How Much Does A P-51D Mustang Cost?

If you’re a fan of American World War II fighter planes, then you’re probably familiar with the P-51D Mustang. This aircraft is known for its unique features, such as the engine’s British origins and the hot air leaving the rear of the scoop generating thrust. While owning a P-51D Mustang may seem like a dream come true, it’s important to consider the costs associated with purchasing, restoring, and maintaining one.

Despite the high costs, there are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models. Maintenance expertise for your P-51 is surprisingly available, and parts aren’t hard to come by either. However, flying a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart. With around 1500 horsepower, heavy controls, and aggressive styles, it can be a handful. But for many, owning and flying a P-51D Mustang is worth it.

Key Takeaways

• The P-51D Mustang is a legendary American World War II fighter plane known for its unique features.
• Owning and maintaining a P-51D Mustang is expensive, but maintenance expertise and parts are available.
• Flying a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart, but for many, it’s worth the challenge.

P51D Mustang Overview

If you’re looking to buy a P51D Mustang, you probably already know a lot about this American World War II fighter plane. The engine was originally British, an Allison, but later switched to a Rolls-Royce Merlin. The intake, which the engine uses to get air to burn fuel inside the Pistons, is located just beneath the spinner. The big scoop on the bottom houses both the oil cooler and the engine’s radiator. The hot air that leaves the rear of the scoop generates thrust thanks to the Meredith effect, which can overcome nearly 90 percent of the drag caused by the scoop.

After the war, most Mustangs stayed where they were or were scrapped. Many of those flying in the USA today were nearly or recently completed when the war ended and were about to be but not yet shipped to Europe.

Buying a flying P-51 is expensive, obviously. Restoring and maintaining them is extremely expensive, and the purchase price is very low, depending on how much TLC it received and how recently. There are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models. There are two in Canada, both DS.

Maintenance expertise for your P51 is surprisingly available. There are shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance, as well as in Merlin engine maintenance. Parts aren’t hard to come by either, since some third parties have taken up manufacturing them. However, available does not mean inexpensive. All aspects of ownership are expensive. You’ll burn 85 gallons or so in your first hour getting up to altitude, that is about 60 gallons an hour after that. Two wing tanks and a center tank will hold 270 gallons. The optional drop tanks hold another 220. You can expect the Merlin to get a top overhaul at about 400 hours, and the full meal deal comes around 800.

P51D is a legend. It’s probably the favorite plane of most people. That’s something, but affording a P-51 isn’t easy, neither is flying one. Depending on the version, you’re in the neighborhood of 1500 horsepower. They’re heavy on the controls, styles are aggressive and give little warning, so yes, it’s a handful. But it’s a freaking Mustang. You make it work, but it may be a good idea to add a line to your get P51 checklist called “have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time.”

Engine Details

If you’re looking to buy a P-51D Mustang, you probably already know that it’s an American World War II fighter plane. But did you know that the engine is British, originally an Allison but then switched to a Rolls-Royce Merlin? The intake, which the engine uses to get air to burn fuel inside the Pistons, is just beneath the spinner. The big scoop on the bottom houses both the oil cooler and the engine’s radiator. The hot air that leaves the rear of the scoop actually generates thrust thanks to the Meredith effect, which can overcome nearly 90 percent of the drag caused by the scoop.

There are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models. There are two in Canada, both DS. Maintenance expertise for your P-51 is surprisingly available, with shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance as well as in Merlin engine maintenance. Parts aren’t hard to come by either, since some third parties have taken up manufacturing them. However, available does not mean inexpensive. All aspects of ownership are expensive. You’ll burn 85 gallons or so in your first hour getting up to altitude, that is about 60 gallons an hour after that. Two wing tanks and a center tank will hold 270 gallons, and the optional drop tanks hold another 220.

You can expect the Merlin to get a top overhaul at about 400 hours, and the full meal deal comes around 800. Depending on the version, you’re in the neighborhood of 1500 horsepower. They’re heavy on the controls, styles are aggressive and give little warning, so yes, it’s a handful. But it’s a freaking Mustang, and you make it work. It may be a good idea to add a line to your get P51 checklist called “have a lot of high-performance tailwheel time.”

Unique Features

If you’re in the market for a P-51D Mustang, you probably already know a lot about this legendary American World War II fighter plane. But did you know that the intake, which the engine uses to get air to burn fuel inside the Pistons, is just beneath the spinner? The big scoop on the bottom houses both the oil cooler and the engine’s radiator. The hot air that leaves the rear of the scoop actually generates thrust thanks to the Meredith effect, which can overcome nearly 90 percent of the drag caused by the scoop.

At the end of the war, most Mustangs stayed where they were or were scrapped. Many of those flying in the USA today were nearly or recently completed when the war ended and were about to be but not yet shipped to Europe.

There are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models. There are two in Canada, both Ds. Maintenance expertise for your P-51 is surprisingly available. There are shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance as well as in Merlin engine maintenance. Parts aren’t hard to come by either since some third parties have taken up manufacturing them. However, available does not mean inexpensive. All aspects of ownership are expensive.

