During WWII the Mustang was to the Americans what the Spitfire was to the British-a symbol of hope and strength. The P-51 fought in almost every theatre of war, in various roles and with great success. When powered by the famed Merlin engine, the P-51 became the supreme long-range escort fighter and was able to fly with the bomber stream all the way to their targets and back to base. Today well over 100 Mustangs survive in airworthy condition, this total increasing year by year as airframes are lovingly restored and take to the skies again.