Does Tom Cruise own a P-51 Mustang?
Tom Cruise’s love for aviation extends beyond the Gulfstream IV. He owns a fleet of different aircraft that includes several impressive models: P-51 Mustang: Cruise owns a North American P-51 Mustang, a vintage World War II fighter aircraft. This plane reflects his deep appreciation for aviation history. Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars, particularly known for his performances in the Top Gun and Mission Impossible series. Tom Cruise is speculated to have owned four private aircraft, including a Gulfstream IV, a Bombardier Challenger 350, a HondaJet HA-420, and a P-51 Mustang.Tom Cruise (@tomcruise) doesn’t just play a pilot, he is one. Licensed since 1994, Cruise holds multi-engine, instrument, and helicopter ratings, personally performing the helicopter stunts in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. But his pride and joy is a real WWII fighter: a North American P-51 Mustang.Similar to Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise is famous for portraying a pilot on screen, playing Lieutenant Pete Mitchell in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun and its 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. In the real world, Cruise only rode in the back seat of the F-14, but he has held a pilot’s license since 1994.
How many P-51 Mustangs exist today?
The aircraft is a P-51 D model, serial number 44-73264. Of the approximately 15,000 P-51s produced in WWII, over 8,000 were “D” models. Today, only about 150 airworthy examples of Mustangs exist world-wide in museums, flying or under restoration. A restored, airworthy P-51 Mustang will sell for somewhere between $2 and $4. If a P-51 has a heroic backstory, it is likely to fetch an even higher price.
Was the P-51 better than the P-47?
The P‑51’s smaller size and lighter, more aerodynamic airframe gave it better roll and turn rates than the P‑47, making it more agile in a dogfight. Its climb performance was also superior. For interception and high‑altitude combat, the Mustang clearly had the edge. The Mustang was less maneuverable than the Spitfire. If we compare two mass-produced models of both aircraft (the P-51D and the Spitfire Mk. IX), the Spitfire could climb to 30,000 feet about 150 seconds faster than the P-51, and complete a 360-degree turn 3–4 seconds quicker than the Mustang.
How many kills did the P-51 have?
Few Luftwaffe aircraft could match the P-51D — by the end of the war, Mustangs had destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft in the air, more than any other USAAF fighter in Europe. Using the speed he had built up in his dive, he dropped astern of the Me-109 and opened fire from close range. This pilot, too, bailed out. The top scoring P-51 Mustang fighter ace of World War II, Major George Preddy describes the action upon his return from a successful mission.