You’ll burn 85 gallons or so in your first hour getting up to altitude. That’s about 60 gallons an hour after that. Two wing tanks and a center tank will hold 270 gallons. The optional drop tanks hold another 220. You can expect the Merlin to get a top overhaul at about 400 hours, and the full meal deal comes around 800.

Flying a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart. Depending on the version, you’re in the neighborhood of 1500 horsepower. They’re heavy on the controls, and the styles are aggressive and give little warning. So, it’s a handful, but it’s a freaking Mustang. You make it work, but it may be a good idea to add a line to your get P-51 checklist called “have a lot of high-performance tailwheel time.”

Post War History

After World War II, many P-51 Mustangs stayed where they were or were scrapped. However, many of the Mustangs flying in the USA today were nearly or recently completed when the war ended and were about to be but not yet shipped to Europe.

Currently, there are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA, with 25 of them being D models. There are also two D models in Canada.

Although owning a P-51 Mustang is a dream for many, it comes with a hefty price tag. Buying a flying P-51 is expensive, and restoring and maintaining one is even more expensive. Maintenance expertise for the P-51 is surprisingly available, with shops that specialize in P-51 and Merlin engine maintenance.

Parts for the P-51 are also available, but they come at a high cost. Third-party manufacturers have taken up manufacturing parts, but this does not make them inexpensive.

The P-51 Mustang is a legend and is probably the favorite plane of most people. However, it is not easy to afford or fly one. Depending on the version, you can expect to have around 1500 horsepower, and they are heavy on the controls. Styles are aggressive and give little warning, so it’s a handful to fly.

If you are planning to fly a P-51, it may be a good idea to have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time.

Acquiring a P51D Mustang

So, you’re interested in purchasing a P51D Mustang. This American World War II fighter plane is a beloved classic, with a British-origin engine that was later switched to a Rolls-Royce Merlin.

If you’re considering buying a flying P-51, be prepared for a hefty price tag. Restoring and maintaining the aircraft is also extremely expensive. The purchase price of a P-51D can vary greatly depending on its condition and maintenance history. Currently, there are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA, 25 of which are D models, and two in Canada.

Fortunately, maintenance expertise for your P51 is available, with shops that specialize in P-51 and Merlin engine maintenance. Parts are also readily available, although they can be expensive.

When it comes to fuel consumption, expect to burn around 85 gallons in your first hour getting up to altitude, and about 60 gallons an hour after that. The P-51D’s wing tanks and center tank can hold 270 gallons, with optional drop tanks holding an additional 220 gallons.

You can expect to perform a top overhaul on the Merlin engine at around 400 hours, with a full overhaul coming around 800 hours.

Flying a P-51D Mustang is no easy feat. Depending on the version, you could be dealing with around 1500 horsepower, aggressive controls, and little warning. It’s a handful, but it’s a freaking Mustang. If you’re serious about flying one, it may be a good idea to have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time under your belt.

In summary, owning a P-51D Mustang is a dream come true for many aviation enthusiasts, but it comes with a hefty price tag and requires significant investment in maintenance and expertise.

Maintenance and Parts Availability

Maintaining and restoring a P-51D Mustang can be quite expensive. The purchase price of the plane is low, but restoration and maintenance costs can be very high, depending on how much TLC it received and how recently.

There are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models. There are also 2 D models in Canada. Maintenance expertise for your P-51 is surprisingly available, with shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance as well as in Merlin engine maintenance.

Parts aren’t hard to come by either, since some third parties have taken up manufacturing them. However, available does not mean inexpensive. All aspects of ownership are expensive, including fuel costs. You’ll burn around 85 gallons in your first hour getting up to altitude, and about 60 gallons per hour after that. Two wing tanks and a center tank will hold 270 gallons, and the optional drop tanks hold another 220.

You can expect the Merlin engine to get a top overhaul at about 400 hours, and the full overhaul comes around 800. It’s important to keep in mind that owning and maintaining a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart, as it’s a high-performance aircraft that requires a lot of experience to fly.

Fuel Consumption

Owning a P-51D Mustang is not cheap. The fuel consumption of this legendary World War II fighter plane is high, and it requires a lot of maintenance. In your first hour, you can expect to burn around 85 gallons of fuel just to get up to altitude. After that, the fuel consumption will be about 60 gallons per hour. The P-51D Mustang has two wing tanks and a center tank that can hold 270 gallons of fuel. If you opt for the drop tanks, you can add another 220 gallons of fuel.

Maintaining a P-51D Mustang can be expensive. You can expect to get a top overhaul for your Merlin engine at around 400 hours, and a full overhaul at around 800 hours. While parts for the Mustang are available, they are not cheap.

Despite the high cost, owning a P-51D Mustang is a dream come true for many aviation enthusiasts. The airplane is powerful, with a horsepower of around 1500, and it requires a lot of skill to fly. The controls are heavy and aggressive, and there is little warning before the airplane makes a sudden move. If you want to fly a P-51D Mustang, you need to have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time under your belt.

