P-51 Voodoo Sets Record at 531 MPH

P-51 Sets A World Record

A highly-modified P-51 named “Voodoo” recorded 480 mph in this qualifying run. However, this plane, piloted by Steve Hinton Jr., also set an air speed record of 531 mph afterward.

After setting the record, Steve was asked about the modifications they made to the P-51’s engines. He said that the original Merlin conrods were susceptible to bending so Allison conrods were used instead. They also replaced the supercharger’s impeller with that of a P-82 Twin Mustang. Its higher efficiency led to a 10-in increase in manifold pressure.

The wings were re-profiled in accordance with a model they made using computational fluid dynamics. A lot more changes were done to maximize the speed and efficiency of the P-51 such as new gearboxes, a new ADI system, and live telemetry.