How much is a P-51 Mustang worth today?
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. The versatile Mustang also served as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. 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.An SW-51 can be acquired for about 10 percent of the cost of a real P-51. The real kicker is you can operate an SW-51 for less than 5 percent of the operating costs of a real Mustang while enjoying 90 per- cent of the fun. Okay, I made the fun percentage up, but it’s probably close.The P-51’s service in the U. S. Air Force came to an end in the 1950s, but it continued on for 2-3 more decades in many other countries. More than 15,000 P-51 Mustangs were produced. It is a popular restoration aircraft with well over 100 today still airworthy, seen in air shows and as highly modified racing aircraft.But this P-51 is something altogether different. It is, according to Platinum Fighter Sales out of Big Spring, TX, the “last original unrestored P-51D Mustang” in the world. Asking price: $4.
Why didn’t the navy use the P-51?
However, the Navy ultimately did not adopt the P-51. With capable fighter designs like the F6F, F4U, and F7F in production, plus jets on the horizon, the extra logistics to support the Mustang’s liquid-cooled engine made it an unnecessary effort. The F4U could outfly and outfight a P-51 in almost every area except range. In 1944 the US Navy actually tested a P-51B razorback against a Corsair and a Bf 109 and Fw 190: the Corsair beat all three, although the Fw 190 did very well.During WWII Axis pilots tested captured Allied aircraft: they deemed the Spitfire a miserable fighter, the LaGG–3 poorly maneuverable and the P-51 disconcerting.
Which was better, P-51 or 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. F4U Corsair versus P-51 Mustang performance U. S. Navy combat trials in 1944 pitted a P-51B against the Corsair, along with a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The Corsair outperformed all three overall (with the Fw 190 putting up a strong showing).F4U Corsair versus P-51 Mustang performance The Corsair outperformed all three overall (with the Fw 190 putting up a strong showing). Below 25,000 feet, the Corsair turned tighter with flaps, climbed faster thanks to its more powerful radial engine, carried more ammunition, and proved far tougher to shoot down.