In the USA, there are currently 41 registered Mustangs, 25 of which are D models. There are also two D models registered in Canada. Maintenance expertise for the P-51D Mustang is available, with shops that specialize in both P-51 maintenance and Merlin engine maintenance. However, all aspects of ownership are expensive, and you should be prepared to spend a lot of money if you want to own and fly this legendary airplane.

Engine Overhaul

When it comes to owning a P-51D Mustang, you must be prepared for the expenses that come with it. The Merlin engine, originally British Allison, requires a top overhaul at around 400 hours and a full overhaul at around 800 hours.

Not only is maintenance expensive, but so is fuel consumption. You can expect to burn around 85 gallons in your first hour, and about 60 gallons an hour after that. The P-51D has two wing tanks and a center tank that can hold 270 gallons, and optional drop tanks that hold another 220 gallons.

Although maintenance expertise and parts are available, they are not inexpensive. There are shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance and Merlin engine maintenance, and some third parties have taken up manufacturing parts.

Flying a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart. Depending on the version, you’re in the neighborhood of 1500 horsepower, and the controls are heavy and aggressive. The style of flying gives little warning, so it’s important to have a lot of high performance tail wheel time.

In conclusion, owning a P-51D Mustang is not easy nor cheap, but it’s worth it to fly such a legendary and beloved American World War II fighter plane.

Challenges in Flying a P51D Mustang

If you’re considering buying a P51D Mustang, you should be aware of the challenges that come with flying this aircraft. The P51D Mustang is a legendary American World War II fighter plane that is beloved by many. It’s equipped with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which is powerful but also heavy on the controls.

One challenge you’ll face when flying a P51D Mustang is its aggressive style, which gives little warning. This means that you’ll need to have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time to handle this aircraft. Additionally, the P51D Mustang is heavy on the controls, which can make it difficult to maneuver.

Another challenge you’ll encounter is the cost of owning and maintaining a P51D Mustang. Buying a flying P51D Mustang is expensive, and restoring and maintaining it is even more expensive. You’ll need to burn about 85 gallons of fuel in your first hour getting up to altitude, and about 60 gallons per hour after that. The two wing tanks and center tank can hold up to 270 gallons, and the optional drop tanks hold another 220.

Maintenance expertise for the P51D Mustang is available, but it’s also expensive. There are shops that specialize in P51 maintenance, as well as in Merlin engine maintenance. Parts aren’t hard to come by either, but they’re not inexpensive. You can expect the Merlin to get a top overhaul at about 400 hours, and the full meal deal comes around 800.

In conclusion, the P51D Mustang is a challenging aircraft to fly, but it’s also a legendary plane that many pilots dream of owning. If you’re up for the challenge and have the resources to maintain it, the P51D Mustang can be a rewarding aircraft to own and fly.

Final Considerations

If you’re considering buying a P-51D Mustang, there are a few things you should keep in mind. While this American World War II fighter plane is beloved by many, it’s important to remember that purchasing and maintaining one can be extremely expensive.

One thing you may not have known is that the hot air leaving the rear of the intake scoop can actually generate thrust, thanks to the Meredith effect. This can help overcome nearly 90 percent of the drag caused by the scoop.

While there are 41 Mustangs registered in the USA currently, 25 of which are D models, it’s important to note that many of these planes were either recently completed or have undergone extensive restoration. As a result, the purchase price can vary greatly depending on the amount of TLC the plane has received.

In terms of maintenance, it’s worth noting that expertise for your P-51 is surprisingly available. There are shops that specialize in P-51 maintenance as well as in Merlin engine maintenance. However, it’s important to keep in mind that all aspects of ownership are expensive.

You can expect to burn around 85 gallons of fuel in your first hour getting up to altitude, and about 60 gallons an hour after that. While parts for the plane aren’t hard to come by, they can be quite expensive.

In terms of flying, the P-51D is a legend and a favorite of many. However, it’s important to remember that it’s a high-performance plane with around 1500 horsepower. The controls can be heavy and aggressive, and there may be little warning before a stall. As a result, it’s recommended that you have a lot of high-performance tail wheel time before attempting to fly a P-51D Mustang.

Overall, owning and flying a P-51D Mustang is a dream come true for many aviation enthusiasts. However, it’s important to be aware of the costs and challenges involved before taking the plunge.

Conclusion

Owning a P-51D Mustang is a dream come true for many aviation enthusiasts. This American World War II fighter plane is beloved for its British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and its unique features, such as the intake located beneath the spinner and the hot air that generates thrust from the rear scoop.

However, purchasing and maintaining a P-51D Mustang can be extremely expensive. The purchase price varies depending on the aircraft’s condition and maintenance history, and restoring and maintaining it is a costly endeavor.

Despite the expenses, there are currently 41 registered P-51 Mustangs in the USA, 25 of which are D models. Maintenance expertise and parts for the Mustang and Merlin engine are available, but they come at a high cost.

Flying a P-51D Mustang is not for the faint of heart. The aircraft’s aggressive style and heavy controls require a lot of experience and high-performance tail wheel time. But for those who love the challenge, owning and flying a P-51D Mustang is an experience like no other.