2007-08-04, Dogfights: P-51 Mustang P-51野马战斗机

In 1940, North American Aviation designed the legendary¹ P-51 Mustang in response to the British need for a high-performance fighter aircraft. The Mustang featured the most advanced laminar flow wing and a ducted cooling radiator³ positioned under the rear fuselage that greatly reduced drag. It was considered by the Royal Air Force to be an outstanding aircraft despite its lack of high-altitude performance due to the limitations of the Allison Engine. Eventually the Mustang was fitted with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine that could do about 440 miles per hour in level flight.

And so they ended up with a very remarkable⁴ airplane. Rolls-Royce's Merlin had a two-stage, two-speed super charger and that gave the Mustang outstanding speed at low altitude, high altitude. It was quite maneuverable and had a lot of fuel.

It carried six 50-caliber machine guns in the wings and was capable of carrying rockets or 2000 pounds of ordnance⁵ for ground attack missions. When fitted with under-wing fuel tanks, the Mustang could escort bombers⁷ all the way to their targets and back, a feat² no other single-engine fighter could perform.

The longest mission I ever flew was six hours and 35 minutes on D-Day. And, but that was all patrolling at a, you know cruising speed, never using very much power. P-51 Mustang, it was a great airplane.

The Mustang had a successful career as a fighter bomber⁶ and a tactical reconnaissance aircraft and served in every theater of World War II. The Mustang figured importantly in the Korean War and continued to serve in the Air Forces of several Central American countries into the 1970s. Over 15,000 P-51s were delivered. It remains⁸ an icon⁹ of World War II aerial combat.

1 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

2 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

3 radiator   

n.暖气片，散热器

参考例句：

• The two ends of the pipeline are connected with the radiator.管道的两端与暖气片相连接。
• Top up the radiator before making a long journey.在长途旅行前加满散热器。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

6 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

7 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。