting an F-51 Mustang in pursuit of a UFO, a watershed moment in early UAP history.